Gunnar Nelson had a successful return to the cage at UFC London where he beat Takashi Sato by a dominant unanimous decision. The win now gives him the opportunity to call his own shot and ask for who he wants next.

The win came after a very long layoff that saw Gunnar Nelson due his best to return from injury. His return at UFC London against Takashi Sato was an excellent performance and the Icelandic fighter felt very good.

“I felt good. I felt very good,” Nelson said at his UFC London post-fight news conference via MMAJunkie. “I’ve been saying this week even though I’ve been away for two and a half years, everything feels so familiar. It’s kind of like meeting an old friend after many, many years – it’s just the same. It’s just the same as it was before. … I really enjoyed it, and obviously I really enjoyed walking in from the crowd and getting this win tonight, for sure.”

Gunnar Nelson is hoping for a rematch against a familiar foe. Santiago Ponzinibbio is the person Nelson wants next after his big win at UFC London. The first fight between the two was very controversial back in 2017.

“Right now, I’m itching to get back in the gym, to be honest,” Nelson said. “There’s a few things in there I could feel fresh in my mind and my body is really fresh, so I feel like I could train tonight. There’s no injuries or nothing and I feel really fresh, so I’m looking forward to getting back in the gym and working.

“I don’t care (who I fight next), to be honest. Anyone. I’ve said that many times (I want to fight Ponzinibbio), and I’ll say it again. If I can pick, it would be him.”