In an Instagram story, Daniel Rodriguez has confirmed he will face Gunnar Nelson at UFC 286 in London on March 18th, 2023.
The UFC is yet to officially confirm the bout, but ‘D-Rod’ says the agreement has been signed.
The two men will throw down inside the O2 Arena, the same place where last year’s two UFC fight nights in London took place.
D-Rod Confirms the Fight
Via his Instagram, the 36-year-old said: “Bout agreement signed. March 18, vs Gunnar Nelson, UFC London.”
Rodriguez will go into the fight looking to rebound from a submission loss against Neil Magny. Prior to that, he was on a four-fight win streak, including a controversial decision over Li Jingliang in the madness of UFC 279. The former SMASH global welterweight champion looks to be staying active in 2023 after overcoming persistent hand injuries.
How Does His Opponent Stack Up?
Gunnar Nelson will be coming into the fight almost exactly a year removed from his most recent fight. He beat Takashi Sato in the exact arena where he will be facing Rodriguez, ending a three-year layoff. A win over the California native could prove to be massive for ‘Gunni’ with the welterweight rankings potentially in sight.
It looks set to be the classic MMA matchup of striker vs grappler with Nelson possessing a 2nd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as many IBJJF medals. Whereas, his opponent came through with boxing as his primary trade.
How Does UFC 286 Look Now?
The main event is yet to be made official by the company, but we know Leon Edwards will be defending his welterweight strap. However, his opponent is not official as it stands – Kamaru Usman doesn’t seem to be ready with names such as Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington being thrown around as potential opponents for ‘Rocky’.
Despite the lack of a main event, there have been a lot of fun fights confirmed for the card*:
Marvin Vettori vs Roman Dolidze
Nathaniel Wood vs Lerone Murphy
Jennifer Maia vs Casey O’Neill
Daniel Rodriguez vs Gunnar Nelson
Joanne Wood vs Luana Carolina
Jai Herbert vs Ludovit Klein
Jake Hadley vs Malcolm Gordon
*Bout order unofficial
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
