Gunnar Nelson forces gruesome cut before submission sends him back to win column

Gunnar Nelson has yet to experience consecutive defeats in his career.

Nelson has returned to the win column in some style after brutalising opponent Alex Oliveira on the main card of UFC 231 on Saturday night. After a back-and-forth opening round, one slicing elbow from Nelson in the second forced open a gruesome cut and the finish was made slightly more routine with the lubricatory benefits of the blood as 'Gunni' slid his forearm under the chin of his Brazilian opponent and pulled off his favourite, the rear naked choke. In the build-up to this weekend's clash, Nelson had hinted at a potential switch to the much-rumoured 165lbs division but also expressed an interest in a rematch with Santiago Ponzinibbio.  https://twitter.com/UFCEurope/status/1071622708851404800 Nelson now improves to 17-3-1 and possesses an impressive finishing rate of 94 per cent, presumably setting up a second shot at Ponzinibbio. While he's never going to be the type to call a fighter out, perhaps he should be advised to take more advantage of his post-fight interviews if he is to set himself up for a title shot at current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, although the prospect of a 165lbs division continues to intrigue Nelson, a long-time proponent of fighters competing at close to their walk-around weight