Following his brutal knockout victory over Cheick Kongo at UFC 159 at April’s end, Roy Nelson probably expected to enjoy some time away from the cage. Instead, less than one month later, he found himself stepping in against Stipe Miocic in the co-…
Following his brutal knockout victory over Cheick Kongo at UFC 159 at April’s end, Roy Nelson probably expected to enjoy some time away from the cage.
Instead, less than one month later, he found himself stepping in against Stipe Miocic in the co-main event of UFC 161 on Saturday. The card takes place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, featuring a light heavyweight headliner between Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson.
Nelson enters the contest looking for his second win in seven weeks. A victory over Miocic would extend his winning streak to four. Meanwhile, Miocic, who is seven years younger than Nelson, looks to avoid dropping two fights in a row.
According to Bovada, Miocic is more than a 2-to-1 underdog in this contest, as Nelson sits at a healthy -270. But is the matchup really that lopsided? Take a look at our head-to-toe breakdown for this heavyweight clash.
UFC 161 fighter Roy Nelson and World Series of Fighting’s Josh Burkman join today’s show, and there should be plenty of debate surrounding UFC on Fuel 10 and Bellator’s new night for programming. Stepping into help out an ailing UFC 161 on just a coupl…
UFC 161 fighter Roy Nelson and World Series of Fighting’s Josh Burkman join today’s show, and there should be plenty of debate surrounding UFC on Fuel 10 and Bellator‘s new night for programming.
Stepping into help out an ailing UFC 161 on just a couple of weeks notice, Roy Nelson joins the show to talk about why he decided to take the fight, his existing contract with the UFC and whether he plans to return to the Octagon after Saturday night.
Also on the show, World Series of Fighting main event fighter Josh Burkman stops by to discuss his fight against Jon Fitch and why he’s not looking for a return to the UFC right now.
Finally the debate heats up on today’s show as we discuss the events that went down in Brazil on Saturday for UFC on Fuel 10, as well as some other big stories in the MMA world over the last few days, including Bellator‘s new night for programming.
Today’s debate topics include
Fabricio Werdum said he wants to wait until after Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3 to decide what’s next. Good move or bad move?
Thiago Silva knocks out Rafael Feijao—are you buying him as a legit top-10 fighter now?
Bellator will shift programming to Friday nights in September. Will they be as successful on the new night?
Jose Aldo says with a win over Anthony Pettis he will move to 155 to challenge for the title there.Agree or disagree with that decision?
This is MMA’s Great Debate Radio for Tuesday, June 11, 2013
(If the embeddable player does not work click HERE.Don’t forget to subscribe to the show via iTunes or listen on Stitcher Radio).
UFC 161 is fast approaching, and barring some last-minute injury, the fight card is locked in. The main event may not be the fight that was originally scheduled for the June 15 event, but fans should still be very happy with the fact that Rashad …
UFC 161 is fast approaching, and barring some last-minute injury, the fight card is locked in. The main event may not be the fight that was originally scheduled for the June 15 event, but fans should still be very happy with the fact that Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson are now occupying the headlining spot.
In the co-main event, Roy Nelson stepped up to the card on short notice and accepted a fight with Stipe Miocic.
As the clock ticks down toward the next UFC pay-per-view, here are a few handy stats and facts to get you ready for the fight card—well, at least for the main event and co-main event.
June is here, and the UFC gets set to bring us more action with two events in back-to-back weeks.The first event comes to you from Brazil. UFC on Fuel TV 10 features Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a heavyweight showdown. The rematch ha…
June is here, and the UFC gets set to bring us more action with two events in back-to-back weeks.
The first event comes to you from Brazil. UFC on Fuel TV 10 features Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a heavyweight showdown. The rematch has significant ramifications in the division, and should Werdum win, he could be next in line for the UFC heavyweight championship.
Twelve other fights are happening at UFC on Fuel 10. It will be a good evening of action.
UFC 161 happens one week later. After injuries have altered the card, it is less enticing, but the main event will still deliver. Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson go toe-to-toe to try and reclaim past contender status.
Other contenders and prospects will be in action on both cards. It will be another satisfying month of MMA action.
Here are the fighters to bet on, and the fighters to avoid this month.
Daniel Cormier has at least one fight left in him at heavyweight, and he’s targeting a showdown with Roy Nelson before making the move to 205 pounds. The former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion told Bleacher Report in May that he plann…
Daniel Cormier has at least one fight left in him at heavyweight, and he’s targeting a showdown with Roy Nelson before making the move to 205 pounds.
The former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion told Bleacher Report in May that he planned on staying in the division while adjusting his diet and weight to make the cut to light heavyweight later in the year.
It was revealed via UFC Tonight on Tuesday that Cormier had been planning on challenging the winner of this weekend’s main event from UFC on Fuel 10 between Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira until he heard something interesting from Nelson in an interview.
On Monday in an interview with Bleacher Report, Nelson revealed that before he was matched up against StipeMiocic at UFC 161, a few other fighters had turned down the fight—among them Daniel Cormier.
“There’s definitely guys that called me out and turned down fights,” Nelson revealed in the interview. “I guess all the big wigs, who you can think of. I think D.C. (Daniel Cormier) was one of them.”
According to Cormier, he didn’t turn down the chance to face Nelson at UFC 161, but he was actually not allowed because he could not be medically cleared in time for the show following his bout against Frank Mir at UFC on Fox 7 on April 20.
The news that Nelson stated he turned down the fight enraged him, however, and now Cormier is letting it be known that he wants Nelson for his next trip to the Octagon before he makes the move to 205-pounds.
“I want Roy Nelson,” Cormier said on UFC Tonight.“I want to kick his ass.I want to kick his ass for Dana White.”
Before a potential Cormier vs. Nelson fight can come together, UFC 161 has to happen, and Nelson has to get past StipeMiocic in the co-main event.
Following that fight, Nelson then has to re-negotiate a new deal with the UFC because his bout in Winnipeg is the last on his current contract.
Nelson’s manager Mike Kogantweeted on Tuesday that he plans on sitting down with UFC President Dana White after the show to start hammering out a new deal for the former Ultimate Fighter winner.
If all the pieces fall into place, however, a fight between Cormier and Nelson could be a heavyweight bout with fireworks written all over it for later this year.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
One day Roy Nelson was enjoying his vacation, and the next day he was training for a fight at UFC 161 but as Nelson says, “When the UFC calls, you step up.” And step up he did, taking a short-notice fight against Stipe Miocic on the J…
One day Roy Nelson was enjoying his vacation, and the next day he was training for a fight at UFC 161 but as Nelson says, “When the UFC calls, you step up.” And step up he did, taking a short-notice fight against StipeMiocic on the June 15 card.
The call to Nelson went out when an injury forced the UFC to rearrange the upcoming event. Miocic had originally been booked to face SoaPalelei on the undercard, but when Nelson answered the call, Palelei was removed from the card and the fight was moved to the pay-per-view portion of the event.
Some have questioned why Nelson, a Top-10 UFC heavyweight, would agree to face Miocic, who is ranked outside the top 10. Nelson sees things a little differently: “Stipe’s one of the top guys in the UFC. He wouldn’t be in the UFC if he wasn’t one of the top guys.”
Nelson expanded on that topic when asked if he thought he could one day be UFC champion.
“Anybody in the heavyweight division could be champion,” he said. “Anybody in the UFC is at the top of the food chain, if we weren’t we wouldn’t be in the UFC. Anybody on the UFC roster could be heavyweight champion at any time, that’s why no heavyweight can hold it more than two fights at a time unless they’re fighting the same guys over and over.”
As for his chances, Nelson is confident he can wear UFC gold. “On any given day I know I can beat anybody up and knock anybody out.”
Knockouts are what Nelson has become known for. His six UFC victories have all come via knockout, earning him three “Knockout of the Night” bonuses. When asked if he is looking for the knockout when he steps into the Octagon, Nelson responded, “Usually I’m looking to wrestle and grapple, but the knockouts just happen.”
The odds of a knockout just happening in this bout are high. In addition to his six UFC knockouts, Nelson has six other KO wins in his career, while Miocic has seven knockouts in nine career victories.
While we don’t know for sure how the fight will end, we do know that Nelson looks at his work inside the Octagon as just another day at the office. “It’s a normal day at work,” Nelson said. “People write, whatever they do, my job and Stipe’s job, we just go out there and fight. That’s our job.”
Nelson’s next workday will come on June 15 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
All quotes were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report MMA.
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