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What did Roy Nelson's stoppage of Matt Mitrione at the TUF 16 Finale mean for him? Did he make a statement, or is he in the same spot in the division as he was previously?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Come on, mang. There was only one way Nelson vs. Mitrione was ever going to play out. I really like Mitrione, but he wasn't going to knock Nelson out, he wasn't going to play on the ground with Nelson, and he wasn't going to avoid the Nelson killshot for 15 minutes. A whole lot of sound and fury that signifies exactly bupkis. Go ahead and put Nelson in with Velasquez, dos Santos, or Overeem and get your popcorn, because they'll hit Nelson so hard and so often that the hair on his face will voluntarily fall off of his own face just to avoid the punishment an elite fighter will do to him.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
It meant he's an extremely out of shape fighter with a piss poor attitude and heavy hands, all the same things we knew before hand. I commend him for using the VADA process to prove he's a clean fighter... unless we can prove that ice cream sundaes and big mac's are performance enhancers, that is. Nelson is in the same place, he beat a guy we all knew he could beat, but he will continue to be the gatekeeper. He's not a championship caliber fighter nor will he likely ever be, his chin is his biggest credit, and his hands are a good second. He's in the same spot, either on the lower end of the top 10 or just below it, and he's not going to move up unless he beats a truly elite fighter. He's not my favorite fighter, but he is exciting to watch.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Roy is essentially in the same spot in the heavyweight division as he was before. Mitrione wasn't a step up for him, but Roy's a good fighter. He deserves a chance to earn a title shot. Roy's a crafty veteran so he might be able to pull the upset on a lot of fighters, especially if they overlook him due to his appearance.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
What did Roy Nelson accomplish by beating a not in the top 20 Matt Mitrione? Absolutely nothing. I am still perplexed and disappointed in the selection of Mitrione. It was a horrible choice and means nothing for Nelson. If he had lost, it would have been a devastating blow to his career. Nelson did come in 20 or 30 pounds lighter for this fight and I think that shows he is taking his training more seriously. I think he could easily fight at light heavyweight and beat several of the top ten fighters in the division. Remember, he is only six feet tall and has a medium build. At 36 years old, he is approaching the end of his career and he needs to make his run immediately if he wants to challenge for UFC gold. His best shot will be at light heavyweight, but he can still have a few big fights at heavyweight if he continues to take his MMA career and training more seriously.
DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR
That win did absolutely nothing for him. When it was announced that Mitrione was stepping in for Shane Carwin; the opportunity for further enhancement in the Heavyweight division ended there and then. Everyone expected him to beat Meathead comfortably, and he did exactly that. I'm certainly no more convinced that Nelson will provide stiff competition for the upper echelon fighters. He's a rear end top 10-15 fighter, no more, no less.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
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