GUNNAR NELSON HOPES tonight’s UFC bout will be the first of three in 2017 that will put him in contention for a welterweight title shot.
Nelson takes on Alan Jouban in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 107 at the O2 Arena in London, which will be headlined by a light-heavyweight contest between Corey Anderson and home favourite Jimi Manuwa.
After an injury forced Nelson to sacrifice top billing alongside Dong Hyun Kim for the UFC’s return to Belfast in November, the Icelandic 28-year-old is aiming for a busy year.
Nelson, who trains at Straight Blast Gym in Dublin, joined the UFC four-and-a-half years ago but his most recent bout — a submission of Albert Tumenov last May — was just his eighth for the organisation.
“I definitely want to be more active this year than I was last year anyway. I hope to get three fights in this year. That’d be perfect,” said Nelson, who rates Jouban as a well-rounded fighter.
“He seems to favour his striking. I believe I’ve gone against people like himself a good few times, although everybody has a unique energy and their own style. I’m excited to join him in the octagon.”
Nelson is currently ranked ninth in the 170lbs division. Reigning champion Tyron Woodley is expected to face the winner of the forthcoming bout between Demian Maia and Jorge Masvidal next, but Nelson is keen to enter the title picture.
He said: “We were trying to get a lot of the top 10 guys for this bout but none of them were available, for whatever reason. We’ll see what happens after this fight. I’ll keep climbing up. It [a title shot] could be only two or three fights away.”
Elsewhere on tonight’s card, with uncertainty over his future Joseph Duffy could potentially be fighting in the UFC for the last time as the Donegal lightweight faces Reza Madadi in the final bout on his current contract.
Veteran Englishman Brad Pickett bids farewell to MMA with a retirement bout against Marlon Vera, while another SBG Ireland import — Finnish featherweight Makwan Amirkhani — will kick off the main card against the exciting Arnold Allen.
UFC Fight Night 107
Main card (BT Sport 2, 9pm)
Jimi Manuwa vs. Corey Anderson
Gunnar Nelson vs. Alan Jouban
Brad Pickett vs. Marlon Vera
Arnold Allen vs. Makwan Amirkhani
Preliminary card (UFC Fight Pass, 5.30pm)
Joseph Duffy vs. Reza Madadi
Darren Stewart vs. Francimar Barroso
Daniel Omielanczuk vs. Timothy Johnson
Marc Diakiese vs. Teemu Packalén
Tom Breese vs. Oluwale Bamgbose
Leon Edwards vs. Vicente Luque
Ian Entwistle vs. Brett Johns
Bradley Scott vs. Scott Askham
Lina Lansberg vs. Lucie Pudilova
