Gunnar Nelson is back on track and targeting the UFC welterweight top 10.
The Icelandic fighter beat 13th ranked Albert Tumenov at UFC Rotterdam and will be looking to take on some big names in the coming months. With luck, we may fight twice more before 2017 crashes down upon us.
That's more like the Gunni we know and love https://t.co/OB5pn2dlWQ
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 9, 2016
Speaking to FOX Sports after his submission win, Nelson was happy enough when the interview switched focus to Conor McGregor’s likely rematch with Nate Diaz.
Nelson, who trains with McGregor at Straight Blast Gym, believes Diaz’ game will be picked apart:
“I think there were some technical mistakes in that fight that cost him the fight basically. I mean if you watch the first round and the beginning of the second, he was winning the fight, obviously, he was picking Diaz apart really.
“But there were a lot of shots that were kind of missing. He threw a lot more shots than he had to and I think maybe he rushed it a bit.”
Conor McGregor issues warning to beefed up Nate Diaz https://t.co/jgmeVh2gAA
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 2, 2016
Nelson is clearly sticking to the McGregor party line that the fight was his for the taking until he ran out of gas. There is some truth to that but every time Diaz connected with a fist, ‘The Notorious’ was rattled.
McGregor’s UFC 200 plans are up in smoke but Nelson stresses that work is still ongoing to finish the job he started… before he was stopped. Nelson said:
“I think if Conor takes his time and breaks him down, does what he does best, uses his speed a little bit better and maybe not concentrate on power as much, I think he will walk through Diaz.”
If McGregor gets his way, and the fight gets the green light, expect an altogether different fracas.
