Gunnar Nelson Targets Return from Injury by End of Year

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Gunnar Nelson is finally eyeing a return to the Octagon by the end of the year according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani who reported the news on Sunday.

Nelson has not fought since losing by knockout to Santiago Ponzinibbio in the main event of UFC Glasgow last July. The 30 year-old submission specialist was scheduled to meet Neil Magny back in May at UFC Fight Night 130 but had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

Nelson’s last bout was controversial, as he claimed that Ponzinibbio had poked him in the eye at the start of the fight which caused him to see double and get caught with the fight-ending shot. The UFC denied Nelson’s appeal to have the result overturned when he claimed the referee should have stopped the fight due to the eye poke under the Unified Rules of MMA.

Helwani reported on Sunday that according to Nelson’s father, Halli, his son is ready to return to the Octagon; however, no opponent has yet been named or agreed to. It was reported Nelson is targeting a spot on the UFC 232 card on Dec. 29 which will be headlined by the rematch between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.