Tag: Roy Nelson

How Does Roy Nelson Fight Benefit Daniel Cormier?

Daniel Cormier wants the biggest fights in the world. But at UFC 166, he’ll be settling for a fight with Big Country. 
Cormier is currently ranked as the No. 4 heavyweight in the world and his resume would demand a title shot if he were to beat th…

Daniel Cormier wants the biggest fights in the world. But at UFC 166, he’ll be settling for a fight with Big Country. 

Cormier is currently ranked as the No. 4 heavyweight in the world and his resume would demand a title shot if he were to beat the right guy in the division. This, according to Cormier, is exactly why a tilt with No. 3-ranked Fabricio Werdum was almost completely out of the question. 

Cormier told Franklin McNeil of ESPN:

I would have taken the fight if UFC had offered it to me. I will fight anybody who’s winning, anyone but Cain. So if they would have offered me the fight with Werdum in an eliminator, I would have accepted it and I would have beaten him and not taken the title shot. It would have really kind of jacked things up a little bit. 

UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is a training partner of Cormier’s, and the two are on record as saying they would not fight one another, which is why DC plans to cut to light heavyweight after the Roy Nelson fight.

A fight with Werdum would wreak havoc on the heavyweight division if Cormier were to emerge the victor, but how does the Nelson fight benefit him?

A win against Nelson would not help his claim for a shot at Jon Jones, it does nothing for him in his current division and a loss might eliminate an immediate crack at Jones. 

Daniel Cormier is a former Olympic wrestler, and he currently holds a 12-0 MMA record with five knockouts and three submission wins. His stand-up is evolving at light speed, making him a scary talent in the UFC.

After he handily, though not spectacularly, beat Frank Mir in his UFC debut in April, Cormier established himself as one of the best in the heavyweight division. Add the fact that light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has nearly cleaned out his division, and Cormier becomes a big threat if he can cut weight. 

The fact that Cormier will not fight Velasquez has caused him to make plans to cut weight with the hopes of fighting Jones. He’s proven he can fight the best and win, and he already believes he can beat Jones. 

“I have the skills to win that fight [against Jones],” Cormier said. “But I have to get through [Nelson] first. I have to fight a fight that will strengthen my case.” 

He plans to cut after the Nelson fight, so a win does nothing for him at heavyweight. Cormier believes the fight strengthens his case for a shot at Jones should Jones win in September, but what if DC loses?

Roy Nelson, unlike Cormier, appears to be on a downward slope after a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic bounced him out of the top 10 in the division. Also, if you call to attention the fact that Nelson lost by unanimous decision to Werdum in February of 2012, a fight with him doesn’t look that appealing.

Big Country is a tough fighter with possibly the best chin in the entire UFC. He has big power in his hands, as evidenced by his three straight knockout victories preceding the loss to Miocic last month.

But the fact that he lost so badly to a relative unknown in Miocic makes this a dangerous fight for Cormier. Although all signs point to an easy win for DC given that he could neutralize Nelson with his wrestling if need be, one shot could end Cormier’s dreams of a fight with Jones, at least for now.

Imagine if Cormier loses to Nelson, especially by knockout. Why would the UFC, and Jon Jones for that matter, want to book a fight with a guy who just loss to a fighter outside of the top 10?

Outside of keeping himself warm for a potential fight with Jones, a bout with Big Country just doesn’t make sense for Cormier. 

Cormier is moving to a new division after the fight with Nelson, so a win does nothing for him, as he has already proven he should at least be considered for a shot with Jones. If he knocks out or submits Nelson in the bout, that strengthens his case; but if he loses, he’ll have to earn his shot all over again.

Make no mistake, I’m going on record as saying that Daniel Cormier will defeat Roy Nelson by unanimous decision at UFC 166. He will strike with him for a bit, take him down and wear him out. 

But if I were a member of his camp, I would not have let him take this fight, as the risks far outweigh the rewards. All it would take is Big Country’s right hand to end Cormier’s immediate shot in one fell swoop of at the big fight he so eagerly wants.

Nelson has 12 knockout victories in his career. For Cormier’s sake, let’s hope it’s not 13 come October. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Twitter Beefs of the Day: Uncle Creepy vs. Rob Emerson, Roy Nelson vs. Dickhead Sponsors

Ah, Twitter, where professional fighters can spend their free time arguing with fellow fighters, making fireable rape jokes, publicly spatting with their pornstar wives, or inflicting harm upon themselves because some troll called their pornstar girlfriend a whore. Tis a silly place, Twitter.

In any case, it seems that MMA fighters in particular are all too willing to divulge the intimate details of their personal lives on the Twittersphere. Take UFC flyweight Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall, for instance, who recently decided to use the social networking device to inform us that his wife is a dirty, dirty tramp whom he recently caught in bed with TUF 3 alum Rob Emerson. We’ve known that Creepy has been going through some rough times as of late, but damn, that’s just cold-blooded betrayal on Emerson’s part. Guess we’ll need to update our list of the 10 Most Despicable People-waaaaait Emerson’s already on it.

And if you think that’s bad, just wait until you see what Roy Nelson has been dealing with lately. Hint: It’s another dickhead sponsor who thinks fat jokes are the proper way to deal with an unpaid client.

Ah, Twitter, where professional fighters can spend their free time arguing with fellow fighters, making fireable rape jokes, publicly spatting with their pornstar wives, or inflicting harm upon themselves because some troll called their pornstar girlfriend a whore. Tis a silly place, Twitter.

In any case, it seems that MMA fighters in particular are all too willing to divulge the intimate details of their personal lives on the Twittersphere. Take UFC flyweight Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall, for instance, who recently decided to use the social networking device to inform us that his wife is a dirty, dirty tramp whom he recently caught in bed with TUF 3 alum Rob Emerson. We’ve known that Creepy has been going through some rough times as of late, but damn, that’s just cold-blooded betrayal on Emerson’s part. Guess we’ll need to update our list of the 10 Most Despicable People-waaaaait Emerson’s already on it.

And if you think that’s bad, just wait until you see what Roy Nelson has been dealing with lately. Hint: It’s another dickhead sponsor who thinks fat jokes are the proper way to deal with an unpaid client.


(Screenshot via the UG’s Gareth White.)

Quick poll — MMA sponsors or MMA Managers: Who are less professional?

While we don’t have nearly enough information to truly pick a side in Nelson’s current spat with Cage Fighter owner Mike DiSabato, you need look no further than DiSabato’s handling of the situation to understand what kind of person he is. Insulting the very fighters you sponsor to cover the fact that you haven’t paid them? Looks like someone studied at the Mark Gingrich School of Screwjobs.

Of course, once you look into the long history DiSabato has of shortchanging his sponsored fighters, it becomes pretty easy to see who is in the wrong here. BloodyElbow’s Brent Brookhouse recently did just that, detailing the long list of lawsuits aimed at DiSabato’s old company (MMA Authentic) by everyone from Chuck Liddell to Dan Henderson. Needless to say, DiSabato seems like a real nice guy who has a bright future ahead of him.

–J. Jones

Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson Set as Co-Main Event of UFC 166

The war of words, at least over signing a fight agreement, has come to an end. However, don’t expect the fact that Daniel Cormier and Roy Nelson will be stepping into the Octagon at UFC 166 to end the verbal and Twitter exchanges between the two….

The war of words, at least over signing a fight agreement, has come to an end. However, don’t expect the fact that Daniel Cormier and Roy Nelson will be stepping into the Octagon at UFC 166 to end the verbal and Twitter exchanges between the two.

The Houston Chronicle broke the news of the signing on Monday night.

Things heated up between Nelson and Cormier, when Nelson (19-8), in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Damon Martin, said that Cormier (12-0) had turned down a fight with him on the UFC 161 card. Cormier answered that accusation by telling UFC Tonight (h/t Martin), “I want Roy Nelson. I want to kick his ass. I want to kick his ass for Dana White.”

Talk between the two died down a bit after Nelson dropped a unanimous decision to Stipe Miocic at UFC 161. Cormier and Nelson got back into it on Twitter last week, with the back and forth culminating in a handwritten fight agreement that both parties signed. Apparently that was enough for the UFC to extend a more official bout agreement:

One interesting fact about the signing is the lack of mention of a new UFC contract for Nelson. Nelson’s contract expired with his loss to Miocic. A request was made to the UFC looking for information regarding that contract.

UFC 166 will take place on October 19 from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Headlining the event will be UFC heavyweight champion, and Cormier teammate, Cain Velasquez putting his title on the line against former champion Junior dos Santos.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Friday Link Dump: Hendo Drops TRT, Redneck Technology, Comic-Con Cosplay + More

(MMA Nostradamus Alert: Jeff Curran predicts the future while preparing Felice Herrig for her Bellator 94 bout against Heather Clark. / Video via 1inchBoom)

Dan Henderson Explains Decision to Drop TRT Before UFC 161 (FiveOuncesofPain)

Daniel Cormier Tweets UFC 166 ‘Contract’ to Roy Nelson (BleacherReport)

Dana White Blasts Sports Illustrated for Suggesting Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva Was Fixed (MMAFighting)

Support Shown for MMA Bout Between Disabled Fighters (USAToday)

Matyushenko-M’Pumbu Headline Bellator 99, Freire-Nunes Set for 145 Tourney (MMAJunkie)

Brittney Palmer: Top 10 Sexiest Instagram Pics (FightDay)

The 15 Best Movies Inspired By True Events (Complex)

The Mens Fitness Sex Guide (MensFitness)

Real Life GTA-Style Driving [VIDEO] (DoubleViking)

The 20 Greatest Achievements In Redneck Technology History (WorldWideInterweb)

5 Accessories That Automatically Make You a Douchebag (EgoTV)

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Is Already a Fiasco (SportsOnEarth)

Why Women Love Losers (MadeMan)

Hottest Comic-Con Cosplay, Day 1 (Break)


(MMA Nostradamus Alert: Jeff Curran predicts the future while preparing Felice Herrig for her Bellator 94 bout against Heather Clark. / Video via 1inchBoom)

Dan Henderson Explains Decision to Drop TRT Before UFC 161 (FiveOuncesofPain)

Daniel Cormier Tweets UFC 166 ‘Contract’ to Roy Nelson (BleacherReport)

Dana White Blasts Sports Illustrated for Suggesting Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva Was Fixed (MMAFighting)

Support Shown for MMA Bout Between Disabled Fighters (USAToday)

Matyushenko-M’Pumbu Headline Bellator 99, Freire-Nunes Set for 145 Tourney (MMAJunkie)

Brittney Palmer: Top 10 Sexiest Instagram Pics (FightDay)

The 15 Best Movies Inspired By True Events (Complex)

The Mens Fitness Sex Guide (MensFitness)

Real Life GTA-Style Driving [VIDEO] (DoubleViking)

The 20 Greatest Achievements In Redneck Technology History (WorldWideInterweb)

5 Accessories That Automatically Make You a Douchebag (EgoTV)

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Is Already a Fiasco (SportsOnEarth)

Why Women Love Losers (MadeMan)

Hottest Comic-Con Cosplay, Day 1 (Break)

Awesome Video of the Day: Watch Roy Nelson Get the Everloving Sh*t Beat Out of Him For Nearly 7 Minutes

(Props to Youtube user Brutha Muzone via Fightlinker for the find.)

We all know the story of Roy Nelson’s unbreakable chin. Forged by Biggoron high in the alcoves of Death Mountain and crafted with only the finest of bomb flowers, the Petra mandibulo is capable of withstanding a Mark 3 blast and doubles as a cardboard baler on weekends. Fact: After selecting one of his bastard offspring for sacrifice each night, Jay Leno prays to Roy Nelson for strength before tucking himself into bed. The dude’s got a solid jaw, is what we’re saying.

As we are also aware, “Big Country” set a career record for strikes absorbed in the UFC (clocking in at a ridiculously ridiculous 437) without being knocked out during his three round drubbing at the hands of Stipe Miocic last month. While it’s a damn respectable honor to hold in one regard, it’s also a sign that maybe, just maybe, he should consider turning down that 4th helping of DiaBeef Jerky every now and again.

But if Nelson is able to successfully negotiate a new contract, it looks like he will be the next man to face off with former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 166 in October. If that ends up being the case, we’ll surely be in for a lot more of what’s depicted above. Mainly, Roy Nelson eating shots like they are pork rinds dipped in Sriracha. The above video, entitled “Clubbed to Death,” highlights Nelson’s positively Bruce Willian chin in his performances against Miocic, Junior Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum and is truly something to behold. For the sake of fairness, his handful of overhand deathball KO’s are sprinkled in as well, so enjoy.

–J. Jones


(Props to Youtube user Brutha Muzone via Fightlinker for the find.)

We all know the story of Roy Nelson’s unbreakable chin. Forged by Biggoron high in the alcoves of Death Mountain and crafted with only the finest of bomb flowers, the Petra mandibulo is capable of withstanding a Mark 3 blast and doubles as a cardboard baler on weekends. Fact: After selecting one of his bastard offspring for sacrifice each night, Jay Leno prays to Roy Nelson for strength before tucking himself into bed. The dude’s got a solid jaw, is what we’re saying.

As we are also aware, “Big Country” set a career record for strikes absorbed in the UFC (clocking in at a ridiculously ridiculous 437) without being knocked out during his three round drubbing at the hands of Stipe Miocic last month. While it’s a damn respectable honor to hold in one regard, it’s also a sign that maybe, just maybe, he should consider turning down that 4th helping of DiaBeef Jerky every now and again.

But if Nelson is able to successfully negotiate a new contract, it looks like he will be the next man to face off with former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 166 in October. If that ends up being the case, we’ll surely be in for a lot more of what’s depicted above. Mainly, Roy Nelson eating shots like they are pork rinds dipped in Sriracha. The above video, entitled “Clubbed to Death,” highlights Nelson’s positively Bruce Willian chin in his performances against Miocic, Junior Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum and is truly something to behold. For the sake of fairness, his handful of overhand deathball KO’s are sprinkled in as well, so enjoy.

–J. Jones

Battle of the Bulge: Big Country Nelson vs. Daniel Cormier a Go for UFC 166


(How fucked up is it that *this* is the #1 search result when you type “Roy Nelson clean shaven” into Google? Photo via Getty.) 

In the weeks leading up to his scrap with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161, it appeared as if Roy Nelson would be headed for the greener pastures of an MMA promotion that wasn’t run by a guy who hates his fat ass. In the days following Nelson’s three round trouncing at the hands of Miocic, it was the general consensus that Bellator was a CHICK’N Crisp sandwich away from luring in one of MMA’s top heavyweights at a steal of a price. So how does Nelson now find himself in line to fight Daniel Cormier, a former Strikeforce champion who is coming off a (tepid) win over Frank Mir in his UFC debut?

Perhaps we should step back for a second. You see, prior to UFC 161, Nelson had strung together a nice little three-fight win streak (all via KO) and was looking to break himself off a piece of that Daniel Cormier hype. Imploring the classic UFC strategy of declaring that the fight “wouldn’t make sense,” then trying to turn it into a #1 contender fight for another division’s title, then bringing race into the equation, Nelson was able to successfully troll his way into a fight with Cormier despite coming off a loss. Huzzah! The likelihood of this fight coming to fruition is all dependent, of course, on how Nelson’s contract negotiations with the UFC go, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

Then again, you could argue that Nelson was more impressive in defeat than Cormier was in victory based purely on the amount of shots he was able to absorb without being knocked out. It would be an insane argument to make, but hey, Tim Sylvia would probably have your back. In either case, the pair is tentatively set to throw down at UFC 166, which goes down on October 19th in Houston, Texas.

In other fight booking news…


(How fucked up is it that *this* is the #1 search result when you type “Roy Nelson clean shaven” into Google? Photo via Getty.) 

In the weeks leading up to his scrap with Stipe Miocic at UFC 161, it appeared as if Roy Nelson would be headed for the greener pastures of an MMA promotion that wasn’t run by a guy who hates his fat ass. In the days following Nelson’s three round trouncing at the hands of Miocic, it was the general consensus that Bellator was a CHICK’N Crisp sandwich away from luring in one of MMA’s top heavyweights at a steal of a price. So how does Nelson now find himself in line to fight Daniel Cormier, a former Strikeforce champion who is coming off a (tepid) win over Frank Mir in his UFC debut?

Perhaps we should step back for a second. You see, prior to UFC 161, Nelson had strung together a nice little three-fight win streak (all via KO) and was looking to break himself off a piece of that Daniel Cormier hype. Imploring the classic UFC strategy of declaring that the fight “wouldn’t make sense,” then trying to turn it into a #1 contender fight for another division’s title, then bringing race into the equation, Nelson was able to successfully troll his way into a fight with Cormier despite coming off a loss. Huzzah! The likelihood of this fight coming to fruition is all dependent, of course, on how Nelson’s contract negotiations with the UFC go, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

Then again, you could argue that Nelson was more impressive in defeat than Cormier was in victory based purely on the amount of shots he was able to absorb without being knocked out. It would be an insane argument to make, but hey, Tim Sylvia would probably have your back. In either case, the pair is tentatively set to throw down at UFC 166, which goes down on October 19th in Houston, Texas.

In other fight booking news…

Fresh off a first round submission of fellow TUF 17 castmember Adam Cella at UFC on FUEL 9, Tor Troeng has been booked to take on Rafael Natal at UFC on FOX Sports 1:3. Since getting KTFO by Andrew Craig at UFC on FUEL 4, Natal has scored back-to-back wins over a couple of UFC newbies at UFC on FOX 6 and UFC on FX 8. When aliens are trying to piece together human history after it has been wiped off the face of the earth, do you think they’ll wonder why we insisted on making our UFC events as indistinguishable from one another as possible? COMING SOON, UFC on FOFX 1: 00101101 — Velasquez vs. Dos Santos IV (part II). Prelims to be broadcast on FUELbook.

–J. Jones