Roy Nelson hasn’t competed much in recent years, but it doesn’t mean he’s done quite yet.
In what he deemed a bucket list item, Nelson returned to competition without gloves Friday at Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in Sunrise, Fla.
In vintage “Big Country” fashion, Nelson walked through massive punches from bulky opponent Dillon Cleckler before he scored a knockout at 3:24 of Round 1.
Roy Nelson, 46, hadn’t competed since his final Bellator fight in August 2020. The victory was his first combat sports win since September 2017.
After the fight, Roy Nelson indicated he will continue to compete as long as the opportunities excite him. Masvidal brought Alex Nicholson in the cage after the fight to size up with Nelson and also mentioned Junior Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum as potential next opponents.