Gunnar Nelson vs. Rick "The Horror" StoryFresh off his big win over Zak Cummings at UFC Fight Night in Dublin on July 19, unbeaten welterweight phenom Gunnar Nelson will make his first headlining performance as a UFC fighter on Saturday, October 4, when he takes on American veteran Rick "The Horror" Story at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
“I am honored to fight in Sweden and to headline this card," Iceland's Nelson said. "I expect the Swedish crowd to be pretty loud. I believe I have a big fan base in Sweden. They love my kind of style of fighting and I am of course Scandinavian so we have a good connection. So overall I think it’s going to be a great night – I am really excited about this opportunity."
“I have fought in Germany before but it will be my first time in Stockholm, so I am looking forward to seeing the city," Story said. "My schedule now will be to pack up and head down to Arizona to the MMA Lab to start training. I’m really excited for this fight."
Undefeated in 14 professional fights, the 26-year-old Nelson is already 4-0 in his UFC campaign with three wins coming by way of submission. On October 4, "Gunni" will face the toughest test of his career in Story, a Washington state native who has fought and beaten the best over the course of his career.
“Rick Story has fought many of the best fighters," Nelson said. "He beat the current champion and he is very experienced and is a very good wrestler. He is a tough opponent and I am happy to be fighting him."
Owner of wins over Johny Hendricks, Thiago Alves, and Jake Ellenberger, the 29-year-old Story had his first fight with the renowned MMA Lab in his corner on July 16, and he delivered on of his best performances to date as he submitted Leonardo Mafra in the second round.
“Oh man, this is a really exciting matchup," Story said. "Stylistically it’s going to be great because Gunnar is a grappler and an attacker, and when it comes to fighting you can’t ask for more than that - someone who attacks and comes at you."
Tor "The Hammer" Troeng vs. Krzysztof JotkoEuropean middleweights looking to get back in the win column will meet up in Stockholm on October 4, as Sweden's own Tor "The Hammer" Troeng faces Poland's Krzysztof Jotko in UFC Fight Night action.
”This is a fantastic opportunity to redeem myself and show my true capacity at home in The Globe," Troeng said. "I’m extremely anxious to get this shot and I will really bring it.”
"I could not wait for this next fight," Jotko said. "I have a great hunger after my last one."
A member of the Ultimate Fighter season 17 cast, Umea's Troeng has been an exciting addition to the roster, submitting Adam Cella and engaging in a Fight of the Night against Rafael Natal before a hard-fought decision loss to Trevor Smith in July.
“Krzysztof will of course be a very tough test and I’m going to make sure that I learn as much as I can from my teammate Magnus Cedenblad, who is the only one who has defeated him,” Troeng said.
The 24-year-old Jotko currently stands at 1-1 in the UFC, with a win over Bruno Santos and a submission loss to Magnus Cedenblad. On October 4, he gets the chance to go over the .500 mark.
"This fight is very important to me because I desire a rematch with Magnus Cedenblad, so I'll be prepared for him 1000 percent," Jotko said.
Nico Musoke vs. Alexander YakovlevWith former Ultimate Fighter winner Amir Sadollah removed from his October 4 bout with Nico Musoke to be placed on another upcoming card, Stockholm's Musoke has a new foe to tangle with in his hometown, as Russia's Alexander Yakovlev will step in for the UFC Fight Night bout.
Unbeaten in eight of his last nine, Musoke has won two of his three UFC bouts, submitting Alessio Sakara and decisioning Viscardi Andrade. Looking to bounce back from a decision loss to Kelvin Gastelum in June, the welterweight prospect will now meet up with Yakovlev, a 10-year veteran with a win over Paul Daley who will be seeking his first UFC win this October.
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