D-Rod: I’m Fighting ‘Gunni’ At UFC 286

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is working on a pivotal welterweight matchup between Daniel Rodriguez and Gunnar Nelson for the upcoming UFC 286 pay-per-view (PPV) event, recently made official for Sat., March 18, 2022 at The O2 Arena in London, England.

Rodriguez announced the fight through his Instagram stories on Wednesday.

“D-Rod” dropped to 17-3 with a submission loss to welterweight veteran Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 64 last November, just the second UFC loss for the Californian since making his Octagon debut back in early 2020.

Nelson (18-5-1) spent more than two years on the sidelines dealing with injuries before making his triumphant return — and snapping a two-fight losing streak — by outworking Takashi Sato at UFC London last March.

UFC 286 does not yet have an official main event, but reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards is expected to defend his 170-pound title. It’s just a question of whether or not Kamaru Usman will be healthy enough to run it back by the time March rolls around.

Expect more UFC 286 fight card announcements in the coming weeks.