Nine fights into his UFC career, Gunnar Nelson is ready to take the next big step to a welterweight title shot.
"Gunni" currently sits at the No. 9 spot in the official rankings on the strength of a 7-2 record that includes six wins by submission. He turns 29 this year and is now searching for a top-three opponent to elevate himself, naming No. 1 Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson and former champion Robbie Lawler as potential opponents.
"I would love to fight Wonderboy. That's a fight people seem to want to see," Nelson told Damon Martin of FOX Sports. "That's the fight that's most hyped up right now. A fight with him, a good win over Wonderboy would be huge for my career. I would love that but as I said, I would fight any of them.
"Robbie Lawler is a big one as well. Any of them guys. To be honest, I understand that I could fight Robbie or Wonderboy and it would skip some steps to get that money and the gold and I like that idea. But ultimately, I believe I will fight all those guys. In what order is not the most important thing to me."
A matchup with Wonderboy was first posited by Nelson's coach John Kavanagh, who tweeted out a screenshot from "The Karate Kid" to suggest a clash between two of the UFC's most well-known karatekas.
Lawler has been taking time off since losing the welterweight title to Tyron Woodley last July. He has given no indication of who he plans to fight next, but like Nelson, he has rarely shown a propensity for handpicking opponents.
Nelson most recently fought at UFC Fight Night 107 in London, defeating Alan Jouban by second-round submission.
