Is Roy Nelson Ready?
by David St. Martin on Apr 1, 2010 2:41 PM EDT
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I'll preface this by saying I love Big Country. I've always thought he has a realistic, refreshing attitude about fighting for a living. I thought he would easily win TUF, using his experience to outclass the greener fighters still getting their feet wet in the fight game. He continues to disprove his dissenters over and over, and is picking up fans left and right with each additional victory. That being said, there's no way in hell he is among the elite in the UFC's heavyweight division.
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I'm sorry, but come on people. I'm not trying to be a snob, but where exactly does Nelson fit in the top of the weight class? Let's look at the top five guys in the division, at least in my head.
Lesnar, Carwin, Velasquez, Mir, and Big Nog. Would you take Roy over any of these guys? Who would you push out? Maybe Mir? I know Roy aced out Frank at Grapplers Quest in 2003 by a score of 15-2, but I'm not sure I'd expect the same result in the Octagon in 2010.
I'm just not sold on him until we see him taking on someone like JDS or Gonzaga, people who haven't done most of their fighting on YouTube. The victories over Kimbo, Schaub, and Struve, although impressive, aren't exactly unexpected, and not exactly setting my world on fire. What are Nelson's marquee wins? Brad Imes? Losses to UFC washouts such as Arlovski and Monson, and likely future washout Ben Rothwell, aren't helping his case.
Now, I am a huge fan of Nelson, this coming from someone who is an acknowledged fan of very few people. My apathy knows no bounds. Week after week being berated by friends who thought it was insane to hitch my own hopes and dreams to a man who sweats when he peels an orange. Roy "Big Country" Nelson having that belt not fit around his waist would bring a tear to my eye, and I sincerely hope I'm wrong.
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definitely not elite, yet
But I loved that when he called out Toney, neither he nor Rogan could keep a straight face.
by some schmuck in texas on Apr 1, 2010 2:45 PM EDT reply actions
I greatly prefer my gatekeeper to be someone who has a personality to compliment a limited ceiling. I tune in when Kongo fights because I feel obligated to watch due to a potential effect on the Heavyweight division.
I watch Roy Nelson cause he is a goddamn unicorn. He shouldnt exist. He is a classic midwestern everyman somehow born in Vegas with world class BJJ, a mullet, and a smile that lets you know he is in on the joke, but has no intention of quitting any time soon.
With all due respect the three losses you mentioned Arlovksi, Monson, and Rothwell could have easily gone his way. Some would even say the Arlovski and Monson fights were straight robberies.
I’m probably the only guy in the world that is still not sold on Cain Velasquez as a world beater. KOs over Big Nog unfortunately don’t mean as much as they used to and I still have visions of Kongo repeatedly dropping Cain. I personally would love to see him matched up with Nelson, not that Big Country deserves it.
I also thought Roy brought up an interesting option for the Toney fight. His chin and hands, while not necessaily on the level of a pro boxer, are pretty good and he has the ability to fallback on his wrestling, grappling, and submissions to pick up a W. He is kind of a name now being a TUF winner and it doesn’t seem like the UFC know exactly what else to do with Toney anyhow.
Yeah top 12 sounds about right I damn sure can’t think of 19 heavyweights I would put in front of him
by doonerthesooner on Apr 1, 2010 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I like him hovering around the top ten but top 5
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by David St. Martin on Apr 1, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Top 5?
Yeah top ten or twelve sounds about right. I guess put him up against Kongo next, but I’m really not sure what a dominant win over Struve means as far as the rest of the division. I personally think a rematch against Rothwell makes sense, and I think a match against Nog would be good. Just to see where Nog stands ya know?
by doonerthesooner on Apr 1, 2010 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorry meant to say 'not top 5'
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by David St. Martin on Apr 1, 2010 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions
yea I think it' coming
it would make sense.
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by David St. Martin on Apr 1, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
He would have trouble with the two vanilla gorillas pretending to be Heavywieghts
But I due think he could be a force against most of the UFC heavy weights. And Cly, the unicorn thing is priceless.
Monson was not a UFC washout I must point out. He was 4-3 (and 3-1 in his last stint) when they let him go. And he has been a handful for everybody he has fought. Pedro Rizzo has his number, but that’s about his only bad loss on his record.
The Arlovski debacles should not even count as a loss.. Rothwell I could give to you, that’s about it.
Sure enough he hasn’t proven against top competition yet, but so had Cain before the Kongo fight and he got dropped a couple of times in there. Nobody was quite sure of Carwin before he dispatched Mir, and he got dropped by Gonzaga. I mean everybody in the division has flaws on their record except maybe for Lesnar who’s loss was mainly from inexperience.
Let’s see Big Country against a Gonzaga, Mir or someone like that before we get carried away. He is a top 10 heavyweight in my eyes for sure…
I would put JDS
in my top 5 over Mir. Frank has been smashed 2 of his last 3 and I can’t fuckin stand him. He’ll probably still run his fuckin mouth once he finishes that big hot cup of shut the fuck up Shane Carwin just served him.
Hadoken!!
not alot of love for Frank
What I hate most about his is that I cant call him ‘Fat Frankie’ anymore
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by David St. Martin on Apr 1, 2010 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Not sure if he's "Elite" but he's definitely top 15 for now.
Can he compete with Carwin or Lesnar? Maybe not, but we won’t know until he gets in the ring. I was wondering who he would fight next. If the ufc is looking to bring him along slowly, they’ll probably match him against Cheick Kongo. Once this fight hits the ground, you gotta think Roy would be a heavy favorite.
I think Roy's going to continue to surprise a lot of people.
I’d pick Roy against Mir.
I think right now he’s certainly top 10 in the UFC. Brock, Shane, Cain, JDS, Mir, and Nog are certainly all in front of him, but who else?
I guess time will tell. He’ll rise until he’s in over his head.
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