Roy Nelson Delivers Jumping, Spinning Kicks Like Only ‘Big Country’ Can

Roy Nelson likes to put on a show for the crowd at UFC open workouts. It’s fun. There’s no reason to be serious, and Nelson is rarely serious. He’s also rarely a kicker, and despite being a fan of his for years, I can’t think of any time I’ve ever seen the mulleted heavyweight leave his feet. So yeah, this is…this is something. Impressive, yes. Impressive. Especially for the 40-year-old who primarily uses his heavy hands and his jiu jitsu in the cage exclusively.

Nelson is fighting the monstrous Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 90 on Fight Pass Thursday night, which kicks off the UFC’s International Fight Week extravaganza. Lewis has 15 wins and 14 knockouts, whereas Nelson has 21 wins, 14 knockouts, and historically the best chin in MMA, so this is going to be a barn burner. Whether Nelson has the courage to actually pull off this wild spinning kick is a completely different question. Who knows — maybe Lewis will be so caught off guard by Nelson lifting his legs in a fight that it lands. If that happened, and Nelson finishes the “Black Beast,” it may go down as one of the greatest KOs in history.

One can dream. Oh, one can dream. Now let’s watch this replay forever and ever.