With hip shakes to make Shakira envious, Gunnar Nelson moves in and out of shot, leading a troupe of dancers in a parody of Justin Bieber’s Sorry.
A year earlier, he donned a white ballerina’s outfit to re-enact Sia’s Chandelier but this time it is a yellow blazer and sunglasses combo that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a young Ray Charles.
The videos are hilarious but the high jinks filming them is a world away from the brutal nature of his day job; although the dance moves may suggest otherwise, Nelson is one of the slickest Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters in the UFC.
The tribute to Bieber was produced in conjunction with the Mjolnir MMA Gym in his native Iceland, with the welterweight happy to swap his Reebok briefs for more flamboyant attire when his friends come calling.
“This is something we do each year,” Nelson laughs as he explains the parodies to Sport360. “We pick a music video at the gym and remake it. It just happened to be Justin Bieber this time around, so it was enjoyable.”
Surprisingly, given the bombastic nature of the videos, Nelson is actually softly spoken, exuding a stereotypical Scandinavian cool that affirms his Icelandic roots.
It’s difficult for him to avoid the glitz and glamour, though. After all, Nelson’s sparring partner at the Straight Blast Gym in Dublin is one Conor McGregor.
“It’s great training with Conor,” said Nelson. “We’ve always got on really well and we are very good training partners. We bounce off each other very well.”
“He’s fun to be around; he has a lot of energy in the gym. I learn from him and always have done since we met all those years ago.”
McGregor may be UFC’s golden boy right now but Nelson’s record (14-2-1) is not one that should be taken lightly.
The Icelander lost last time out against Demian Maia and will be looking to put that right at UFC Fight Night 89 in May. It won’t be easy, though, with opponent Albert Tumenov (17-2) coming into the fight off the back of five consecutive wins – the Russian currently regarded as one of the top welterweights in the division.
“Albert is a tough opponent,” Nelson admits. “He’s a good striker, he’s aggressive and good with his hands and I’m looking forward to this challenge and to continue growing as a fighter.”
Renowned for his polished skills on the floor, Nelson has been preparing in Iceland for his upcoming battle, testing his mettle with fighters from Manchester and Dublin who have flown in to lend a hand.
“Training has been going very good. I’ve been able to prepare in Iceland for a change which is nice. “Sometimes we train twice a day. We do some round scrapping in the afternoon and some isolation and grappling on the feet, and some striking in the evening.
“I’m always training myself, staying ready and it’s just a continuous process and to keep learning new things. I don’t get ready for specific fights; I just ride on my game and keep fit.”
Three weeks before his fight in the Netherlands, he’ll travel back to the Irish capital where coach John Kavanagh will put the finishing touches to his training block.
The pair first met in Reykjavik eight years ago when Kavanagh was holding a training seminar at the Mjolnir MMA Gym. Nelson was in awe of the man’s knowledge and passion, and so followed him back to Dublin some weeks later.
Arriving in Dublin as a bright-eyed 19-year-old, Nelson has seen the Straight Blast Gym grow from strength to strength under the tutelage of Kavanagh.
“He’s been a huge influence,” said Nelson. “John was my first MMA coach. He’s got a great eye for the sport, and what works for his athletes. We have a very good relationship and he is excellent at spotting things that will fit well in to my game, sparring flaws and things to improve on. He’s my coach and always will be.”
Now comes one of the sternest tests Kavanagh and Nelson have faced; against Tumenov in Rotterdam, the Icelandic crooner will certainly need to be on song.
