Back to the MMA Newsfeed

Gunnar Nelson on loss to Demian Maia: 'I didn't feel like I was in my own body'

The UFC 194 showdown between Demian Maia and Gunnar Nelson was one of the most highly anticipated MMA matchups between elite jiu-jitsu players in years.

But what was expected to be a breathtaking battle between two of the game's finest turned into a one-sided spectacle, as Maia, the salty veteran, took Nelson to school.

Maia relentlessly smothered Nelson in Las Vegas, earning a pair of 30-25s and a 30-26 in a unanimous decision.

With several months to digest what went down, Nelson says he simply didn't feel like himself on the night of Dec.