Gunnar Nelson to Make His Long Awaited Return at UFC London

Gunnar Nelson will make his return to the octagon at UFC London on March 19 against Claudio Silva.

Nelson made his UFC debut back in 2012, in the back of an impressive 9-0-1 record. The start of his UFC career was brilliant. He went on a 4-0 run and looked to be on his way to the top of the welterweight division. However, his unbeaten run came to an end at UFC Fight Night 53 when he faced Rick Story. Since then, he hasn’t been able to win consistently.

‘Gunni’ last entered the octagon in September 2019. He took on Gilbert Burns and lost the fight via a unanimous decision. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Nelson has been out of action for nearly three years because of multiple injuries. His most recent injury came in a grappling session with Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. During the session, Nelson suffered a rib injury which prevented him from making his return in January.

Now, Nelson is fully recovered and will make his return in March. He will take on Claudio Silva at UFC London and look to get back to winning ways.

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The event will also feature Dan Hooker. He will make his return to the featherweight division and face Arnold Allen. Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall will headline the event.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Claudio Silva

Gunnar Nelson and Claudio Silva will meet in what will be a fascinating matchup. Both men are excellent at jiu-jitsu, and most of the wins in their career have come via submission.

However, the fight will be extremely important for both men. Nelson is coming off two back-to-back losses at the hands of top welterweights in Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards. He’s coming off a long hiatus and getting a win on his return will do him a world of good.

Silva also needs a win in this match. He is on a two-fight losing streak as well. The start of his UFC career was nothing short of great. ‘Hannibal’ was 9-1 in his professional MMA career when he joined the promotion. He went on a five-fight win streak and looked to be on his way to the top. However, he dropped his last two fights to James Krause and Court McGee. The Brazilian would love to get a win over a name like Nelson and try to revive his UFC career.

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What do you think of the matchup? Will Gunnar Nelson make a successful return? Let us know in the comments!