As soon as upon a time, two of Iceland’s biggest exports—UFC welterweight standout Gunnar Nelson and legendary strongman Hafthor ‘The Mountain’ Bjornsson—went toe-to-toe on the mat.
Whereas most battle followers will acknowledge Nelson from his 15-fight run contained in the Octagon the place he earned wins over Alan Jouban, Alex Oliveira, and Bryan Barbarena, others will undoubtedly keep in mind Bjornsson from his memorable flip as ‘The Mountain’ on the beloved HBO sequence Recreation of Thrones.
Just a few years again, the 2 fan favorites from two very totally different worlds determined to hit the mat in a battle of sheer power versus talent.
“I’ve been wanting for a very long time as a result of quite a lot of my pals have been saying, I’ve no likelihood in opposition to you on the ground,” Bjornsson stated within the video which was posted on the Strongman’s official YouTube channel. “I’m simply . To see if the method and the expertise goes to beat the power. Not solely the power but additionally the physique weight.”
Gunnar Nelson was shocked by Bjornsson’s Stamina
Whereas Nelson held a transparent benefit given his expertise contained in the Octagon and being a BJJ black belt. Even so, ‘Gunni’ was admittedly shocked by how agile Bjornsson was contemplating how large he’s.
“When he requested me if his power was shocking, I used to be like no however his conditioning was,” Nelson stated. “He was in a position to preserve going and never simply conditioning however he was sensible together with his fights. He used his weight properly. He’s not simply heavy and powerful however he’s athletic together with his weight.”
Nelson shall be again contained in the Octagon on March 22 when the UFC heads again to London for a loaded Combat Evening card inside the long-lasting O2 Enviornment. There, ‘Gunni’ will sq. off with Kevin Holland in what is certain to be one of many extra intriguing bouts on the cardboard.
