Roy Nelson was born on June 20, 1976, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was also raised in the same city. So much information is lost concerning his personal life, especially his early family life, and information about his family members. We do know that Nelson had his high school education at the Cimarron-Memorial High School. His romance with athletics kicked off there as he was involved in the school’s baseball, football and wrestling programs.
When Nelson was fifteen, he joined up and started learning karate (Shaolin Kung Fu) under the legendary Ark Yuey Wong. There is no information about Roy Nelson’s college history but he worked with kids for seven years as a substitute teacher and volunteer for the after-school program in Clark County, Nevada. His ancestry and heritage are not known but he is an American by nationality and belongs to the white ethnicity.
Roy Nelson Career
Although Roy Nelson is widely known as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, he previously worked as a substitute teacher for seven years and also as a warehouse worker in 1999. Having gained considerable experience in karate in his teen years, Nelson began training again under UFC veteran John Lewis in 2000, but this time, in the combat sport, Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He also played rugby for two years (between 2002–2003) with the Las Vegas Blackjacks before he launched out to begin his MMA career in April 2004. His impressive record of 6 wins in seven fights contributed to the reasons he was snapped up by the International Fight League (IFL).
He became the IFL’s Heavyweight Champion in 2007 before they folded up. He moved on to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2010 where he continued to thrive. After his contract with UFC came to an end in 2017, he went on to sign with Bellator MMA as a fighter. His contract with Bellator MMA was a multi-fight contract and his first fight was on September 23, 2017, which he won by a unanimous decision against Javy Ayala.
Net Worth
It is widely reported across media platforms that Roy Nelson has not been treated fairly in terms of remunerations by the UFC. He is said to be worth much more than he has actually gotten from his fights down the road since he first signed up as a fighter. He is currently estimated to have a net worth of just half a million dollars ($500,000).
Who Is His Wife, Jess?
Roy Nelson is married to beautiful and robust Jess Nelson and they have been together in matrimony since 2009. Details of their relationship (how they met, when they got engaged, where they wedded, etc) are not known, but the lovely couple has a son together. The name of their son is Jax Nelson.
Nelson considers his family, especially his wife as his “personal hero” because according to him, she has supported him through the rough and dark patches he has had in his life and career. He has remained loyal and faithful to his wife and his family, despite his celebrity status. There has been no scandalous news to rock the couple’s love boat so far.
Height, Weight, Body Measurements
Nelson has a very inappropriate body shape for a fighter. Even though he is a very tall man at the height of 6 ft (183 cm), his body build does not sell him out as a player at first glance. His weight is put at 112 kg (246 lbs) which helps him get his job done in the ring. His other body measurements are unavailable and he has long brown hair and brown eyes.
Other Facts About Roy Nelson
One lesser-known fact about Roy Nelson is that the MMA fighter was awarded a Black Belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by master Renzo Gracie in 2009. He also has a Black Sash in Kung Fu.
Nelson put his knowledge of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to use when he competed at the Abu Dhabi Grappling Championships.
He has had a total of 37 fights in MMA and won 23. Of his 23 wins, 14 came by knockouts (KO), 5 came by submission, and 4 were by decision.
Nelson does not look like an athlete, much more like a fighter and he is said to have the biggest chin in MMA.
The pink boxing gloves which he always wears originally belonged to his wife, Jess, but he inherited the pair because they were too big for his wife.
Roy Nelson has an active social media following with a total of 534k followers across social media platforms sites such as Twitter and Instagram.
