Icelandic Gunnar Nelson is Renzo's bet at welterweight. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Icelandic fighter Gunnar Nelson will be UFC welterweight champion in the future. At least that's what Renzo Gracie, coach and legend of MMA and jiu-jitsu, guarantees.
Nelson, 25, will have just his third UFC fight in March, against Omari Akhmedov. In previous fights, he beat DaMarques Johnson and Brazilian Jorge Santiago, maintaining his undefeated MMA record after 12 fights.
Gracie, responsible for discovering the fighter during a trip to Iceland, was full of praise for Nelson's talent. “I was amazed at how quickly he earned his black belt. And his striking is as unpredictable as his jiu-jitsu. He will surely win the UFC title. I have no doubt that he will be able to beat the best in the category”, he explained, in an interview with the English newspaper “The Telegraph”.
“It's up to him how quickly he wants to win, but I think he can beat everyone in the next two years. He has nothing to worry about on the ground or in his striking. Soon people will realize. He is a great student, a great kid and, I promise, he will be a great champion,” concluded Gracie.
Currently, the welterweight belt is vacant. The former champion, Georges St Pierre, gave up his title to step away from fighting for an indefinite period, ending a five-year period as champion. The new belt holder will be defined in the fight between Robbie Lawler e John hendricks, in March.
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