When it comes to competing under the bright lights of the UFC Octagon, Gunnar Nelson is a paradox of sorts.
The 26-year-old Iceland native is stoic in the lead up to the fray, but once the cage door closes and the fight goes live, Gunni sets about work…
When it comes to competing under the bright lights of the UFC Octagon, Gunnar Nelson is a paradox of sorts.
The 26-year-old Iceland native is stoic in the lead up to the fray, but once the cage door closes and the fight goes live, Gunni sets about working a fluid offensive attack that is equal parts adapting to what is thrown his way and finding ways to implement his increasingly versatile skill set.
For a fighter who is just a handful of bouts into his run on the sport’s biggest stage, Nelson’s poise is something to behold. But this is just another interesting angle on a fighter who is expected to become the future of the talent-rich welterweight division.
That said, Nelson isn’t one to allow hype or buzz to affect his mindset heading into a fight.
He understands there is a promotional aspect to the fight business and is well aware the proper type of energy can propel a fighter’s profile to great heights with the passionate UFC fanbase. And while he appreciates the attention and appreciation for the skills he’s displayed thus far inside the cage, the John Kavanagh-trained fighter is also well aware of how much ground there is yet to cover.
Continued success is going to bring pivotal moments, and Nelson will step into the biggest fight of his young career this Saturday night in Stockholm, Sweden. The Renzo Gracie black belt will square off with Rick Story in the main event of Fight Night 54 in a bout that is meant to highlight the versatile talents of one of the welterweight division’s hottest young prospects.
While that type of situation could bring a tremendous amount of additional pressure, Nelson sees it as the next logical step in the progression of his career in MMA.
Nelson is excited to be fighting in the main event slot and facing a tough opponent with the experience Story brings to the table.
“It feels great and this is a huge fight for me,” Nelson told Bleacher Report. “It is a huge opportunity for me, and it’s a dream to be headlining a card in Sweden. I’m very excited for it.
“The thing that has me excited about this fight is what every fighter brings…different energy. Every fighter has their own energy, and that’s what I’m mostly excited to face. I’m looking forward to getting in there with someone new. [Story] is obviously a good fighter, and he’s been around for a long time. He has a lot of experience and he’s very strong. He also has a win over the current champion and he brings something new for me.
“His skill set may not be new to me, but you only find out for sure when you get in there with people,” he added. “Everybody has their own unique energy, and that makes me excited to get in there with him.”
While the eyes of the MMA world will be locked on his performance against Story on Saturday night, Nelson is more concerned with his personal progression. The undefeated phenom has only been competing under the UFC banner for two years, but his quest to become one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet has actually been underway for the better part of a decade.
There is no doubt certain aspects of the fight game have come quickly and allowed Nelson to excel at a rapid pace, but the SBG Ireland affiliate is focused on long-term goals and accomplishments.
He has zero issues with putting in the hard work to ensure his skills continue to evolve with each and every showing and believes his tenacity mixed with the proper mindset will allow him to continue his progression as a mixed martial artist.
Nelson may carry great expectations, but those things are of little concern to him. He has his own path in mind, and his love of MMA is the spark that makes every bit of glory that comes his way possible.
“I think you should have the attitude that you can train yourself to do anything,” Nelson said. “I think you can. You also need to be somewhat aware of how your body can move naturally and then adopt the styles you want to learn. Don’t try to imitate, but learn the technical side of it. I believe you can do anything if you work at it.
“That being said, I’m wouldn’t be sure if it just came very natural to me. I did hockey when I was young and then karate after that, and I think I have a very strong spring from hockey. When I started doing karate I was always very fast on my feet and I could move my body very quickly and explosively forward and backward as I wanted.
“I was always pretty competitive, but I always liked doing my own thing to be honest,” he added. “I never got too serious with sports until I started doing MMA. I liked doing my own thing and floated around doing different things that interested me.
“When I got to MMA I knew it was something else. I knew it was something I fell in love with and I still feel that way about it. I just want to spend all of this time doing it. I’m so fortunate this is my job as well, and the fact I get paid to do it is amazing. I’m very appreciative of that.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
In case you are unaware, the UFC aired UFC Fight Night 53 Saturday afternoon on Fight Pass live from Sweden. In the main event, a pivotal welterweight bout took place between Gunnar Nelson and Rick Story.