Roy Nelson Scouting Report

Roy Nelson Scouting Report

Vitals

6’0″ 263 lbs (Heavyweight)
73″ reach, Orthodox
June 20, 1976

Record

23-16 (UFC: 9-10, Bellator: 1-2)

Current Streak

2 straight losses

Taining

Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Black sash in Kung Fu

Championships Held

IFL Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner: 2007
IFL Heavyweight Champion: 2007-2008 (two successful title defenses)
The Ultimate Fighter 10 Heavyweight Winner: 2009

Strengths

– great chin
– heavy, heavy hands
– agile & athletic
– very good at using his weight on the ground
– solid submission skills
– very experienced
– extremely tough
– impossible to finish
– decent cardio
– showed more versatility recently (takedowns, kicks)

Weaknesses

– carries way too much fat
– undersized (height, reach) for a heavyweight
– old for a fighter
– gets into slugfests
– has taken a lot of damage over his career – chin is starting to not be as reliable
– very inaccurate striker
– poor striking defense
– takes way more hits than he delivers (more than double)
– horrendous takedown accuracy
– despite being a BJJ black belt, doesn’t take many fights to the ground
– doesn’t fight smart – basically only looks to land his big right hand
– definitely on the downside of career – only 3-7 over his last 10

Synopsis

You can’t question Big Country’s toughness, but you can question whether or not he’ll be able to achieve elite-level success as a UFC (or Bellator) heavyweight fighting the style he fights and with the frame he has.