Roy Nelson is an athlete whose name is widely known in the world of mixed martial arts. The fighter also enters the ring under the nickname Big Hillbilly. He competes at Bellator MMA Association competitions in the heavyweight category. Nelson has repeatedly participated in UFC, IFL, EliteXC fights and holds the title of former IFL heavyweight champion.

Roy Nelson was born in the US state of Nevada, in the city of Las Vegas, on June 20, 1976. In his youth, he loved sports and was interested not only in wrestling, but also in baseball, football, and was even a member of the Las Vegas Blackjacks. Roy played for the rugby team for 2 seasons: in 2002 and 2003.

At the age of 16, the teenager began studying Shaolin kung fu, and after some time, under the mentorship of John Lewis, a former UFC fighter, he began to practice jiu-jitsu. Roy had an objective perception of reality and his own opinion on what was happening around him. Combining training with studies, he sought to make a contribution to the life of his hometown.

In Las Vegas, it is not easy for a young man to adhere to the correct moral principles. Knowing this, Nelson volunteered and gave time and attention to troubled children after school. Unlike his peers, the athlete did not use drugs and wanted to help his neighbors, not doing it in words.

In 2003, Roy made his first appearance in the professional ring. Thus began Nelson's MMA career. In 2009, he received a black belt in jiu-jitsu from the hands of trainer Renzo Gracie.

Martial arts

Roy used the knowledge gained through jiu-jitsu in his first fights with opponents in the octagon. The athlete managed to easily defeat stronger opponents. Realizing that there are different ways to get into the UFC, Nelson chose a non-trivial path. He became a participant in the popular reality show “The Ultimate Fighter”. The organizers of the program film the training and fights of candidates for entry into the UFC, and the winner of the show becomes the owner of a contract with a promotion that has fans around the world.

Roy Nelson has repeatedly defeated his opponents in the ring. Among them was Brendan Schaub. The victories brought the athlete the status of the undisputed leader of the tournament and opened up the prospect of getting into big-time sports. Nelson's next opponent in the octagon was the Dutch fighter Stefan Struve, known under the pseudonym Skyscraper.

Strike, tactics and height Struve is a legend of the promotion, but the wrestler suffered from a lack of stamina, which Nelson did not have. The first round of the meeting ended in a knockout and victory for the young opponent.

The organizers decided to pit , the strongest of the promotion’s fighters, against the Big Villager. Roy by that time did not have time to gain a sufficient amount of skills. He could not keep up with the Brazilian, and it was not so easy to fend off strong blows. Santos emerged victorious from the fight. But this fight brought Roy the love of the audience, as the fighter managed to remain undefeated until the judges’ decision.

The next battle in which Nelson was destined to find himself in the role of a victim was a meeting with. Roy was not in the best physical shape, for which he was criticized. The athlete countered the comments with answers that he was going to lose weight to move up to the light heavyweight category. This did not happen, but victory followed defeat.

Nelson managed to wrest it away in a battle with. Fans were confident that the longtime participant in the battle would emerge victorious, but in the 3rd round Nelson knocked out his opponent and unbalanced him.

The top athlete who stood in Roy's way was Fabricio Werdum, the first fighter to defeat him, and a specialist in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Nelson was unable to hold out, but the battle was so spectacular that it turned out to be the best performance of the evening. Roy Nelson entered the top 10 of the UFC, although few believed in his ability to take the champion title.

The athlete was often included in fights to “test” contenders for the top 10 within the heavyweight category. Those who managed to survive received a ticket to the top ten UFC heavyweights. Roy's victories in the octagon were followed by defeats. He managed to defeat Antonio Rodrigue Nogueira, Cheick Kongo, but could not resist in battle against, Josh Barnett and.

By changing promotions, Roy Nelson had a chance to show a new side of himself. Having become a Bellator fighter, he decided to take the chance and show off his updated self. The athlete’s tactics have not changed, but they often bear fruit and demonstrate effectiveness. Nelson surrounds his opponent and waits for the moment to deliver an overhead kick.

At the moment of approach, the fighter makes clear and accurate blows, the response to which he withstands without damage or injury. Only a couple of fighters managed to knock Roy out. Roy Nelson's performances are memorable due to their brightness and dynamism, but the fighter never manages to enter the top 10 best athletes in his category.

Personal life

Roy's biography is closely connected with sports, and this hobby is shared by his wife Jess Nelson. The couple has been married since 2009. The athlete is happy in his personal life, and his beloved wife supports him in training with the younger generation of athletes.

Roy loves children, so in his relationship with his son he acts like a caring father. He often publishes joint photos with his family on his personal Instagram account. He loves to share with fans touching moments of spending time with his child.

Roy Nelson now

In 2018, Roy Nelson entered the octagon against Bellator 207 and was defeated. Previously, he lost in a fight with.

The fighter continues his sports career and in February 2019 will come face to face with former rival Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic. The athlete is in competitive physical shape, although analysts, when making forecasts, do not place large bets on him.

Roy Nelson is now 183 cm tall and weighs 119 kg.

Titles and awards

• Grapplers Quest Superfight Champion
• Winner of The Ultimate Fighter tournament
• IFL Championship Heavyweight Champion
• IFL Championship Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner
• Rage on the River Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Roy Nelson (June 20, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bellator MMA heavyweight division. A professional fighter since 2004, he has previously competed in the UFC, EliteXC, IFL, BodogFIGHT and was a winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. Nelson is also a former IFL Heavyweight Champion.

Prior to his MMA career, Nelson was a rugby player and played for the Las Vegas Blackjacks for two seasons (2002-2003).

Biography of Roy Nelson MMA fighter, MMA debut

Nelson made his MMA debut in April 2004, where he faced Bo Cantrell in the semi-finals of the Rage on the River Heavyweight Tournament, which he won by hammerlock. In the finals of the tournament he was pitted against Jerry Vrbanovic, whom he defeated by split decision to become the tournament winner. Nelson had a 6-1 record before signing with the IFL.

Nelson made his IFL debut in January 2007 against Vince Lucero, whom he defeated by TKO in the first round.

At the 2007 IFL World Grand Prix, Nelson became the heavyweight champion, defeating Antoine Yaudet by knockout. Nelson defended his title twice before the IFL folded.

Nelson was one of sixteen fighters in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. In his first fight on the show, Nelson defeated Kimbo Slice by TKO. Nelson went on to defeat Justin Wren by majority decision. In the semi-finals, Nelson defeated James McSweeney by knockout in the first round. He defeated Brendan Schaub at The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale, making him the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.

Biography of Roy Nelson, MMA fighter, UFC debut

In his first fight since The Ultimate Fighter Finale, Nelson defeated Stefan Struve by knockout 39 minutes into the bout at UFC Fight Night 21 on March 31, 2010. This knockout earned him the Knockout of the Night bonus.

He received his next Knockout of the Night bonus in May 2012 in a fight against Dave Herman, knocking him out 51 seconds into the fight.

In April 2013, he defeated Cheick Kongo by knockout, which also earned him the Knockout of the Night bonus.

After the victory over Kongo, he fought 14 more fights in the UFC, in which he scored only 4 victories. In April 2017, Nelson's contract with the UFC expired. After which he decided to sign a contract with Bellator MMA.

In his debut, Nelson faced Jevy Ayala at Bellator 183 on September 23, 2017. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

On February 16, 2018, Nelson faced Matt Mitrione in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. He lost the fight via majority decision.

The winner of the 10th season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter, in his first fight on the show, Roy fought against the popular street fighter Kimbo Slice, whom he defeated. He also managed to defeat another equally popular fighter, Brandon Schaub, in the final of the program. It was after winning TUF that he began his UFC career. Nelson got his start in mixed martial arts by training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie, in which he earned a black belt.

UFC career

He won his first victory in the finale of the TUF show, knocking out Brandon Schaub, the second victory over the giant Stefan Struve, whom he knocked out at 21 seconds 4 minutes in the first round, the third - over the legendary fighter and Pride Openweight Grand Prix champion Mirko Cro Cop's fourth win over Dave Herman, for which he received the "Best Knockout of the Night" award

Despite the fact that Roy has won only 2 of his last 5 fights in the UFC, he has a reputation as a good fighter with a knockout punch. He lost not to newcomers, but to such fighters as Frank Mir, Junior dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum

Nelson's next opponent at UFC 146 was supposed to be an athlete who managed to defeat a very famous fighter, but due to the fact that Alistair Overeem was caught for doping, the fight card of the tournament had to be changed, and Dave Herman became Roy's opponent. At the fifty-first second of the first round, the fight ended in a knockout in favor of Nelson. Joe Rogan later stated on live television that when Herman stood up, he had no idea where he was.

On July 12, 2012, it was announced that Nelson was a coach on the reality show he once won, The Ultimate Fighter. His coaching camp opponent will be Shane Carwin, and their fight in the finale of the show is expected on December 15, 2012 at UFC: The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale. Even after 4 defeats in the last 5 fights, the UFC management did not even think about dismissing Nelson from the organization. Roy was able to justify the trust placed in him by his superiors, breaking his two-match losing streak by defeating Jared Rosholt on February 7, 2016 by unanimous decision. At the next tournament under the auspices of the UFC, Roy met with an unyielding striker, Derrek Lewis, and lost by a controversial decision of the judges.

Awards and achievements

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time)
  • Knockout of the Night (Three times)

• International Fight League
  • IFL Heavyweight Championship (One time; first; last)
  • Most consecutive title defenses in the Heavyweight division (2)
  • Tied (Ryan Schultz) for most consecutive title defenses in the IFL (2)
  • Tied (Ryan Schultz) for most title defenses in the IFL (2)

• Rage on the River
  • Rage on the River Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Submission grappling

• Abu Dhabi Combat Club
  • 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships Quarterfinalist

• Grapplers Quest
  • 2003 Grapplers Quest Superfight Champion

Mixed martial arts record

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

At first glance, Roy Nelson doesn't look like a mixed martial artist at all. He rather resembles a regular at a beer bar. No wonder fans gave Roy the nickname “Big Hillbilly”! However, he should not be underestimated. This man has many bright victories behind him, achieved through incredible endurance, good wrestling and his signature overhand right.

Carier start

Before signing with the UFC, “The Big Redneck” trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Renzo Gracie. In this type of martial arts, he managed to achieve impressive success - evidenced by receiving a black belt. Wrestling greatly helped Roy in future fights against strong opponents.

There are different ways to get into the UFC. One of them is participation in the reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Representatives of the company film the training and battles of young fighters. The winner receives a contract with the largest promotion in the world. Roy Nelson faced Kimbo Slice and Brandon Schaub, both experienced opponents, but successfully defeated them. Winning TUF gave "The Hillbilly" the opportunity to compete in professional wrestling.

Roy Nelson fights

The first opponent in the UFC was the Dutchman Stefan Struve, nicknamed “Skyscraper”. Struve is the tallest fighter in the promotion, known for good wrestling and good striking. However, he never had impressive endurance. Nelson knocked out his opponent with a powerful blow at the end of the first round, causing delight from the crowd.

The UFC management decided to pit Roy against one of the strongest fighters in the division - Brazilian Junior dos Santos. “The Hillbilly”’s skills were not enough for such a powerful opponent. Thanks to his speed, the Brazilian did not allow Nelson to throw an overhand or take advantage of the fight, and he bombarded him with powerful blows from a distance. The battle ended with a unanimous decision in favor of Santos. Despite the defeat, Roy fell in love with the audience even more, because he was the first to hold out against the mighty Brazilian until the judges' decision!

This was followed by a defeat from another experienced MMA representative, Frank Mir. This fight turned out to be far from so bright. UFC President Dana White criticized Roy for his poor physical condition. He replied that in the future he was going to lose weight in order to fight in the light heavyweight division. It must be said that he never kept his promise.

Return to duty

A series of two losses was interrupted by a resounding victory over mixed martial arts veteran Mirko Cro Cop. Being one of the most popular fighters in the world, Cro Cop was seen as the favorite, but all the accolades could not save him from being knocked out in the third round.

Next is another attempt to fight the TOP. It was Fabricio Werdum, a master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the first man to defeat Fedor Emelianenko. Roy Nelson lost, but the fight was so entertaining that the participants received a bonus for the best performance of the evening.

After this battle, experts realized that Roy is unlikely to ever become a UFC champion, but his skills are quite enough for fighters outside the TOP 10. The “Big Hillbilly” was destined for the role of “gatekeeper.” It was used to “test” representatives of the heavyweight division who were claiming to be in the TOP 10. If you defeat Roy, welcome to the list of the best. If you lose, well, train some more.

Subsequently, Roy Nelson alternated victories and defeats. He defeated Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, Dave Herman, Antonio Rodrigue Nogueira and Antonio Silva, but lost to Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, Josh Barnett, Derrick Lewis (debatable) and Russian Alexander Volkov. Now “The Hillbilly” is preparing to restart his career by moving from the UFC to Bellator.

Roy Nelson: statistics and style

The Big Redneck's fighting style is not very subtle, but it is effective. Nelson moves carefully around his opponent and waits to land an overhand right. If the opponent himself comes closer, wrestling is used. The “cast iron” chin helps Roy withstand the strongest blows. Only the strongest strikers - Andrei Arlovski and Mark Hunt - managed to knock him out.

Alas, the opponents soon figured out Nelson’s fighting style and successfully took advantage of his shortcomings. Roy Nelson's heavy weight, low speed and unsophisticated style prevent "The Hillbilly" from entering the TOP 10, but he can still delight fans with bright, memorable fights. Perhaps the fighter will find himself in Bellator?

A country: USA

Roy Nelson (born June 20, 1976) is an American MMA fighter who competes in the UFC heavyweight division. Has a record of 22-13. He is the winner of the 10th season of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. He was the first and last IFL Heavyweight Champion and also competed in promotions such as EliteXC and BodogFIGHT. He has victories over such fighters as Brendan Schaub, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, Stefan Struve, Mirko Croco and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Nelson was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and played wrestling, football and baseball in his youth. When Nelson was 16 years old, he began training Shaolin Kung Fu. Nelson began training in jiu-jitsu in 1999 under the guidance of UFC veteran John Lewis, and 4 years later Nelson began his career in professional MMA. For a long time, Nelson trained under the guidance of Renzo Gracie, who awarded him a black belt in August 2009. Nelson also competed at the Abu Dhabi Grappling Championships.

Nelson made his professional MMA debut in April 2004. He competed in the Rage on the River heavyweight tournament and won both of his bouts. Nelson compiled a 6-1 record before signing to the IFL. Nelson made his debut for the promotion on January 19, 2007 against MMA veteran Vince Lucero. Nelson won the fight via TKO in the first round.

At the 2007 IFL Grand Prix, Nelson defeated Antoon Joud in December to become the heavyweight champion. After this, Nelson successfully defended his title, and soon the IFL ceased to exist.

After this, Nelson signed up with EliteXC and, shortly before the tournament (10 days), agreed to a fight with former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Nelson lost this fight by knockout in the 2nd round. This was followed by a fight with Jeff Monson, which Nelson lost by unanimous decision, although it is worth noting that this decision was quite controversial.

Nelson then became a contestant on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, and in the finale of the show in December 2009, he knocked out Brendan Schaub, becoming the winner of that season of TUF and earning a Knockout of the Night bonus.

In March 2010, Nelson knocked out Stefan Struve, simultaneously earning a bonus for “Knockout of the Night.” Nelson lost his next two fights. He lost by decision to Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir.

Nelson returned to the cage in October 2011 and brutally knocked out Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 137, but he lost his next fight by decision, this time to Fabricio Werdum, at UFC 143.

However, after that, Nelson won 3 fights in a row, all of his victories by knockout. The heavyweight knocked out Dave Herman, Matt Mitrione and Cheick Kongo to earn the Knockout of the Night bonus.

This successful streak was followed by two defeats in a row. Nelson lost by decision to Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic. Nelson would return to the cage in April 2014 and spectacularly knock out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the first round. In September, Nelson fought Mark Hunt and lost by knockout in the second round at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson.

This was followed by two more straight decision losses to Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett. In February 2016, Nelson managed to break his losing streak and defeated Jared Rosholt by decision at UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson.

In July, the heavyweight lost a split decision to Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez, and in September at UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg in Brazil Nelson knocked out Antonio Silva in the second round. After the fight, Nelson was unhappy that the referee, in his opinion, stopped the fight late, and kicked John McCarthy. For this act, the fighter received a suspension and a fine.

History of fights