Fighter

Gunnar Nelson

"Gunni"

19-6-1★ 5bonuses Iceland

IcelandLast 5

Grappling 3-4

NEXT FIGHT

No upcoming fight scheduled.

Gunnar Nelson holds a professional MMA record of 19-6-1. Their full professional MMA career spans 26 bouts on record. Gunnar Nelson has won 19 fights: 3 by KO/TKO, 14 by submission, 2 by decision. Of 6 career losses, 1 came by KO/TKO and 0 by submission. In the UFC, Gunnar Nelson lands 1.77 significant strikes per minute with 61% accuracy and averages 2.00 takedowns per 15 minutes. Gunnar Nelson also has 7 recorded Grappling bouts. Most recent fight: March 22, 2025. Tracked organizations: UFC.

Profile

Height: 5'11"180 cm
Weight: 170 lbs77 kg
Reach: 72"183 cm
Stance: Switch
DOB: 1988-07-28
Age: 38
Nationality: Iceland
Birthplace: Akureyri, Iceland

Fight DNA

Submission Ace

UFCalendar's style model · Welterweight roster (258 fighters)

Submission Threat

98 · top 3% in division

Punch power95

Kick power79

Punch speed59

Kick speed62

Accuracy74

Takedowns96

Ground striking97

Submissions98

Chin93

Body strength68

Cardio61

Attributes are rated 0-100 by UFCalendar's style model.

By the numbers

UFC careerRecord: 19-6-1 · Source: UFCStats.com

Striking

Strikes landed1.77per min

61% accuracy

Strikes absorbed3.06per min

48% avoided

Grappling

Takedowns landed2.00per 15 min

52% success

Takedowns stuffed68%

Submission attempts1.0per 15 min

Bonus résumé

Gunnar Nelson has won 5 UFC post-fight bonuses. Estimated bonus earnings: $250,000.

★ POTN ×5

Estimates use each era's real amount: $50,000 from 2012, $100,000 from UFC 324, plus $25,000 finish incentives.

All-time bonus leaders →

Salary & career earnings

Disclosed purses, reported paydays and our model's estimate of what Gunnar Nelson earns per fight.

See the money →

Career history

LOSS
vs Kevin Holland
UFCUFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Brady· Mar 22, 2025· Welterweight· 19-5-1 vs 26-13
UD
R3 · 5:00
WIN
vs Bryan Barberena
UFCUFC 286: Edwards vs Usman 3· Mar 18, 2023· Welterweight· 18-5-1 vs 18-9
SUB
R1 · 4:51
POTN
WIN
vs Takashi Sato
UFCUFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall· Mar 19, 2022· Welterweight· 17-5-1 vs 16-4
UD
R3 · 5:00
LOSS
vs Gilbert Burns
UFCUFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Cannonier· Sep 28, 2019· Welterweight· 17-4-1 vs 16-3
UD
R3 · 5:00
LOSS
vs Leon Edwards
UFCUFC Fight Night: Till vs Masvidal· Mar 16, 2019· Welterweight· 17-3-1 vs 16-3
SD
R3 · 5:00
WIN
vs Alex Oliveira
UFCUFC 231: Holloway vs Ortega· Dec 9, 2018· Welterweight· 16-3-1 vs 20-5-1
SUB
R2 · 4:17
LOSS
vs Santiago Ponzinibbio
UFCUFC Fight Night: Nelson vs Ponzinibbio· Jul 16, 2017· Welterweight· 16-2-1 vs 24-3
TKO
R1 · 1:22
WIN
vs Alan Jouban
UFCUFC Fight Night: Manuwa vs Anderson· Mar 18, 2017· Welterweight· 15-2-1 vs 15-4
SUB
R2 · 0:46
POTN
WIN
vs Albert Tumenov
UFCUFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Arlovski· May 8, 2016· Welterweight· 14-2-1 vs 15-3
SUB
R2 · 3:15
POTN
LOSS
vs Demian Maia
UFCUFC 194: Aldo vs McGregor· Dec 12, 2015· Welterweight· 14-1-1 vs 21-6
UD
R3 · 5:00
WIN
vs Brandon Thatch
UFCUFC 189: Mendes vs McGregor· Jul 11, 2015· Welterweight· 13-1-1 vs 11-2
SUB
R1 · 2:54
LOSS
vs Rick Story
UFCUFC Fight Night: Saffiedine vs MacDonald· Oct 4, 2014· Welterweight· 13-0-1 vs 17-8
SD
R5 · 5:00
WIN
vs Zak Cummings
UFCUFC Fight Night: McGregor vs Brandao· Jul 19, 2014· Welterweight· 12-0-1 vs 17-3
SUB
R2 · 4:48
POTN
WIN
vs Omari Akhmedov
UFCUFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs Manuwa· Mar 8, 2014· Welterweight· 11-0-1 vs 13-1
SUB
R1 · 4:36
POTN
WIN
vs Jorge Santiago
UFCUFC on FUEL TV: Barao vs McDonald· Feb 16, 2013· Welterweight· 10-0-1 vs 26-10
UD
R3 · 5:00
WIN
vs DaMarques Johnson
UFCUFC on FUEL TV: Struve vs Miocic· Sep 29, 2012· Catchweight· 9-0-1 vs 16-11
SUB
R1 · 3:34
WIN
vs Alexander Butenko
Cage Contender 12· Feb 25, 2012· Welterweight· 8-0-1 vs 17-5
SUB
R1 · 4:21
WIN
vs Eugene Fadiora
BAMMA· Sep 25, 2010· 7-0-1 vs 9-0
SUB
WIN
vs Danny Mitchell
Cage Contender· Aug 28, 2010· 6-0-1 vs 8-1
SUB
WIN
vs Sam Elsdon
BAMMA· Feb 13, 2010· 5-0-1 vs 1-0
SUB
WIN
vs Iran Mascarenhas
Denmark Regional· Sep 6, 2008· 4-0-1 vs 0-3
TKO
WIN
vs Barry Mairs
Angrrr Management· Dec 9, 2007· 3-0-1 vs 0-0
TKO
WIN
vs Niek Tromp
Ireland Regional· Nov 24, 2007· 2-0-1 vs 5-1-1
SUB
WIN
vs Adam Slawinski
Ireland Regional· Oct 6, 2007· 1-0-1 vs 0-0
TKO
WIN
vs Driss El Bakara
Cage Rage· Sep 29, 2007· 0-0-1 vs 1-1-1
SUB
DRAW
vs John Olesen
Denmark Regional· May 5, 2007· 0-0 vs 0-0
DRAW

Career history data via Tapology.

Official UFC Ranking

Gunnar Nelson's standing in the official UFC rankings, tracked since 2013.

Current: Unranked
Peak: #8 Welterweight
First ranked: Mar 17, 2014
Times ranked: 183

Welterweight

View full UFC rankings →

UFCalendar Power Index rating

Current: 1637▼6
Peak: 1872Mar 18, 2017
Rated fights: 26

See the full Power Index →

Frequently asked questions

When does Gunnar Nelson fight next?

Gunnar Nelson has no confirmed upcoming fight.

What is Gunnar Nelson's record?

Gunnar Nelson's professional MMA record is 19-6-1.

Who is Gunnar Nelson fighting next?

Gunnar Nelson's next opponent has not been announced.

Who did Gunnar Nelson fight last?

Gunnar Nelson most recently fought Kevin Holland at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Brady on Saturday, March 22, 2025, LOSS (Unanimous Decision).

What weight class does Gunnar Nelson fight in?

Gunnar Nelson fights at Welterweight.

How many knockouts does Gunnar Nelson have?

Gunnar Nelson has 3 wins by KO/TKO and 14 wins by submission.

How many UFC bonuses has Gunnar Nelson won?

Gunnar Nelson has won 5 UFC post-fight bonuses: 5× Performance of the Night.

How tall is Gunnar Nelson?

Gunnar Nelson is 5'11" (180 cm) tall.

How much does Gunnar Nelson weigh?

Gunnar Nelson weighs 170 lbs (77 kg).

What is Gunnar Nelson's reach?

Gunnar Nelson has a reach of 72" (183 cm).

How old is Gunnar Nelson?

Gunnar Nelson is 38 years old (born Jul 28, 1988).

Where is Gunnar Nelson from?

Gunnar Nelson is from Iceland.

CAREER SUMMARY