Roy Nelson interview - "We will see who the real Viking is on Saturday night"

Roy Nelson talks exclusively for the Indian fans

UFC returns to Japan this weekend for UFC Fight Night 75, and will feature a heavyweight bout in the main event between ‘Big Country’ Roy Nelson and ‘The Warmaster’ Josh Barnett. With the heavyweight division now going through a nostalgic phase, with the old war horses fighting their way back into contention and relevance, Josh Barnett and Roy Nelson will have the opportunity to gain momentum by knocking their opponent out.

Going into the event, Barnett last competed inside the Octagon nearly two years ago, which ended with his opponent, Travis Browne raining elbows to stop the fight in the first minute of the first round. Roy Nelson too hasn’t had a great run recently, losing 4 out of his previous 5 fights. Their road to redemption can begin in Japan, with both men setting their sights on a knockout victory.

I caught up with both the fighters before their upcoming fight (you can read Barnett’s interview here), and Nelson also took time out of his busy schedule to give an interview, exclusively for the Indian fans.

Talking about 4 out of his 5 previous fights going to the judges, Nelson said he doesn’t necessarily worry about leaving the decision to the judges. “No, the biggest thing for me is to go out there and fight. And the outcome… whatever happens will happen. My goal is to go out there and win.”

Nelson also found a major difference between his last fight and his upcoming fight with Barnett. “The biggest thing… I did a lot of filming for the road to Japan, so I did a lot of that. The biggest thing is, I guess I’ve been a lot around Josh, and just studied what his mindset is. I’m just going to go out there… I have a better mindset than he does.”

When asked about Barnett being away from the Octagon for nearly 2 years, and if that would play any role in the upcoming fight, Nelson said that wouldn’t make much of a difference. “I don’t think so, I mean, that’s something you’d have to ask Josh, because I don’t know how he prepares for a fight. But I don’t see it happening, because Josh has been in the business for a really long time. If anything, he’s well rested. My guess is he’s definitely ready.”

Asked if what Nelson said about Barnett, regarding UFC implementing the new drug testing policy before the fight was a cautious approach, ‘Big Country’ said, “No, because I’ve fought guys in the UFC who were on steroids and other PEDs, so it’s nothing new.”

Nelson also commented on Barnett’s recent remarks on the MMA Hour, where Barnett joked about Roy being a toddler with a butter knife challenging a Viking with a battle axe. “I don’t think he actually said that I was a toddler. He compared us to a toddler and a Viking. We’ll wait till the fight to see which one of us is the Viking.”

“If he takes it to the ground, that’s because he flopped on his back, and that’s more Brazilian jiu jitsu style. I think I’m ready for whatever Josh throws at me”, Roy added, talking about the differences in their ground game.

With the resurgence of veterans such as Mir and Arlovski in the heavyweight division, at 39 years old, Nelson is at crossroads with respect to his future. Asked about his chances to fight for the title, Roy said, “I always think I’m one fight away, so I’ll fight this one, and then one more, or I could fight this one and then for the belt. But then it depends on the champ; in the heavyweight division, the champions actually fight once in four years or something like that.”

Asked whether he would try to prove a point to the UFC brass at this age, Nelson added, “No, I think the UFC brass already knows that I’m a force to be reckoned with. That’s why I’m fighting Josh Barnett.”

Finally, Nelson had a message for his fans in India, and expressed his desire to come down to India in the near future. “The Indian fans, thank you for always watching and supporting Roy Nelson. I’d love to come to India, and I’d like to bring my good friend Russell Peters as well.”

You can catch UFC Fight Night – Barnett vs. Nelson on Sunday at 7:30 AM IST, live and exclusively on Sony SIX HD and Sony KIX.