Gunnar Nelson

Gunnar Nelson or Gunnar Luovik Nelson is a professional mixed martial artist born on July 28, 1988. He is currently signed under the Ultimate Fighting Championship and competes in the welterweight division. The talented Icelandic boasts of a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which was awarded to him by the famed Renzo Gracie. At present, he is ranked eleventh in his division by the UFC.

The talented fighter was born in Akureyri; a town located in the northern part of Iceland, but grew up in the country’s capital, Reykjavik. Before his teenage years, Akureyri played ice hockey and football. By the time he was 13, he was already training in karate and won the championship title during the Icelandic Juvenile Kumite in 2003. He won the same championship title again in 2004 and 2005. At age 17, he began training in grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In 2007, he had his first fight as a mixed martial artist in Copenhagen. It was in 2012 when he signed under the UFC.

The 27-year old fighter stands 5 feet and 11 inches and comes with a 72-inch reach. He takes an orthodox stance in fighting and trains with SBG Ireland. From 2007 to present, he accumulated a mixed martial arts record of 18 fights with 15 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw.

His accomplishments include a three-time Performance of the Night under the UFC and a one-time NAGA Middleweight Champion under the North American Grappling Association. He also holds several awards under International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation including 2 gold medals during the 2009 IBJJF Pan American Championship for the middleweight black and brown belts. His latest fight was in May 2016 where he won over Albert Tumenov via submission using the neck crank.