UFC Ultimate Fighter 10 champion and 19 fight UFC veteran Roy Nelson has signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA.
There is no debut date or opponent set for “Big Country,” but he is expected to compete in the promotion by the end of the year.
Nelson did earn a 9-10-0 record during his time in the UFC. Those nine wins in the promotion came over Brendan Schaub, Stefan Struve, Mirko Cro Cop, Dave Herman, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Jared Rosholt and Antonio Silva.
When Nelson finally does make his Bellator MMA debut, it is going to be the first time he has competed outside of the UFC in just under eight years.
The longtime UFC fighter is going to be entering a Bellator MMA Heavyweight Division that has no champion, but one is expected to be crowned by the end of the year. Nelson will be competing in a division that has top names like Fedor Emelianenko, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, Bobby Lashley, Sergei Kharitonov, Oli Thompson and Justin Wren in it.
“Big Country” is just one of a series of UFC fighters who have jumped ship to Bellator MMA, as the promotion has signed Rory MacDonald, Ryan Bader, Valerie Letourneau and others in recent months.
