Gunnar Nelson bounced back from his disappointing defeat to Demian Maia in December to land a massive victory over highly fancied Russian, Albert Tumenov, in Rotterdam last night.
Tumenov, known for his striking ability, was submitted by the Icelandic fighter in the second round at UFC Fight Night 87.
Nelson (15-2-1) took Tumenov down in the second round. As the Russian tried to scramble to his feet, he turned his body allowing the SBG fighter to take his back and apply a rear-naked choke, forcing his opponent to tap out.
"Every fight is the biggest one I believe," Nelson said following the bout. "The strategy was to soften him up a little bit, keep him guessing, and take him down and finish him."
"I want to dedicate this one to my mom. It’s Mother’s Day today. I love you," he said.
Thanks so much for all the people that have always been there for me since the beginning. Coaches, family & friends. pic.twitter.com/LpRQuKXBXF
— Gunnar Nelson (@GunniNelson) May 9, 2016
The result is huge for Nelson who ended Tumenov's five-fight win streak and jumps to 13th in the welterweight rankings, meaning he may be in line for a bout with one of the divisions top ten fighters.
Meanwhile, things weren't as positive for Ireland's Neil Seery.
He was beaten by Japan's Kyoji Horiguchi via unanimous-decision taking the Dubliner’s UFC record to 3-3 (16-12 in his professional career).
Stand tall @NeilSeeryMMA never a dull Moment when you fight ,done the country proud 🇮🇪
— Paddy Holohan (@PaddyHolohanMMA) May 8, 2016
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