UFC Fight Night 107 results from last night: Gunnar Nelson vs Alan Jouban fight recap

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight finishers Gunnar Nelson and Alan Jouban collided last night (March 18, 2017) at UFC Fight Night 107 inside The 02 in London, England.

This was an important bout for Nelson. The No. 9-ranked Welterweight was without any currently relevant wins, but derailing the win streak of a quality fighter like Jouban would go a long way in maintaining his position near the top of the division. On the other hand, Jouban has been waiting for a big opportunity like this for quite some time. He’s been doing quite well opposite fellow up-and-comers and the middle of the division, but this was a chance for him to prove that he belonged in the title mix.

Jouban opened with some hard low kicks but found himself back into the fence early. He was able to reject his foe’s first takedown attempt, returning to his outside kicking strategy. Darting in with fast punches and following up with hard kicks, Jouban did some effective work from his preferred range.

Unfortunately for “Brahma,” Nelson chained some takedowns together along the fence and finally landed one. He quickly knifed through the guard into side control and then moved to mount. Jouban kept his composure and did not give away any easy submissions, but he was trapped on the bottom for the rest of the round.

After a slow start, Nelson clearly earned the opening round.

Jouban opened the second round with a strong blitz and some low kicks. Just as Jouban appeared to be picking up some momentum, Nelson stabbed his opponent’s chin with a perfect cross, causing Jouban to stumble into the fence. Nelson followed up with a high kick before snapping Jouban to the mat, where Nelson immediately wrapped up a guillotine choke and secured the tap.

Nelson fought damn well in this match up opposite a tough opponent. Jouban had a smart game plan and some clear advantages heading into this match up, but Nelson’s ability to wait for the perfect moment and capitalize was massively impressive. In the first, it resulted in a takedown and then domination on the mat. In the second, Nelson was able to basically knockout and submit his opponent within a minute of attacking.

It’s a unique style, and frankly it’s damn fun to watch. Nelson reminded fight fans why he’s so highly thought of with this performance and should face off with a fellow Top 10-ranked fighter in his next appearance. For example, Dong Hyun Kim would be a worthy opponent.

Jouban fought both hard and smart. In the first round, he clearly out-struck his opponent and defended a majority of his foe’s takedown attempts. Even when in bad position on the mat, Jouban avoided the finish and survived. The fight was going reasonably well for him, as those low kicks and body shots would have added up over time. Instead, a perfect right hand sent Jouban into a state of half-consciousness, and he was helpless to defend himself from that point onward.

MMA can be unforgiving as hell.

Last night at UFC Fight Night 107, Gunnar Nelson scored another excellent submission. Is Nelson a future title contender?

For complete UFC Fight Night 107: “Manuwa vs Anderson” results and play-by-play, click HERE!