| Celebrated Name: | Roy Nelson |
| Real Name/Full Name: | Roy Nelson |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 45 years old |
| Birth Date: | 20 June 1976 |
| Birth Place: | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 1.83 M |
| Weight: | 112 Kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Wife: | Jess Nelson (m, 2009) |
| Children: | Yes (Jackson) |
| Dating: | N/A |
| Is Roy Nelson Gay?: | No |
| Profession: | Mixed Martial Artist |
| Salary: | … |
| Net Worth in 2024: | $800 Thousand |
| Last Updated: | December 2024 |
Roy Nelson is a popular American mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to the MMA promotion, Bellator MMA, where he competes in the Heavyweight division. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and has previously competed for promotions like UFC, EliteXC, the IFL, and BodogFIGHT. He is the former IFL Heavyweight Champion competing under Ken Shamrock and the Lion’s Den.
Maybe you know about Roy Nelson very well, but do you know how old and tall is he and what is his net worth in 2024? If you do not know, we have prepared this article about details of Roy Nelson’s short biography-wiki, career, professional life, personal life, today’s net worth, age, height, weight, and more facts. Well, if you’re ready, let’s start.
Early Life & Biography
Roy Nelson was born on the 20th of June 1976 in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. When it comes to his education, and he had attended Cimarron-Memorial High School, where he used to compete in wrestling, football, and baseball. He trained in karate briefly before shifting his focus to training in Ark Wong’s Ng Ga Kuen Shaolin Kung Fu when he was just 15 years old.
He worked as a warehouse worker in 1999 for a brief period. In the following year, he began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under UFC veteran John Lewis in 2000. He earned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu on the 26th of August 2009, which was presented to him long-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu teacher, Renzo Gracie.
Personal Life
Roy Nelson got married to Jess Nelson in 2009, and together, they have a son, Jackson. Roy’s nickname is “Big Country” came from his initial years in MMA, when his training partners that he was from some remarkable wrestling state like Iowa or Oklahoma.
Age, Height, and Weight
Being born on 20 June 1976, Roy Nelson is 45 years old as of today’s date 29th December 2024. His height is 1.83 M tall, and his weight is 112 kg.
Career
Before beginning his professional career, Roy Nelson used to play rugby for the Las Vegas Blackjacks for the 2002 and the 2003 season. He made his professional MMA debut on the 17th of April 2000 at the Rage on the River Heavyweight Tournament, where he won both of his fights and was declared the winner. His record read 6-1 before being signed by IFL (International Fight League).
In the IFL, he was a member of MMA legend, Ken Shamrock’s Lion’s Den, and he made his debut at IFL: Oakland on 19 January 2007 against veteran fighter Vince Lucero. He won the fight in the first round itself by TKO. He became the Heavyweight Champion at the 2007 IFL World Grand Prix by defeating Antoine Jaoude on the 29th of December 2007. He successfully defended his title twice, before IFL shut down its operations. He then went to a fight with EliteXC and Square Ring Promotions, which he both lost.
He then competed in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, as was one of the 16 fighters in the competition. He has also done commentary on the show for different websites and also a blog for SpikeTV.com. In his first fight on the show, he defeated Kimbo Slice via TKO, and the fight garnered upwards of 6 Million views. After winning the next two fights, he defeated Brendan Schaub in the finals to become the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and earn a six-figure contract with the UFC.
Although he did defeat Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 21 on 31st of March 2010, he lost his next couple of fights with Junior dos Santos and Frank Mir at UFC 117 and UFC 130, respectively. He returned to his winning ways on the 29th of October 2011 at UFC 137 when he defeated Mirko Cro Cop via TKO. He earned Knockout of the Night honors when he knocked out Dave Herman in 51 seconds on 26th of May 2012 at UFC 146.
His next notable performance came against Matt Mitrione at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale, when he defeated Matt via TKO in the first round itself. His win against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on 11th of April 2014 at UFC Fight Night 39 earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award. He has also worked as a coach on the Road to UFC Japan.
In May of 2017, his contract with the UFC expired, and he signed with Bellator MMA. In his debut fight for the promotion, he defeated Javy Ayala at Bellator 183 on the 23rd of September 2017. His most recent fight took place against Mirko Cro Cop on the 16th of February 2019 at Bellator 216, which he lost by unanimous decision.
Awards & Achievements
Here is a list covering some of the Awards and Achievements earned by Roy Nelson:
- He became the IFL Heavyweight Champion at the 2007 IFL World Grand Prix by defeating Antoine Jaoude on the 29th of December 2007.
- In his first fight on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights, he defeated Kimbo Slice via TKO, and the fight garnered upwards of 6 Million views.
- He defeated Brendan Schaub to become the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.
- He was able to knock out Dave Herman in 51 seconds on 26th of May 2012 at UFC 146 for which he earned Knockout of the Night honors.
Net Worth & Salary of Roy Nelson in 2024
As of December 2024, Roy Nelson has gathered a net worth of $800 Thousand. He has gathered most of his earnings from his acting career. Before his MMA career, he has played rugby for the Las Vegas Blackjacks for the 2002 and the 2003 season. He has also worked as a warehouse worker for a brief period. He is a former IFL Heavyweight Champion, and his performances in the UFC against opponents like Fabrício Werdum and Dave Herman have landed him the Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night honors respectively.
Roy Nelson has performed for different elite levels organizations like Bellator MMA, UFC, and IFL and has given some amazing moments. He has been a rugby player and has even worked as a warehouse worker in the past. One lesson which we can all take from his life is the attitude to keep doing our best in every situation. Here’s wishing him the best of luck for all his future endeavors and hope he keeps entertaining us like he always has.