SBG Ireland's Gunnar Nelson will make his long-awaited octagon return on March 19 at UFC London.
Irish Mirror have confirmed with the UFC that he has signed to fight Brazilian Claudio Silva at the O2 Arena in his first bout since September of 2019.
The Icelandic fighter, whose connection to John Kavanagh's gym has made him something of an adopted Irishman, has been dealing with injuries over the past three years that have kept him out of the cage.
But he will get his chance to make a comeback in front of a familiar audience at the iconic London venue where he famously fought Leon Edwards at the last UFC show in the UK.
He recently re-signed with the promotion, and his coach Kavanagh has been angling for 'Gunni' to get a shot at rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev given his grappling background.
But he will first have to get through Silva in a bout that could prove one of the most exciting for hardcore fans who attend the show.
Silva won 14 fights in a row after losing his debut, including a rare victory over Edwards, but has lost his last two against Court McGee and James Krause.
Nelson was beaten by Gilbert Burns last time out back in September of 2019, which set the Brazilian on a path to a world title shot which he earned last year.
And the winner of this fight would likely land a shot to get into the welterweight rankings if they can stay consistent this year.
Tickets for UFC London will go on general sale at 10am GMT on Friday, February 4, via AXS and Ticketmaster.
Fight Club and The O2 priority members can purchase tickets from Wednesday, February 2 at 9am and 10am GMT, respectively, whilst newsletter subscribers and those who register their interest can gain early access to tickets from Thursday, February 3 at 10am GMT. Register via UFC.com/London to stay up to date with the latest ticketing information.
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