Don’t look now but Huntsville’s Kyle “The Monster” Nelson has won his last two fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
In fact, he says he could very easily be on a four-fight winning streak. That’s good news for him because his latest contract with the UFC ended after his Sept. 16 victory against Fernando Padilla.
With his UFC record now standing at three wins, four losses, and one draw, Nelson is optimistic he will sign another four-fight deal with the organization. “We’ll see what happens,” he said.
His most recent fight, a unanimous decision win over Padilla, was likely his last fight of 2023. He’s fought three times this year, which is his most in a 12-month span since 2016 when he also fought three times. “This has been a busy year for me,” he says, still sporting a cut under his left eye and on his nose from the Padilla fight.
Pending signing another contract with the UFC, Nelson expects to fight again towards the end of this year or early next year. After his latest win, he called out UFC legend Cub Swanson. The fighter is in the UFC Hall of Fame for his 2016 fight against Doo Jo Choi at UFC 206 and would be the most experienced fighter Nelson has faced in his 11-year professional mixed martial arts career.
Since stepping into the octagon, Nelson has mostly fought up-and-coming grapplers. He believes now is the time for him to take a big step forward and fight bigger names. “I feel like that’s where I’m at with my career right now,” he says.
With no fights on the horizon, Nelson says he will enjoy resting, however, he says he will be at the Huntsville Fall Fair on Saturday to take pictures and sign autographs. The fair runs from Sept. 22 to 24 at the Huntsville Agricultural Society Fairgrounds at 407 Ravenscliffe Rd. Nelson adds he hopes to have one of his sparring partners with him so he can go through a public training session.