Tag: Roy Nelson

Roy Nelson vs. Stipe Miocic Added to UFC 161; Soa Palelei Gets the Boot


(Hey, it could have been worse, right? / Photo via Getty Images)

In an effort to beef up a card that recently lost a title fight due to injury, the UFC has just added a heavyweight bout between Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic to the main card of UFC 161 (June 15th, Winnipeg). It’s an unexpected booking, to say the least — and not just because it gives Nelson a speedy seven-week turnaround between fights.

“Big Country” is currently on the hottest streak of his UFC career, picking up his third-straight first-round knockout against Cheick Kongo at UFC 159 last month. Meanwhile, Miocic is a much lower-profile prospect, whose hype as an undefeated wrecking machine fell apart when he was TKO’d by Stefan Struve last September. In other words, the matchup is a bit of a step down for Nelson, who doesn’t have much to gain here other than the possibility of earning his fifth UFC Knockout of the Night bonus.

In addition, Miocic was already booked on the card against returning Australian banger Soa Palelei, who has knocked out his last eight opponents while competing in Australia. (See, now that matchup made sense.) But with UFC 161 in need of extra star power, Roy Nelson replaces Palelei, who will be sitting this event out unless he’s needed as an injury replacement. But don’t cry for Soa — he once stood up Danga for an interview, so he’s pretty much dead to us. What, you thought Dana White was only guy who could hold grudges?

In a related story, MMAJunkie reports that UFC officials are currently seeking a replacement opponent for Eddie Wineland, and if they can lock one down, UFC 161 will feature six fights on the pay-per-view card instead of the usual five. The current lineup is after the jump…


(Hey, it could have been worse, right? / Photo via Getty Images)

In an effort to beef up a card that recently lost a title fight due to injury, the UFC has just added a heavyweight bout between Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic to the main card of UFC 161 (June 15th, Winnipeg). It’s an unexpected booking, to say the least — and not just because it gives Nelson a speedy seven-week turnaround between fights.

“Big Country” is currently on the hottest streak of his UFC career, picking up his third-straight first-round knockout against Cheick Kongo at UFC 159 last month. Meanwhile, Miocic is a much lower-profile prospect, whose hype as an undefeated wrecking machine fell apart when he was TKO’d by Stefan Struve last September. In other words, the matchup is a bit of a step down for Nelson, who doesn’t have much to gain here other than the possibility of earning his fifth UFC Knockout of the Night bonus.

In addition, Miocic was already booked on the card against returning Australian banger Soa Palelei, who has knocked out his last eight opponents while competing in Australia. (See, now that matchup made sense.) But with UFC 161 in need of extra star power, Roy Nelson replaces Palelei, who will be sitting this event out unless he’s needed as an injury replacement. But don’t cry for Soa — he once stood up Danga for an interview, so he’s pretty much dead to us. What, you thought Dana White was only guy who could hold grudges?

In a related story, MMAJunkie reports that UFC officials are currently seeking a replacement opponent for Eddie Wineland, and if they can lock one down, UFC 161 will feature six fights on the pay-per-view card instead of the usual five. The current lineup is after the jump…

PPV MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET)
Dan Henderson vs. Rashad Evans (LHW)
Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (LHW)
Roy Nelson vs. Stipe Miocic (HW)
Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan (HW)
Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton (women’s BW)

FX PRELIMS (8 p.m. ET)
Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley (WW)
Sam Stout vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (LW)
Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac (LHW)

FACEBOOK PRELIMS (6 p.m. ET)
Yves Jabouin vs. Dustin Pague (BW)
Sean Pierson vs. Kenny Robertson (WW)
Mitch Clarke vs. John Maguire (LW)
Roland Delorme vs. Edwin Figueroa (BW)

Roy Nelson Faces Stipe Miocic at UFC 161 After Main Event Scrapped This Week

UFC 161 took a hit this week when interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao was forced out of his fight against Eddie Wineland, which scrapped the main event for the upcoming card in Winnipeg on June 15. The UFC moved quickly to shift the light heavywe…

UFC 161 took a hit this week when interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao was forced out of his fight against Eddie Wineland, which scrapped the main event for the upcoming card in Winnipeg on June 15.

The UFC moved quickly to shift the light heavyweight fight between Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans to the headline slot, but it left a bit of an open hole on the card with one less marquee featured bout.

With time running out and less than a month to go until the show takes place, the UFC appears ready to call on heavyweight Roy Nelson to potentially step in and fill the vacancy on the card.

According to a report from UFC Tonight on Tuesday, the UFC has contacted Nelson about possibly stepping into a featured bout on the UFC 161 card.

Nelson was on call already for UFC 160 when heavyweight co-main event fighter Mark Hunt had visa issues and was unsure if he’d be able to gain entry into the United States by the necessary time to fight this weekend.  Luckily for Hunt, he got cleared for travel on Monday and arrived in Las Vegas for his scheduled fight against Junior Dos Santos.

Now, with a spot to fill on the UFC 161 card, the promotion is again calling on Nelson to potentially step in and help save the show.

Nelson’s manager Mike Kogan spoke to Bleacher Report on Tuesday night and stated that it was “realistic” that the former Ultimate Fighter winner could end up on the UFC 161 card, although no opponent has been confirmed at this time. 

Nelson is coming off of his third straight knockout victory—the latest coming at UFC 159 in April when he finished off Cheick Kongo in the first round.

Finding the right opponent and compensation could ultimately decide Nelson, or any fighter’s involvement, with a new fight being put together on less than a month’s notice.

It’s likely the UFC will try to make a decision in the next few days to give Nelson and any potential opponent as much time as possible to prepare for a June 15 bout.

UPDATE: Nelson will in fact compete on the card and it will be against Ohio native Stipe Miocic, as the two heavyweights have agreed to meet on the card according to UFC President Dana White who confirmed the news with MMAJunkie.com on Tuesday night.  Miocic was already scheduled for the card against Soa Palelei, but now he will get pulled to face Nelson instead.

There’s been no word on a replacement to step in and face Palelei yet.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Mark Hunt Is Totally Still Gonna Fight Junior Dos Santos at UFC 160, Y’all — But Just in Case, Roy Nelson Is Standing By


(This shit again? Oh, yes. This shit again. / Photo via Getty Images)

Twitter rallies, brutal victories and even celebrity endorsements could not get Mark Hunt what he deserved — a clear path to the UFC heavyweight title. When Hunt was booked for UFC 160 against former champion Junior Dos Santos, however, it looked like the New Zealander’s violent campaign had finally paid off.

Dana White said that Dos Santos would get a title shot should he beat Hunt, so if Hunt crushed those plans, then he would be the unquestioned #1 contender in the division, right? UFC gold appeared to be within stumpy-limb striking distance for the former K-1 Grand Prix Champion.

Alas, ‘The Man’ just didn’t want to see Hunt get his. Last week, a 2002 arrest from which no charges resulted magically came to the attention of U.S. officials, who as of yet have refused to issue the New Zealander a visa to travel to the states, threatening his chances of competing at the “Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2” event on May 25th. (If you have to ask who ‘The Man’ is in this situation, you are clearly a part of the conspiracy against Mark Hunt. Narc.)

The UFC is not giving up on Hunt fighting at UFC 160, though they do appear to be hedging their bets. “To put anything to rest, we are confident the issue will be resolved and we anticipate Mark competing in the co-main event for UFC 160,” the UFC’s Director of Communications, Dave Sholler, told media during a Tuesday teleconference. “Our team is working through that issue and we anticipate Mark making his way to the United States this weekend.”


(This shit again? Oh, yes. This shit again. / Photo via Getty Images)

Twitter rallies, brutal victories and even celebrity endorsements could not get Mark Hunt what he deserved — a clear path to the UFC heavyweight title. When Hunt was booked for UFC 160 against former champion Junior Dos Santos, however, it looked like the New Zealander’s violent campaign had finally paid off.

Dana White said that Dos Santos would get a title shot should he beat Hunt, so if Hunt crushed those plans, then he would be the unquestioned #1 contender in the division, right? UFC gold appeared to be within stumpy-limb striking distance for the former K-1 Grand Prix Champion.

Alas, ‘The Man’ just didn’t want to see Hunt get his. Last week, a 2002 arrest from which no charges resulted magically came to the attention of U.S. officials, who as of yet have refused to issue the New Zealander a visa to travel to the states, threatening his chances of competing at the “Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2″ event on May 25th. (If you have to ask who ‘The Man’ is in this situation, you are clearly a part of the conspiracy against Mark Hunt. Narc.)

The UFC is not giving up on Hunt fighting at UFC 160, though they do appear to be hedging their bets. “To put anything to rest, we are confident the issue will be resolved and we anticipate Mark competing in the co-main event for UFC 160,” the UFC’s Director of Communications, Dave Sholler, told media during a Tuesday teleconference. ”Our team is working through that issue and we anticipate Mark making his way to the United States this weekend.”

“We’re working towards keeping this original fight that was scheduled and everybody’s excited about intact. Our team is continuing to work with all the necessary officials to get this visa issue sorted out.”

The UFC claimed to not have a Plan B at this point to keep Junior Dos Santos competing at UFC 160 in the event that his opponent drops out (again), but MMA Fighting also reported Tuesday that the organization has asked Roy Nelson to apply for a license to fight Dos Santos May 25th.

Nelson got beat up badly by Dos Santos in their first meeting but proved to be the former champ’s biggest challenge up until the Brazilian lost his belt to Cain Velasquez last year. Do you think Big Country would have a shot at taking out Dos Santos this time around, ‘taters?

Also, does anyone know the over-under on Hunt simply jumping on the back of a Great White Shark and surfing it to the states to fight Dos Santos if his visa isn’t granted? #RallyForMarkHunt, you guys.

– Elias Cepeda

What Mark Hunt Should Look at in Junior Dos Santos’ Fight with Roy Nelson

Mark Hunt is scheduled to fight Junior Dos Santos at UFC 160 on May 25, 2013. Hunt—in spite of his punching power and accuracy, which he exhibited in his last four bouts—is labeled as underdog between the two. Many experts think that his ma…

Mark Hunt is scheduled to fight Junior Dos Santos at UFC 160 on May 25, 2013. Hunt—in spite of his punching power and accuracy, which he exhibited in his last four bouts—is labeled as underdog between the two. Many experts think that his matchup with the former heavyweight champion will turn out to be like Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson, which ended via unanimous decision in favor of Dos Santos.

Indeed, Hunt resembles Nelson in size, speed and striking style, although the former may possess the stronger punch. If Dos Santos’ fight with Nelson will be the basis, Hunt may as well end up on the losing side at UFC 160.

But this should not derail Hunt in his quest for a victory. Instead, he should take the time to study the fight and learn some useful pointers. 

Begin Slideshow

Wait, So Now Roy Nelson Wants to Fight Daniel Cormier for a Shot at the Light Heavyweight Title?


(Man, the Jack Links people are gonna be pissed when they realize their mascot is jumping ship for Subway.) 

Alright, so we all know that Daniel Cormier is fat. And, of course, we all also know that fat people are what Roy Nelson eats for his three squares each day. Preferably after they’ve been dipped in a vat of sausage gravy and deep fried.

The guy’s big.

As such, fans and fighters alike have often wondered aloud if the two would be better suited at a lighter weight class – say, light heavyweight. However, both guys continue to kick ass at heavyweight, which kinda makes it hard to say that they should feel a sense of urgency to drop a weight class (except, you know, so as not to die in ten years from a heart attack, Roy).

Nelson is coming off a knockout of professional Greek Statue Model, Cheick Kongo, and Cormier just dominated his second former UFC heavyweight champion. There has been talk of the two facing each other next. But there’s also been talk, mainly from Dana White, that Cormier could get an automatic shot at champion Jon Jones should he choose to drop down to 205lbs.

At first, it seemed liked both Nelson and Cormier were down to face one another, but then “Big Country’s” manager made him look like a chicken — a succulent, golden-fried chicken — by nixing the proposed matchup. Fortunately, Nelson spoke with Bloody Elbow recently and cleared things up once and for all. We guess.

As far Daniel [Cormier], I think the reason Mike, my manager, said anything about Daniel is because he’s supposed be getting an immediate title shot at 205. If he’s going down to 205, it doesn’t really make any sense to fight him, unless we’re going to fight for a 205 contendership. Then hey, we can do that, too. 


(Man, the Jack Links people are gonna be pissed when they realize their mascot is jumping ship for Subway.) 

Alright, so we all know that Daniel Cormier is fat. And, of course, we all also know that fat people are what Roy Nelson eats for his three squares each day. Preferably after they’ve been dipped in a vat of sausage gravy and deep fried.

The guy’s big.

As such, fans and fighters alike have often wondered aloud if the two would be better suited at a lighter weight class – say, light heavyweight. However, both guys continue to kick ass at heavyweight, which kinda makes it hard to say that they should feel a sense of urgency to drop a weight class (except, you know, so as not to die in ten years from a heart attack, Roy).

Nelson is coming off a knockout of professional Greek Statue Model, Cheick Kongo, and Cormier just dominated his second former UFC heavyweight champion. There has been talk of the two facing each other next. But there’s also been talk, mainly from Dana White, that Cormier could get an automatic shot at champion Jon Jones should he choose to drop down to 205lbs.

At first, it seemed liked both Nelson and Cormier were down to face one another, but then “Big Country’s” manager made him look like a chicken – a succulent, golden-fried chicken — by nixing the proposed matchup. Fortunately, Nelson spoke with Bloody Elbow recently and cleared things up once and for all. We guess.

As far Daniel [Cormier], I think the reason Mike, my manager, said anything about Daniel is because he’s supposed be getting an immediate title shot at 205. If he’s going down to 205, it doesn’t really make any sense to fight him, unless we’re going to fight for a 205 contendership. Then hey, we can do that, too. 

Having your manager say that it “doesn’t make sense” to fight a top contender, then agreeing to fight said contender for a title shot? Sounds like a light heavyweight to us.

What do you think, taters? Are we getting further into the danger zone here trying to decide who gets to be the number one contender in the light heavyweight division? First, Dan Henderson gets the shot after an amazing effort against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua that he actually should not have won. Then, Machida somehow gets back in the picture despite getting choked out by the champion in less than two rounds and turning down the rematch on short notice. Then it’s Chael Sonnen for some reason, then it’s that Swedish guy…uh…I think Guto Inocente was in the mix at one point…

And now, we have two chubby heavyweights possibly vying for the right to fight for the title of a weight class no one knows for certain they are interested (or even able to compete) in. Bull Mountain, don’t go changin’ on me!

– Elias Cepeda

Friday Link Dump: Insane Chimp-Fight, King Mo’s Pro-Wrestling Debut, 100 Worst Yearbook Photos + More

Insane Chimp Fight – Watch More Funny Videos
(Well, that escalated quickly. Watch out for the appearance of the stick-sword at 1:02. Props: Break.com)

Roy Nelson: “It Only Takes One Shot to Become a Champion” (BleacherReport)

One Year After Much-Heralded Deal, King Mo Lawal Quietly Has First U.S. Pro Wrestling Match (MMAFighting)

Mark Munoz’s Low Point, And The Battles Fight Fans Rarely See (MMAJunkie)

“Metamoris 2: Gracie vs. Aoki” Video Trailer (YouTube.com/Metamoris)

Shannon Ihrke, Invicta FC Ring Girl: Top 10 Sexiest Photos (FightDay)

Cheick Kongo Turned Down Four Fight Contract Before UFC 159 (BloodyElbow)

Diego Sanchez Isn’t Impressed With Ben Henderson, Sees a Lot of Holes in His Game (MiddleEasy)

8 Creepy Dating Apps You Shouldn’t Download (MensFitness)

The 100 Worst Yearbook Photos Ever (WorldwideInterweb)

Reese Witherspoon’s Dash Cam Arrest Video Is Her Best Performance Yet (FilmDrunk)

The Most Surprising Clutch NBA Playoff Performances of All Time (Complex)

Brittney Griner Signs With A Chinese Team Because It Pays A Lot More (Deadspin)

The Funniest Counterfeits Ever Photographed (DoubleViking)

Avoiding the Dreaded ‘Friend Zone’, Part 1 (EgoTV)


Insane Chimp Fight – Watch More Funny Videos
(Well, that escalated quickly. Watch out for the appearance of the stick-sword at 1:02. Props: Break.com)

Roy Nelson: “It Only Takes One Shot to Become a Champion” (BleacherReport)

One Year After Much-Heralded Deal, King Mo Lawal Quietly Has First U.S. Pro Wrestling Match (MMAFighting)

Mark Munoz’s Low Point, And The Battles Fight Fans Rarely See (MMAJunkie)

“Metamoris 2: Gracie vs. Aoki” Video Trailer (YouTube.com/Metamoris)

Shannon Ihrke, Invicta FC Ring Girl: Top 10 Sexiest Photos (FightDay)

Cheick Kongo Turned Down Four Fight Contract Before UFC 159 (BloodyElbow)

Diego Sanchez Isn’t Impressed With Ben Henderson, Sees a Lot of Holes in His Game (MiddleEasy)

8 Creepy Dating Apps You Shouldn’t Download (MensFitness)

The 100 Worst Yearbook Photos Ever (WorldwideInterweb)

Reese Witherspoon’s Dash Cam Arrest Video Is Her Best Performance Yet (FilmDrunk)

The Most Surprising Clutch NBA Playoff Performances of All Time (Complex)

Brittney Griner Signs With A Chinese Team Because It Pays A Lot More (Deadspin)

The Funniest Counterfeits Ever Photographed (DoubleViking)

Avoiding the Dreaded ‘Friend Zone’, Part 1 (EgoTV)