UFC
Roy Nelson thinks Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has the jiu jitsu edge in their UFC Fight Night 39 main event
Mar 26, 2014 - 11:15:47 PM Roy Nelson thinks Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has the jiu jitsu edge in their UFC Fight Night 39 main event

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Into his fight with Daniel Cormier last October, Roy Nelson admitted that he'd had one of his worst fight camps ever. He ultimately didn't perform well against Cormier, losing his second straight decision, but in an interview on Wednesday's UFC Tonight program on Fox Sports 1, Nelson said things have gone much better this time around for his fight next month with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

"It's much better than my last one," Nelson said of his training camp. "There have been no illnesses for coaches or training partners. I'm looking forward to this one."

The fight itself with Nogueira pits two fighters with extensive jiu jitsu backgrounds against one another. However, Nelson said Nogueira's got the ground edge in this fight, while he'll be bringing the edge in power.

"Advantage-wise? Back in the day, I'd say I was an excellent jiu-jitsu guy, but I'm old," Nelson said. "I give him the advantage there, because he's the legend."

"I hit harder, so I always have an advantage [on the feet]. Look at Dan Hendo."

The two will fight on April 11 in the main event of UFC Fight Night 39 from Abu Dhabi, airing live in the U.S. on the UFC Fight Pass.

Penick's Analysis: Nelson certainly has the striking edge, and the chin edge as well as he's near impossible to stop. They're also fairly comparable on the ground, so it's hard to see Nogueira having enough of an edge there to give him too much trouble. It may come down to a striking battle there, and if that's the case, it's going to be an opportunity for Nelson to halt his losing streak.

[Roy Nelson art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]