Exclusive: Kyle Nelson Reflects on Controversial Win at UFC Vancouver and His Permanent Move to Lightweight

UFC lightweight Kyle Nelson recently shared his thoughts on his triumphant return to the lightweight division at UFC Vancouver. 

Nelson intends to stay at lightweight permanently and is eager to work his way up the rankings. 

In an exclusive conversation, Nelson opened up about the controversial ending to the opening round of his fight with Matt Frevola and his preparations for the fight.

‘The Monster’ also provided insight into the development of Canadian MMA and how he balances training young aspiring martial artists at his gym in Muskoka, Ontario, with his own career. 

At UFC Vancouver, Nelson dropped Frevola towards the end of the first round, following up with ground strikes.

It seemed like he was on the verge of a TKO victory, but that didn’t happen. The bell sounded, and referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to inform Nelson that the round was over rather than the fight being stopped. 

“I had some people message me that there were 10 or 12 unanswered punches in a row. [Frevola] kind of had turned away, his eyes rolled back,” Nelson told SportsBoom.com. 

“I thought for sure that the fight was over. So, I was just trying to land as many shots as possible so the referee could see that he wasn’t intelligently defending himself and step in to stop the fight.”

The situation caused plenty of confusion as Nelson should have been awarded a TKO victory based on the unanswered shots. The fight continued, and he went on to secure a unanimous decision win. 

“I haven’t really talked to Dan or the UFC really much about it. After the fight, they kind of rush you back because you gotta see the doctor and with the win, there’s the media stuff.” 

“I haven’t actually talked directly with anybody really after the fight,” he added.

A LIGHTWEIGHT RETURN WAS ALWAYS INEVITABLE

Nelson confirmed that his return to lightweight at UFC Vancouver wasn’t a one off, but rather an inevitable move. Now 34, ‘The Monster’ had found it increasingly difficult to cut down to 145-pounds to compete at featherweight. 

Moving up to 155-pounds has allowed Nelson to focus more on his training rather than the taxing process of cutting weight after being on a strict diet. He revealed that his performances were being impacted by his weight cuts, and he felt it was the right time to make the change.

“[My team and I] knew at some point I’m probably going to have to move up to 155-pounds, especially as I got older and added a bit more muscle mass,” Nelson told SportsBoom.com. 

“It was starting to take a little too much out of my performance. After the last fight, I took some time off and made sure I built up to a proper 155-pounder.” 

Nelson felt rejuvenated without the burden of cutting those extra 10 pounds. He experienced significant improvements in his nutrition, recovery, and overall performance. 

“I was able to eat more, my training was so much smoother. I had energy to train.”

“At [lightweight] I feel like I’m going in and I’m not malnourished, I’m a lot better fueled, and I think we’re going to see me even improve on this last fight,” he added. 

GIVING BACK TO CANADIAN MMA

In addition to his UFC career, Nelson opened up about giving back to Canadian MMA through his gym in Muskoka, Ontario, where he trains kids in his local area. 

For Nelson, finding the right balance has allowed him to become an important mentor to his students. ‘The Monster’ expressed joy for being able to train aspiring martial artists and noted how gratifying it has been.

“I love coaching, especially the kids. It’s great working with them all the time. We got a lot of talent coming up in Muskoka,” Nelson said. 

“It’s definitely an exciting time for me. Coaching’s been great. It’s always a balancing act between my career and coaching, but I feel like I kind of found the right balance now,” he concluded.