MatchWiz

Gunnar NelsonGunni

19-6-1 · MatchWiz rating 1572

Age38Height5'11"Reach72"StanceSwitchDivisionWelterweightCampMjolnirCountryIceland

Rating trend

1500201520162017201820192022202320251572

current 1572 · hover or touch the chart to trace each fight

Our Elo-style rating after each UFC fight — 1500 is average; champions live around 1700+ (full leaderboard). This is the backbone of our win probabilities.

Career rates

Where he stands

Gunnar Nelson is 6-5 across 11 fights on our tape. Our rating has him at 1572 — it moves with every result and weights who he beat, so a win over a ranked opponent counts for far more than one over a debutant. A record on its own says very little in this sport — two fighters at 12-3 can have faced completely different opposition, which is exactly the gap the rating is built to close.

He ends fights

83% of Gunnar's wins have come inside the distance. That's a real trait and a volatile one: a finisher's floor is lower than his highlight reel suggests, because the same aggression that ends fights early loses them early. He absorbs 2.5 significant strikes a minute, which is the number to watch — a high finish rate paired with heavy absorption is a career that tends to be short and loud.

Age matters more here than in most sports

Gunnar is 38. MMA decline tends to arrive suddenly rather than gradually — durability goes before output does, so a fighter can look sharp on the stats right up until he doesn't. The model factors age in, and it's one of the places we'd trust the number least on any individual fight.

How the model reads him

The number attached to Gunnar is a matchup output, not a ranking. Rating versus rating, then style versus style, then the things that bite in this sport specifically — age and time off. It gets graded on the fight board like every other call.

What we'd flag

Two limits worth carrying. We only hold UFC and Contender Series fights from 2015, so anything before that is invisible to these numbers. And a single punch can settle a fight the better fighter was winning — this sport punishes confident predictions more than most.

Gunnar Nelson — FAQ

What is Gunnar Nelson's record?

6-5 across 11 fights on our tape, which covers UFC and Contender Series bouts from 2015 to the present. Our rating has him at 1572 — it weights who he beat, not just how often he won.

What kind of fighter is Gunnar Nelson?

He lands 1.5 significant strikes a minute and absorbs 2.5, with 2.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 71% takedown defense. Those rates decide where his fights happen, which decides most of the rest.

Are Gunnar Nelson's ratings betting advice?

No. Every number here is a research signal from a statistical model, published with its graded record. The UFC model is calibrated but has not proven it can out-price the books, so we post no picks. Not betting advice, no guaranteed outcome. 21+, please play responsibly (1-800-GAMBLER).

Fight history

DateOpponentResultEventΔ rating
Mar 22, 2025Kevin HollandL · Decision - Unanimous R3UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady-16
Mar 18, 2023Bryan BarberenaW · Submission R1UFC 286: Edwards vs. Usman 3+18
Mar 19, 2022Takashi SatoW · Decision - Unanimous R3UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall+14
Sep 28, 2019Gilbert BurnsL · Decision - Unanimous R3UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier-15
Mar 16, 2019Leon EdwardsL · Decision - Split R3UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal-11
Dec 9, 2018Alex OliveiraW · Submission R2UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega+22
Jul 16, 2017Santiago PonzinibbioL · KO/TKO R1UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio-36
Mar 18, 2017Alan JoubanW · Submission R2UFC Fight Night: Manuwa vs. Anderson+44
May 8, 2016Albert TumenovW · Submission R2UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski+49
Dec 12, 2015Demian MaiaL · Decision - Unanimous R3UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor-28
Jul 11, 2015Brandon ThatchW · Submission R1UFC 189: Mendes vs. McGregor+34

Record is career MMA (including pre-UFC fights); the history and rating cover UFC and Contender Series bouts from 2015 on. Back to the fight board →