Gunnar Nelson is back in action this March at UFC Fight Night London, facing Leon Edwards in the co-main event.
The fighter originally wanted to compete against either Darren Till or Jorge Masvidal at the event, instead of Edwards.
“We were looking for some other names, Masvidal or Till would have been great,” Nelson told Eurobash (via MMA Fighting). “I think there were some other names on the table, I can’t remember exactly. I wasn’t really eyeing Leon, I knew he was going to be on the card, but I thought he had already been matched up. There was some discussion, I don’t know about who, but that’s what we heard. I guess that didn’t come true. For a while they were saying that I wouldn’t be on the London card. They told me that they would bring me to do the States for my next one. I was a little bit bummed because I wanted to be on the London card, but then this came up and we took it. I have a lot of respect for Leon. He’s a teammate of a friend of mine, Tom Breese, I’ve trained with him a little bit. I’ve made it a bit awkward for him, but it’s all good, it’s a sport so it will be a good, fair fight.”
Till and Masvidal will still compete at UFC Fight Night London, as they will battle each other in the main event.
Although Nelson wanted a different opponent, it doesn’t mean he isn’t happy to be fighting Edwards.
“I’ve got a good opponent, I’m happy with my opponent, to be honest. He’s a great fighter and I’ll look forward to going into the Octagon against Leon. That’s what I’m focusing on now - my training and my next fight,” says Nelson.
UFC Fight Night London takes place on Saturday, March 16 from the 02 Arena in London, England with Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on ESPN+.
