MMA Preview – Gunnar Nelson vs Takashi Sato at UFC Fight Night 204
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
GUNNAR NELSON VS TAKASHI SATO FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 204? Saturday 19th March, 2022 - 18:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 204? The O2 Arena, London, England
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 204? Click here for the tickets at the O2 Arena
What channel is UFC Fight Night 204 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 204? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
GUNNAR NELSON VS TAKASHI SATO LOWDOWN
It has been far too long since we last saw Gunnar Nelson (17-5-1) in the octagon. Two and a half years in fact. The end of his hiatus is warmly welcomed by fans across the globe who have been waiting since December 2018 for a win. His last was a submission over Alex Oliveira after painting his face a new colour which came after that controversial loss to Santiago Ponzinnibio (2017) which occurred after an eye poke. He then took on two welterweight monsters in Leon Edwards (2019) who earnt the split decision and then Gilbert Burns (2019) who used every pound of his weight advantage to subdue Nelson for three rounds and pick up a unanimous decision.
Claudio Silva was lined up for Nelson’s return, however a knee injury forced him off the card. Thankfully, Takashi Sato (16-4) has stepped up on short notice. He did not fight last year either but got two bouts in 2020. He dusted off Jason Witt with a simple knockout which came after a submission loss to Belal Muhammad (2019). However, he then ran into Miguel Baeza who submitted him in the second round, so Sato is also yearning for that winning feeling again.
GUNNAR NELSON VS TAKASHI SATO PREDICTION
Sato is a late replacement, but this is still an exciting match-up although all Nelson’s fights seem to be. The Icelander will be giving up some weight and power which is not unusual for him, but he has all of the technique to make up for it.
Sato’s clear threat is his hands with lethal knockout power, so Nelson will have to shake off any ring rust and keep moving in his karate stance bouncing in and out of range. He has the movement and speed to cause Sato a lot of problems on the feet and he will be thankful that Sato is also a southpaw so his training will not have gone to waste.
That said, his path of least resistance will be getting the fight to the floor and looking for a submission. Sato has very good takedown defence with his judo base, but Nelson has some of the best jiu-jitsu in the division, so only needs one takedown especially as Sato has been submitted three times already in his career.
Nelson is the heavy favourite, but when you have been out the game for so long and fighting someone with one-punch knockout power, all the value is on Sato. Nonetheless, we expect Nelson to be sharp, prepared and ready to remind everyone of his multi-faceted skill set.
Prediction: Nelson via Submission - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Sato via KO/TKO
