Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson makes his return to the octagon on Saturday night in Kansas City at UFC on FOX 24, as he takes on Alexander Volkov in one of the four FOX preliminary bouts. Nelson has not been seen since defeating Antonio Silva last September, as Nelson was suspended for nine months (reduced to six months) for kicking the referee. Nelson will be taking on a fighter in Volkov who is fighting for just the second time in the UFC. Let’s look at this battle between Volkov and Nelson that leads up to the main card which features Demetrious Johnson taking on Wilson Reis.
Bet on UFC at BookMaker.eu
Roy Nelson (22-13, 9-9 UFC)
Nelson has lost two of his last three fights but he is coming off the win over Silva last September. Nelson is just 3-6 in his last nine fights but the list of opponents he has lost to are impressive, as he lost to Daniel Cormier, Derrick Lewis, Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem, Mark Hunt and Stipe Miocic.
There is no secret with Nelson, as his style is to come right at his opponent, get hit in the face, hit his opponent hard and see who can withstand the punishment. When Nelson wins it is almost always by knockout, but when he loses it is usually by decision. Rarely does he lose a fight by knockout, as it has happened only twice.
Alexander Volkov (27-6, 1-0 UFC)
Volkov is coming off a win against Timothy Johnson last November. It was not an impressive victory, as it was a split decision and many people who watched the fight thought Johnson should have gotten the decision. Volkov made his name in Bellator a few years back by winning the heavyweight title but he didn’t follow up that success. He lost to Tony Johnson and Cheick Kongo and then Volkov actually fought a couple of times with M-1.
Volkov has not fought nearly the competition that Nelson has fought and it is somewhat surprising he is getting a shot against Nelson. Volkov has yet to show he can handle a tough opponent and there is no questioning the toughness of Nelson. Volkov even said in a recent interview that fighting Nelson is the biggest challenge in his career. “He’s a good, experienced opponent. I’d say it’s the biggest challenge of my career so far.” Volkov said in an interview to RT. “He’s a veteran with a big name and one of the fighters I looked up to growing up, he’s a solid opponent. However, I feel that I’m ready to face serious opponents and win, that’s why I’m preparing to the best of my ability. Nelson has a fan base in Russia, a lot of my friends follow him and I always liked him too.”
UFC Picks
Despite what Volkov said, he has yet to prove he can beat a veteran opponent who has a lot of experience. It is just hard to see how Volkov can win this fight, as Nelson has more power and more experience. We know that Nelson normally wins his fights by knockout and that is how I see this one ending. I will take Nelson to get the win and also play the rounds to go under the total.
Main Card (FOX)
Demetrious Johnson -739 vs. Wilson Reis
Rose Namajunas -135 vs. Michelle Waterson
Ronaldo Souza -225 vs. Robert Whittaker
Jeremy Stephens vs. Renato Moicano
Preliminary Card (FOX)
Alexander Volkov vs. Roy Nelson
Patrick Williams vs. Tom Duquesnoy
Bobby Green vs. Rashid Magomedov
Tim Elliott vs. Louis Smolka
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Devin Clark vs. Jake Collier
Andrew Sanchez vs. Anthony Smith
Aljamain Sterling vs. Augusto Mendes
Zak Cummings vs. Nathan Coy
Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Ketlen Vieira
UFC on FOX 24 takes place on Saturday, April 15 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The event features Demetrious Johnson defending his flyweight title against Wilson Reis.
How to Bet
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
