Roy Nelson: 'It Only Takes One Shot to Be the Next Heavyweight Champion'

Surging heavyweight Roy Nelson knows that he is currently on the road toward a UFC title shot and has a game plan in line should he reach his destination.

In speaking with Sherdog over the weekend, Nelson identified what it takes to grasp the heavyweight crown, stating, "Definitely it only takes one shot to be the next heavyweight champion."

It's perhaps not the most in-depth assessment, but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong.  

Nelson's mantra doesn't hold true for every fighter in the division, but with the type of knockout power he wields, it certainly works for him. In fact, it's proven an effective approach the last three times he's fought, evidenced by the three quick knockouts he has posted.

Anytime that someone with the capacity to finish with a single strike competes, the question becomes whether or not their move—in Nelson's case, his overhand right—will manifest in the action. If you ask "Big Boy Roy," he'll tell you that he's quite confident he would get the job done in a championship scenario.

"I just want to fight the guy that has the belt," he explains. "If I lose, then I lose, but just give me that one chance and I bet you I can knock their block off."

Current UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez will defend his title against Antonio Silva later this month, and should he retain his strap, there would undoubtedly be any number of fans willing to take Nelson up on his offered bet.

But, power is the great equalizer of mixed martial arts, and even if Velasquez, a prototypical talent, is the last step in Nelson's title run, all it would take for an upset to occur is that one moment. Something Nelson obviously recognizes.