UFC 137 Fight Card: Is Roy Nelson on the Chopping Block?

On average, UFC heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos come in on their respective fight nights at about 230 to 240 pounds. They are like the equivalent of a Porsche Cayenne, mid-size SUVs that have tons of speed and agility. 

They are the new emerging breed of heavyweight that bucks the trend of the massive, hulking, cardio-lacking heavyweights of the past. 

As a sport of mixed martial arts and its premiere organization, the UFC, moves into a new stage of  high profile with many more mainstream eyeballs focusing their attention on the combatants in the cage. A man of Roy Nelson's girth and performance level is quickly becoming more and more of a liability. 

Nelson's resume is fairly impressive by most standards. He was the final IFL heavyweight champion prior to the promotion folding in 2008, sported a pre-UFC record of 13-4 and as a Renzo Gracie black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he has a really impressive ground game. 

However, Nelson's pedigree gets washed away to the wayside the moment that he hits the midway point of a three-round fight. Nelson's fatigue begins to get the better of him and then he simply looks like a slobbering oaf engaged in a bar-room brawl. 

There have been many instances during Nelson's stint in the UFC where commentator Joe Rogan has commented on Nelson's weight being a major chink in Nelson's armor. What he is really saying is, "Roy, you are too fat."

With a 2-2 UFC record and his inability to defeat the upper-level names in the division, Nelson could end up getting bounced from the promotion after a loss to Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 137. 

It's pretty obvious that UFC president Dana White isn't a fan of Nelson for a wide variety of reasons; the main one is that Roy's quite difficult to market as a fighter. His sloppy-plumber look flies in the face of the UFC's promoting the sport as a whole as containing well-conditioned, physically-gifted athletes.

When you couple Nelson's lack of marketability with his nonchalant attitude towards the issue of his weight, it can be pretty infuriating to have him on your roster. 

Nelson should be able handle an aging opponent in Mirko Cro Cop. However, if he racks up a third straight loss, it will be more than likely that he will get a pink slip.