– Roy Nelson cemented his status as one of the premier knockout artists in the heavyweight division on Friday when he finished Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the main event of UFC Fight Night 39 from Abu Dhabi. Nelson landed a right hand that floored “Minotauro”.
For “Big Country,” the win was the 14th knockout of his career. In fact, each of Nelson’s (20-9) last 11 wins have come in that fashion, including victories over Brendan Schaub, Stefan Struve, Mirko CroCop and Cheick Kongo.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nogueira (34-9-1) has been finished in each of his last five losses, including knockouts vs. Nelson, current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir.
– A rumored light heavyweight scrap could be added to UFC 173 in the coming days, as officials are trying to secure Dan Henderson vs. Daniel Cormier. The card takes place May 24 from Las Vegas and features UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw in the main event.
The UFC has been forced to re-work several planned bouts and move them, all the while the Henderson-Cormier contest has been rumored. It was reported on “UFC Tonight” recently that medical clearance for Henderson is currently the hold up.
Henderson (30-11) snapped a three-fight losing skid this past March when he knocked out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in Brazil. Cormier (14-0) had a perfect 205-pound debut in February, finishing Patrick Cummins in the first round.
– Ex-Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem could be joining forces with the man who once defeated him. “UFC Tonight” noted that Overeem is interested in joining the Jackson-Winkeljohn gym in New Mexico, which is home to current contender Travis Browne.
The 33-year-old Overeem (37-13) was finished by Browne last August in the first round. He rebounded this past February with a decision victory over former UFC champion Frank Mir.
Overeem left Florida’s Blackzilians team recently and also underwent surgery on his elbow to correct a pinched nerve. No timetable has been set for his return to action. The report also stated that the gym’s head coach, Greg Jackson, is planning on bringing “The Reem” in for a tryout.
