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Timeline of Gunnar Nelson's Decline from Next Big Thing to UFC Afterthought

Gunnar Nelson returns after more than a year away from the UFC’s Octagon. The last time fans saw him, he was knocked out. It’s not the lasting image he had hoped to leave fans with, and the ramifications have been that fans have forgotten about his place in the division.

Returning from the knockout, and subsequent knee injury is a tall order.

Nelson’s fight with Alex Oliveira on Saturday at UFC 231 may set the stage for his reintroduction to the audience at large, but due to how his career has played out in the UFC it may need to be a lengthy worldwide tour.