Veteran fighter Gunnar Nelson has unfortunately had to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Neil Magny at UFC 318. Nelson announced the news himself on Thursday, citing a hamstring injury as the reason for his forced exit from the July event.
Describing the nature of the injury, Nelson explained it`s a two-part issue. It includes a Grade 2b tear in one of the hamstring muscles, which he indicated wasn`t the most severe component.
The more serious part, he noted, is a Grade 4c full thickness tear in the tendon located within the muscle. This particular tear significantly impacts his ability to train, making him unable to grapple, wrestle, or kick effectively. Nelson estimates it will take at least eight more weeks before he can comfortably resume grappling training at full intensity.
The 36-year-old fighter, known as “Gunni,” most recently competed in March, where he lost a decision to Kevin Holland. This was only his third appearance in the Octagon since 2022. That loss ended a two-fight winning streak for Nelson, whose official UFC record currently stands at 10-6.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Neil Magny will be provided with a replacement opponent for the UFC 318 card or if his anticipated fight with Nelson will be rescheduled for a future event. Nelson himself expressed hope regarding his own return to competition, aiming to be back before the close of 2025.
Optimistically, Nelson also shared the positive news that the injury will not require surgery for recovery. He stated his plan and goal are to be ready to fight again by the end of the current year or late in 2025, expressing confidence that the injury will be fully sorted out within a few months.
UFC 318 is scheduled to take place on July 19th at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The event is set to be headlined by a highly anticipated “BMF” title trilogy fight between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier, a bout Poirier has indicated will mark the conclusion of his professional fighting career.
