Kyle Nelson couldn’t be happier with how UFC 289 played out.
The Octagon returned to Canada for the first time since 2019 on June 10, as the promotion headed to Vancouver for UFC 289. On the card were five Canadians – six if you include Diana Belbita calling Canada home – but several, including Kyle Nelson were The underdogs bet.
However, even though Nelson was the underdog, he was confident that he would be able to hand Blake Builder his first loss.
“I understand Blake’s style and I understand my own style,” Nelson told BJPENN.com. “I understand these things more than bookies or people who squabble. I’ve improved in terms of skills but what I feel in octagonI’ve grown up and I’m fighting a guy like Blake, I knew he would let me show my skill set and once I can show my skill set there aren’t many guys that can give me trouble.”
In the fight, Kyle Nelson used leg kicks to slow Builder down and proved himself to be the much better striker. When the fight went to the scorecards, Nelson knew he would be the one to raise his hand.
“I was 100 percent confident in the decision that I won. I know in the Herbert game, I was sure I won, but it was close, being the guest man and the last fight, with points deducted I thought I would get it,” said Nelson. Even so, there was no doubt in my mind that I had won this battle. The only way this fight could have been improved was if she could land a quick knockout. But with this win, I was able to answer a lot of questions about my cardiology.”
Not only did Kyle Nelson win — in what he calls the best performance of his career — but every Canadian on the card won, as they went combined 5-0. With the arena sold out and every Canadian winning, Nelson believes they have forced the UFC back to Canada this year and is hopeful that Toronto will get a pay-per-view event again in the very near future.
“I can’t ask for much better than that, obviously Toronto is going to be great, but I imagine they will be back soon. But we all laugh and have great wins, we have a lot of Canadians now,” added Nelson. “Mike Malott looks like a star of the future, and Jasmine Jasodavicius is top 15 right now, and that’s making Canadian fans even more hungry to get the UFC back soon. The way the event went and we got a clean sweep made it hard for the UFC not to come back to Canada this year. We’re building some superstars and they have to strike while the iron is hot.”
Although Nelson has done the job and handed Builder his first career loss, he isn’t sure what the win will do for him. Instead, he says all he cares about is getting active and starting to piece together some wins.
“I just want to fight again; I’d like to fight at least once or twice this year. So, whoever the UFC is giving me, I’m fine with that.” Hopefully I’ll be back in a couple of months, Nelson concluded.