Gunnar Nelson has unfortunately had another fight canceled from his schedule.
The experienced 18-year professional fighter, who has faced numerous bout changes throughout his career, announced on Thursday that he has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming fight against Neil Magny at UFC 318. The reason for the withdrawal is a hamstring injury. Nelson shared the news via an Instagram post, confirming an earlier report by Octagon Update.
Nelson explained the nature of the injury without going into excessive detail, stating it is a two-part issue. He mentioned a Grade 2b tear in one of the hamstring muscles, which he noted was not overly severe and potentially something they could have managed.
However, the more significant problem is a full-thickness, Grade 4c tear in the tendon located inside the muscle. Nelson described this as a more serious injury, rendering him “absolutely useless” for any type of grappling scenarios. He is currently unable to wrestle, grapple, or kick. He estimated that it would take at least another eight weeks before he could comfortably return to full-speed grappling training.
The 36-year-old Nelson is coming off a decision loss to Kevin Holland in March. This marked only his third appearance in the Octagon since 2022. The loss ended a two-fight winning streak for Nelson, bringing his official UFC record to 10 wins and 6 losses.
It is currently unknown if Neil Magny will be given a replacement opponent for the UFC 318 event or if his fight with Nelson will be rescheduled for a later date. Despite the setback, Nelson expressed hope that he will be able to compete again before the end of 2025.
On a positive note, Nelson confirmed that he will not require surgery for the injury. His plan is to be ready to fight again by the end of the year. He is optimistic about his recovery progress and believes he should be back in fighting shape within a few months.
UFC 318 is set to take place on July 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The event`s main attraction is a trilogy bout between “BMF” champion Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier, which is anticipated to be the final fight of Poirier’s professional career.
