UFC Fight Night 87 Results: Gunnar Nelson Taps Out Albert Tumenov

Welterweight Gunnar Nelson rebounded from a decision loss to Demian Maia by submitting dangerous striker Albert Tumenov at UFC Fight Night 87 in Rotterdam on Sunday.

Nelson was light on his feet as he tried to stay on the outside against the hard-hitting Russian. He saw success with his left hand, but once the fight hit the ground it was a mismatch.

Nelson drove forward and secured a body-lock takedown midway through the opening frame. He quickly advanced to the mount position and delivered elbows. Tumenov was able to scramble back to his feet in the closing moments of the round, but was behind on the scorecards.

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Nelson changed levels in the early going of the second round to take Tumenov down. He immediately moved to side control before advancing to the mount position. Tumenov rolled, trying to scramble to his feet again, but Nelson took his back.

“Gunni” delivered elbows and applied a body lock to hold Tumenov in place. He applied a rear-naked choke and the Russian was forced to tap out.

It was a much needed win for Nelson, who had lost two of his last three outings headlining into Sundays bout with Tumenov.

“Every fight is the biggest one I believe,” he said following the submission win.  “The strategy was to soften him up a little bit, keep him guessing, and take him down and finish him.”

The Icelander dedicated the win to his mother.

“I want to dedicate this one to my mom. It’s Mother’s Day today. I love you,” he said.

Tumenov was riding a five-fight winning streak heading into Sunday’s bout.  He’ll likely fall out of the welterweight rankings.  For Nelson, the win will likely move him back into the 170-pound rankings and line up a fight with a top ten-ranked opponent in his next outing.

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