In my third preview post for the UFC Dublin card, I will look at a fighter whose name has not yet made it on to the card, but one who is top on most Irish MMA fans to see make the walk to the Octagon on October 24th.
Gunnar ‘Gunni’ Nelson (14-1-1), the Icelandic UFC Welterweight and honorary Irish man is that man. Currently without an opponent for the UFC Dublin event on October 24th. Gunni, has been competing in the UFC since September 2012 when he made his debut against DaMarques Johnson. Last month at UFC 189, Gunni made one of the biggest statements of his career when he submitted feared striker Brandon Thatch. Nelson has always been known for his grappling expertise but it was his next level striking that brought Thatch to the canvas and the fight to a first round finish.
It certainly is no secret. Nelson is a big deal in Ireland and to the Irish fans. He trains in SBG Ireland with John Kavanagh, he is the sparring partner of UFC Interim Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor. Their stand up styles mirror each other. Conor’s owes a lot of his own success to having such a high calibre training partner in Gunnar Nelson.
The UFC Commentator Joe Rogan commented at UFC 189 about how Gunni was receiving the trickle down effect of support from the Irish fans. As Rogan was not calling the fights at UFC Dublin in 2014, its safe to say he didn’t understand how big a deal Nelson is to the Irish fans. Nelson got one of the loudest cheers of the night when he finished Zac Cummins in the Co-Main event by his now signature rear naked choke in the second round. It would have been a safe bet to assume after the reception he received last year from the Irish fans and coming through the Thatch fight uninjured that Gunnar Nelson would be on the UFC Dublin Card. As of right now there is no sign of Gunnar on the card. His Coach John Kavanagh has tweeted about it.
With nine fights now scheduled for the show in the Three Arena, space is now limited for a Welterweight bout for Gunni, especially when Irish fighters such as Neil Seery, Paul Redmond and Aisling Daly have not had bouts announced and would all fancy places on the card.
So who would make sense for Gunni to fight at Dublin? Ranked number 11 in the Welterweight division and after such an impressive victory at UFC 189, a top ten contender would be the logical next step for the SBG man, however with the majority of the top ten either booked for fights or out injured, options for a bout for Nelson are limited at this point.
Number six Demian Maia (21-6) and number nine Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson (11-1) had both been touted to face Nelson but Maia has a staph infection and Wonderboy won’t be fit to compete by October.
The highest ranked and as of right now unmatched contender would be Belgian number eight ranked Tarec Saffiedine (15-4). Saffiedine is coming off a third round TKO loss to title challenger Rory McDonald last October in Nova Scotia, Canada. The same night Gunni had his first professional loss of his career to Rick Story in Stockholm.
A Strikeforce Champion, Tarek had been on a five fight win streak prior to meeting Rory McDonald. Following the loss to McDonald, Tarec was scheduled to fight fellow Welterweight top 10 Matt Brown at UFC Fight Night in Broomfield, Colorado but had to pull out due to a groin injury.
The fight between Gunni and Tarec makes sense for a couple of reasons. Firstly they are both the highest ranked contenders in the Welterweight Division that are not matched up or injured. Both men are very high profile European fighters which is one thing the UFC needs right now to grow the EMEA Scene. Also there are only three fighters out of eighteen that are ranked on the whole UFC Dublin card. Poirier, Miocic and Rothwell. Adding two more ranked fighters in Tarec and Gunni would boost the profile of the Dublin show and give the Irish fans the high profile fights they deserve.
Originally posted on The MMA Andy Blog on the 19th of August 2015.