Pro Record
"Big Country"
16-7-0
Roy Nelson
Photo Source: MMAWeekly.com
- Name: Roy Nelson
- Professional MMA Record: 16-7-0 (Win-Loss-Draw)
- Nickname: Big Country
- Current Streak: 1 Loss
- Age: 35 | Date of Birth: 1976.06.20
- Last Fight: February 04, 2012 in UFC
- Weight Class: Heavyweight | Last Weigh-In: 246.0 lbs
- Career Disclosed Earnings: $330,000 USD
- Height: 6'0" (183cm) | Reach: 73.0" (185cm)
- Gym/Affiliation: Country Club
- Born: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Fighter Pages: Sherdog | Wikipedia | The UG | UFC.com
- Fighting out of: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Personal Pages: Twitter | Facebook | MySpace | Official Site
| Consensus Rank |
#48 Top Fan Favorite MMA Fighter
#13 Current Best MMA Heavyweight Fighter |
|
| Your Rank | Register now to create your own rankings and influence the consensus lists. |
Despite criticism for his throwback training habits and protruding belly, Roy “Big Country” Nelson has established himself as a heavyweight to watch in a division of giants. After winning his first six fights as a professional, Nelson achieved his first measure of success when he challenged for and won the first and only IFL Heavyweight Championship in the now-defunct organization back in 2007. Nelson defended the title twice, defeating Fabiano Scherner and Brad Imes, both of them by TKO.
Nelson would hit a speed bump the following year when he lost back-to-back fights, first to respected UFC veterans Andrei Arlovski after the fight was dubiously stood up while Nelson was in side control; and then to Jeff Monson in a close and controversial decision.
Nelson reinvigorated his career and launched himself to new heights when he competed in and, with apparent ease, won the tenth season of Spike TV’s popular reality show The Ultimate Fighter, along the way defeating famed Internet sensation Kimbo Slice in one of the highest rated episodes ever in the long-running series.
Although he is primarily considered a ground fighter—he was awarded a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Renzo Gracie—Nelson has won the majority of his highest-profile fights by way of knockout or TKO, including a first-round demolition of 6’11” Stefan Struve in 2010. Proudly sporting a sagging gut and shooting off soundbites about the cheeseburgers he plans to pick up after his fights, Nelson is a recognizable and fun presence in the spartan world of modern cagefighting.
Roy Nelson MMA Fight Record
| Professional Results | Opponent | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmed Upcoming Bout |
Dave Herman
|
UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Mir
Main Card | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2012.05.26 |
| Odds: -265 Moderate Favorite | |||
| Cancelled Bout | Antonio Silva | UFC 146 - Reason: Silva Rescheduled | 2012.05.26 |
| Cancelled Bout | Gabriel Gonzaga | UFC 146 - Reason: Gonzaga Injury | 2012.05.26 |
|
Loss | Decision | Unanimous
3 Rounds, 15:00 Total |
Fabricio Werdum
Ref: Josh Rosenthal |
UFC 143: Diaz vs. Condit
Co-Main Event | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2012.02.04 |
| Odds: +135 Slight Underdog | Disclosed Pay: $85,000 ($20K Base, $65K Fight/Night) | Weigh-In: 246.0 lbs | |||
|
#7 Best MMA Fight of the Year for 2012
UFC 143 Fight of the Night |
|||
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punches
1:30 Round 3 of 3, 11:30 Total |
Mirko Filipovic
Ref: Steve Mazzagatti |
UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz
Main Card | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2011.10.29 |
| Odds: -240 Moderate Favorite | Disclosed Pay: $40,000 ($20K Base, $20K Bonus) | Weigh-In: 252.0 lbs | |||
|
Loss | Decision | Unanimous
3 Rounds, 15:00 Total |
Frank Mir
Ref: Josh Rosenthal |
UFC 130: Rampage vs Hamill
Co-Main Event | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2011.05.28 |
| Odds: -105 Near Even | Disclosed Pay: $15,000 Base | Weigh-In: 260.0 lbs | |||
| Cancelled Bout | Shane Carwin | UFC 125 - Reason: Carwin Back Injury | 2011.01.01 |
|
Loss | Decision | Unanimous
3 Rounds, 15:00 Total |
Junior Dos Santos
Ref: Marcos Rosales |
UFC 117: Silva vs Sonnen
Main Card | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2010.08.07 |
| Odds: +280 Moderate Underdog | Disclosed Pay: $15,000 Base | Weigh-In: 263.0 lbs | |||
|
#35 Best MMA Fight of the Year for 2010
#11 Greatest Heavyweight MMA Fight of All Time |
|||
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punches
0:39 Round 1 of 3 |
Stefan Struve
Ref: Dan Miragliotta |
UFC Fight Night 21: Florian vs Gomi
Co-Main Event | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2010.03.31 |
| Odds: -423 Heavy Favorite | Disclosed Pay: $30,000 KO/Night | Weigh-In: 263.0 lbs | |||
|
#16 Best MMA Knockout of the Year 2010
UFC Fight Night 21 Knockout of the Night |
|||
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punch
3:45 Round 1 of 3 |
Brendan Schaub
Ref: Herb Dean |
The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale
Main Event | Tournament Finals | 265 lbs |
2009.12.05 |
| Odds: -165 Slight Favorite | Disclosed Pay: $41,000 ($8K Base, $8K Bonus, $25K KO/Night) | Weigh-In: 263.0 lbs | |||
|
The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale Knockout of the Night
|
|||
| Loss | Decision | Unanimous | Jeff Monson | SRP | 2009.03.21 |
|
Loss | KO/TKO | Punch
3:14 Round 2 of 3, 8:14 Total |
Andrei Arlovski
Ref: Jorge Ortiz |
EliteXC: Heat
Main Card | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2008.10.04 |
| Odds: +340 Moderate Underdog | Disclosed Pay: $80,000 Base | Weigh-In: 262.75 lbs | |||
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punches
2:55 Round 1 of 5 |
Brad Imes
|
IFL 22: Connecticut
Main Event | Title Defense | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2008.05.16 |
| Odds: -260 Moderate Favorite | Weigh-In: 264.2 lbs | |||
| Cancelled Bout | Branden Lee Hinkle | IFL 22 - Reason: Lee Hinkle Injury | 2008.05.16 |
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punches
3:20 Round 1 of 5 |
Fabiano Scherner
Ref: Steve Mazzagatti |
IFL 20: Las Vegas
Co-Main Event | Title Defense | Heavyweight | 265 |
2008.02.29 |
| Odds: -500 Heavy Favorite | Disclosed Pay: $24,000 Base | Weigh-In: 261.0 lbs | |||
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punch
0:22 Round 2 of 3, 4:22 Total |
Antoine Jaoude
|
IFL 19: World Grand Prix Finals
Main Card | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2007.12.29 |
| Odds: +130 Slight Underdog | Weigh-In: 258.0 lbs | |||
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punches
1:01 Round 3 of 3, 9:01 Total |
Bryan Vetell
|
IFL 18: World Grand Prix Semifinals
Co-Main Event | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2007.11.03 |
| Odds: -400 Heavy Favorite | Weigh-In: 261.5 lbs | |||
|
Win | Decision | Unanimous
3 Rounds, 12:00 Total |
Shane Ott
|
IFL 15: Las Vegas
Co-Main Event | Heavyweight | 265 lbs |
2007.06.16 |
| Weigh-In: 259.0 lbs | |||
|
Loss | Decision | Split
3 Rounds, 12:00 Total |
Ben Rothwell
|
IFL 11: Moline
Main Card |
2007.04.07 |
| Win | KO/TKO | Punches | Mario Rinaldi | Bodog Fight | 2007.02.17 |
|
Win | KO/TKO | Punches
1:55 Round 1 of 3 |
Vince Lucero
|
IFL 7: Oakland
Main Card |
2007.01.19 |
| Loss | Decision | Unanimous | Josh Curran | Bodog Fight | 2006.12.16 |
| Win | Submission | Jerome Smith | FF 2 | 2006.07.22 |
| Win | Submission | Choke | Jason Godsey | FF 1 | 2006.05.06 |
| Win | Submission | Choke | Michael Buchkovich | WEF | 2006.04.01 |
| Win | Submission | Punches | Ray Seraille | PXC 3 | 2004.08.28 |
| Win | Decision | Split | Jerry Vrbanovic | ROTR | 2004.04.17 |
| Win | Decision | Shoulder | Bo Cantrell | ROTR | 2004.04.17 |
Roy Nelson News View All
Monday 05.21.2012 12:00am ET | View Full Article
It was a 15-month journey replete with plot twists and changes but Strikeforce crowned a heavyweight grand prix champion in Daniel Cormier last night (Sat., May 19, 2012) in San Jose, California.
It's fitting, too, that a name that barely resonated with fight fans when the tournament kicked off in Feb. 2011 and was a virtual unknown before it used the tournament to establish himself as a mixed m...
Sunday 05.20.2012 9:00pm ET | View Full Article
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After months of anticipation, the UFC 146 fight week is finally here. The May 26th event in Las Vegas features an all-heavyweight main card with a title fight on top, as UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos meets former champ Frank Mir. Another former champion, Cain Velasquez, will look to bounce back from dropping the title when he faces off with ex-Strikeforce monster Antonio Silva in t...
Sunday 05.20.2012 7:00pm ET | View Full Article
I'm not sure if you forgot, but UFC 146 is this Saturday, and to remind you of it, Zuffa has released a unique video for the event. I don't know what is going on, but to put it nicely, let's just say that the UFC has just made an "unconventional" and retro promo video for this weekend's card stacked with heavyweights.
See for yourself:
The video was released today, but it's already a bit out...
Friday 05.18.2012 4:46pm ET | View Full Article
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We know you have thoughts on UFC 146's all-heavyweight main card. You know why Junior dos Santos will win or Cain Velasquez will make a statement or Lavar Johnson will get his second knockout in a month. We want to hear your thoughts, and share them right here on Cagewriter.
Here's the deal. Go to Cagewriter's Facebook page, like it, pick a fight, and tell us who will win and why. Don't just d...
Roy Nelson Videos & Highlights
Interview | Roy Nelson: I Like Man Food report dead link
Roy Nelson does a candid interview with Fight! Magazine.
Highlight | Roy Nelson Highlight Video report dead link
A highlight video of Roy "Big Country" Nelson featuring his fights in IFL, UFC and elsewhere.
