The UFC returns to London’s O2 arena after nearly two years for a cracking card full of European UFC stars. Sean Brady will take on Leon Edwards in a welterweight bout with title implications for the main event of UFC Fight Night 255. Another cracking welterweight clash on the card is between veterans Gunnar Nelson and Kevin Holland. A classic striker vs grappler matchup, Nelson vs. Holland will feature on the main card and will be a significant one for both men, who come into the fight with a point to prove.

Holland is on something of a slide, while Nelson has been missing from action for the past two years. A win here is crucial for both men since a loss would mean ‘Trailblazer’ risks losing his gatekeeper position to the rankings, while Nelson will want to prove that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level. In this article, we take a look at the stylistic matchup between the two men and make our prediction for the clash.

UFC London: Gunnar Nelson vs. Kevin Holland stats

Kevin Holland, of course, is one of the busiest stars in the entire sport. Coming off consecutive first-round losses to Reinier de Ridder and Roman Dolidze, the 26-13 veteran would be looking for a strong comeback here. On the other hand, Gunnar Nelson has not fought since March 2023, when he beat Bryan Barberena at UFC 286 in a Performance of the Night winning first-round submission. However, Nelson has always been a fan favorite in the city of London and is set to compete in his third straight bout in England’s capital.

The American, of course, is primarily a striker, who doesn’t really like to use his BJJ black belt in the Octagon, while ‘Gunni’ relies on his fundamentally sound ground game to do most of the damage. This difference in their abilities is reflected in their stats as well. On average, Kevin Holland lands a pretty respectable 4.22 significant strikes per minute on his opponents with a 38% accuracy rate.

Nelson, however, has a paltry per-minute average of 1.82 significant strikes per minute, even if he does it at 61% accuracy, which is noticeably higher than Holland’s. Both men have a pretty similar defense. They absorb around three strikes per minute on average, successfully stopping around half the blows thrown at them. Let us now get down to our predictions for their intriguing matchup.

Nelson vs. Holland breakdown and prediction

The Nelson vs. Holland fight will come down to who could impose their gameplan on the other man, as striker vs. grapplers contests usually go. Holland, with his 6’3″ frame and 81′ reach has a significant size advantage over the 5’11”, 72′ reach Nelson, which could prove pretty consequential.

‘Trailblazer’ will probably try to use this advantage, as well as his sharp and nifty striking to try to keep Nelson at bay. On the other hand, ‘Gunni’ will try to take the fight to the ground as early and as often as possible. The Icelander may struggle with Holland’s dynamic stand-up game, so his best chance would be to engage with the American and seamlessly blend his takedown attempts with his strikes.

In the end, we predict that Nelson’s defense would be good enough to deal with Holland’s sharp striking, and the Icelander will use his grappling skills to give ‘Trailblazer’ hell on the ground and stop him there within the sanctioned three rounds. What is your prediction for the Gunnar Nelson vs. Kevin Holland clash?