Two of the UFC welterweight division’s most seasoned veterans are set to clash at UFC 318, as Neil Magny and Gunnar Nelson bring a combined 50 UFC appearances into the octagon on July 19. The bout will take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, adding even more depth to a card already headlined by the high-stakes BMF title showdown between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway.
For Magny, this marks his 35th UFC appearance — a testament to his longevity and consistency in the sport. He enters this bout looking to rebound after suffering consecutive first-round knockout losses to Michael Morales and Carlos Prates. Prior to those setbacks, Magny kicked off 2024 with an impressive comeback TKO victory over Mike Malott at UFC 297. However, his recent form has been inconsistent, alternating wins and losses over his last seven outings.
Nelson, meanwhile, is making his second appearance of the year — something he hasn’t done since 2019. The Icelandic grappling specialist saw his recent two-fight win streak halted in a competitive decision loss to Kevin Holland at UFC London in March. Before that, “Gunni” secured a slick submission victory over Bryan Barberena and earned a dominant decision win against Takashi Sato, proving he remains a dangerous threat on the ground.
This high-level welterweight matchup joins an already stacked UFC 318 lineup, which features a mix of ranked contenders and rising prospects. The event will be headlined by the trilogy bout between BMF champion Max Holloway and former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier, marking Poirier’s final UFC appearance.
UFC 318 Main Event:
- BMF Title Fight: Max Holloway (c) vs. Dustin Poirier
Confirmed Bouts on the UFC 318 Card:
- Middleweight: Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen
- Welterweight: Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov
- Strawweight: Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci
- Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov vs. Brunno Ferreira
- Welterweight: Neil Magny vs. Gunnar Nelson
Note: The bout order and number of fights for UFC 318 are subject to change.
