UFC 286 | Gunnar Nelson Looks To Clap Back In London

This Saturday at UFC 286, one of Ireland’s adopted sons Gunnar Nelson returns to the Octagon. With a huge spot on the main card against a late replacement opponent, ‘Gunni’ is sure to bring a huge crowd reception as he always does in the UK. In his fight with Bryan Barbarena, the Icelandic warrior will look to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017.

Whilst Gunni certainly hasn’t been the most active fighter on the welterweight roster, the list of opponents he has faced in recent years speaks for itself. For example, whilst he may have snapped a two-fight skid the last time he stepped inside the Octagon, his consecutive losses came to Gilbert Burns and Leon Edwards who both went on to challenge for the world championship.

Nearly exactly a year on from his upcoming fight this weekend, Nelson returned to the cage with his first bout since 2019. With a unanimous decision win against Takashi Sato, he picked up a much-needed win off the back of a dominant performance. Whilst a finish would have really sealed the deal, it was a step back on the right path for a fighter whose skills are unquestionable. 

On the PPV section of the UFC 286 card, Gunnar Nelson will return to the Octagon 364 days after his win over Sato. Standing across from him will be a man that is always down to sign on the dotted line and get into a first fight. Bryan ‘Bam Bam’ Barbarena is always a solid bet to produce a fight of the night contender. His fights with Matt Brown and Vincente Luque have solidified his position as a must-watch fighter and whilst he may be coming into this fight off the back of a loss, he was in great form prior to his last fight.

After picking up three wins in a row, including two great performances against Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler, Barbarena’s legends tour came to an end against Rafael Dos Anjos. Whilst RDA may be a stone wall veteran of the sport, he had too much for ‘Bam Bam’ on the night as his grappling skills proved to be a level above. For a grappler like Gunnar Nelson who has always been a very well-respected operator on the mat, he will be licking his lips seeing that his replacement opponent was recently submitted via rear-naked choke.

With that in mind, coupled with the fact that Barbarena is replacing Nelson’s original opponent Daniel Rodriguez, Nelson is a heavy favourite for this match-up. Regardless of how the fight is going, you can bet your house on an Icelandic clap or two echoing out across the O2 Arena.