Roy Nelson
About
"Big Country" - the beer-belly heavyweight with a granite chin and a thudding overhand right who fans adored.
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Roy "Big Country" Nelson won The Ultimate Fighter 10 in 2009 and became one of the heavyweight division's most beloved characters. With his unmistakable belly, mountain-man beard and a looping overhand right, he was the everyman who could knock out anyone.
Nelson never challenged for the title, but he stacked up highlight-reel finishes over names like Cheick Kongo, Dave Herman and Brendan Schaub, and was equally famous for what didn't happen to him: even the division's biggest hitters couldn't put his lights out. He went the distance with future champions Fabricio Werdum and Stipe Miocic, taking their best and patting his belly.
After a long UFC tenure he moved on to Bellator. To fans, Nelson is proof that power and toughness trump aesthetics, and a reminder that heavyweight MMA is at its most fun when one punch can end everything.
Why fans love Nelson
The relatable build, the cartoonish power and the chin that wouldn't quit. Every Nelson fight carried the threat of a sudden, spectacular finish.
