An intriguing match of welterweights is reportedly headed to Canada, in December. Per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the UFC is close to finalizing a bout between Gunnar Nelson and Alex Oliveira for UFC 231.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt under Renzo Gracie as well as a karate blackbelt, Gunnar Nelson (16-3-1) will look to bounce back from a 82-second TKO loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio back in July 2017. Before the defeat, ‘Gunni’ had a couple of submission wins over Alan Jouban and Albert Tumenov. He has not fought for all of 2018, having spent several months recovering from a knee injury that required surgery.
In a different moment of his career than his opponent, Alex Oliveira (19-5-2 NC) will try for his third straight win. In his last outing, the Brazilian ‘Cowboy’ made quick work of Carlo Pedersoli Jr, winning via TKO in only 39 seconds. Before that, Oliveira submitted former interim welterweight champion, Carlos Condit. Alex’s last loss came in December 2017, when he was TKO’d by Yancy Medeiros.
UFC 231 is set for Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 8th. The card will be headlined by a featherweight title fight between champion, Max Holloway, and challenger, Brian Ortega.