It’s fight week, everyone, and as always, another handful of prospects are getting introduced to the masses. Among them is the athletic striker from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada: Mr. Cam Nelson. Niagara Top Team has been at the forefront of revitalizing Canadian MMA. Gym standouts Mike Malott and Jasmine Jasudavicius have become bona fide contenders in the UFC. Now, a year after unbeaten teammate Cody Chovancek earned his way into the UFC via the Contender Series, Cam Nelson has gotten the call to make his debut in hostile territory. He hopes to come away with a lot more people knowing his name.
Part of the MMA boom brought on by COVID, Cam Nelson has been training for a little over five years. He wasn’t just a kid off of the couch, though, as he followed country tradition by playing hockey all the way through juniors, where he wasn’t a stranger to a brawl. After hockey was shut down because of the pandemic, he transitioned to training in the octagon. He said it was “something he always knew he wanted to try”. Nelson started at, and still trains part-time at, Rezno Gracie BJJ on Prince Edward Island. The Island is famously Canada’s smallest province. He was mentored and trained by the late Canadian legend Matt MacGrath.
At 28, Nelson still has time to develop into a dangerous UFC fighter. However, it’s safe to say he will still be learning on the job, having not grown up on the mats or in MMA gyms. His athleticism has carried him this far, but does he have what it takes to start out in the UFC with a win?
Fighter Breakdown
Cam Nelson is a finisher, with 5 of his 8 pro fights and all three of his amateur fights ending in a stoppage. His one loss was via split decision, so there’s likely a case to be made he should still be unbeaten. His road has been rather easy on paper. He has one singular solid win against 20-fight veteran Luis Guerrero. The rest of his wins come against fairly inexperienced fighters like himself. Even against Guerrero, Nelson held an advantage due to a large size discrepancy. Therefore, in my opinion, he hasn’t faced nearly good enough competition to earn the UFC call.
Nelson is a measured fighter, keeping his range well and throwing out constant feeler jabs. His striking defense is good; he keeps his hands up well and is particularly good against looping hooks and high kicks. I can see something straight down the pipe giving him problems, because he doesn’t have great head movement. His footwork is technically sound given his level of experience. However, he could do a better job at cutting off the cage. He has a tendency to simply follow his opponents.
He throws a lot of front kicks, which I like, but it does leave him open to counters. His striking isn’t flashy or complex, but he has good pop to his punches and often hits first when he and his opponent throw at the same time. He has a good frame, and at times looks similar to his teammate Malott. Things start to get a bit sloppy in extended pocket exchanges. However, so far his power has allowed him to get the best of those. I like that he is willing to bite down on his mouth guard and throw hands. While he has never shown a desire for takedowns, he has dropped an opponent in almost every fight. Therefore, things usually will end up on the ground.
On the ground, Nelson has earned three finishes by rear-naked choke. When things do hit the mat, he has shown great urgency with his ground and pound. It has more than made up for his so-so top control. His ground and pound is relentless, and it opens up his opponents so he can find room to lock in a choke. I wouldn’t call his jiu jitsu “slick”, but he has good strength, and it gives him a tight grip and a good squeeze. Before taking his first amateur fight, Nelson competed in many grappling competitions. Therefore, it stands to reason there is more in his bag than what his limited tape shows.
Overall, Nelson is one of the bigger question marks I’ve film-studied in a while. I have only been able to scrub up three of his fights, but he has looked good against low-level competition. His ceiling is a bit of an unknown, and prospect experts and casual fans alike will be learning a lot come Saturday in China.
His Debut Against Meng Ding
Nelson is debuting against the 31-year-old Chinese welterweight Meng Ding. Ding made his UFC debut earlier this year, and in my opinion, should’ve taken home the victory. Ding showed he’s incredibly tough and durable in his fight with the giant Jose Souza. Turning the tables, Ding will have the height and reach advantage here, and I expect him to make good use of it.
Ding has five times the amount of fights as Cam Nelson. I think it will show. Nelson doesn’t present any tools that Ding hasn’t seen. Conversely, the number of strikes coming back towards Cam will be unlike anything he has ever experienced. It’s hard to practice for that kind of firefight. While Nelson has the physical talents and the pop to find the finish early, I think Ding proves too durable for him. He will take Nelson into uncharted territory and is live for the finish late in the fight.
With no disrespect to Nelson, the -140 fight line for Ding should be a little closer to -180. Nelson is a live dog, with definite upside. Sadly, he is too much of an unknown commodity to feel comfortable about him picking up the win here. I will be rooting for Nelson now and into the future. I hope he proves me wrong, because his floor is very low and his ceiling is high. If he is the type of fighter that thrives under the pressure of the bright lights, then Canada may very well have another stalwart on their hands.
