Amid disappointing news that he was being pulled from the UFC 125 card, “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Roy Nelson had no trouble keeping a sense of humor.
With planned opponent Shane Carwin out due to injury, Nelson’s bout has been removed from the show in favor of a UFC Featherweight Championship fight between Jose Aldo and Josh Grispi.
Granted, there was some actual disappointment on Nelson’s part: He tells Sherdog, “I think my feelings were a little hurt. I was hoping they could find somebody to replace [Carwin]. This is one of the biggest cards of the year, and I was in the co-main event, and I was really trying to make sure my knee was better.”
Upset about how the situation played out, Nelson explains, “The UFC really pushed me hard to get through with my rehab so I could fight on this card. My doctors said I shouldn’t fight again until February or March, but I stepped up because the UFC wanted me to. I stepped up for the UFC, and I hoped they would do the same for me.”
Nonetheless, it is clear that Nelson kept a smile about the situation. First discussing disappointment that a rumored bout with Mirko Cro Cop could not be scheduled for the show, Nelson name-dropped WWE wrestler The Undertaker as an opponent whom he would have liked to face. Undertaker made waves in the mixed martial arts community by “challenging” Brock Lesnar at UFC 121.
Nelson notes, “Cro Cop is a legend in this sport, and I would’ve loved to have fought him. I’d like to fight Nogueira for the same reason. I’d love to fight [Alistair] Overeem, Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker. Dana White asks people, ‘So, you want to be a f—ing fighter?’ I love to fight. I’m one of those guys.”