Nelson’s Injury Redirected Neil Magny Toward a Las Vegas
Neil Magny’s scheduled fight with Gunnar Nelson at UFC 318 changed after Nelson withdrew through injury. The UFC announced the adjustment on July 14, 2025, moving Magny from the New Orleans card to a different welterweight assignment in Las Vegas.
| Fighter | Neil Magny | Gunnar Nelson |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 29-13 | 19-6-1 |
| Height | 6’3″ | 5’11” |
| Reach | 80″ | 72″ |
| Age | 37 | 36 |
| UFC Ranking | #27 Welterweight | #25 Welterweight |
| Gym | Elevation Fight Team | Mjölnir Gym |
The original booking fell through
Magny and Nelson had been included in the promotion’s announced UFC 318 lineup for July 19 at Smoothie King Center. Nelson’s injury meant their proposed meeting did not take place.
Rather than finding an immediate New Orleans replacement, the UFC paired Magny with Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos for its August 2 event at UFC Apex. The change supplied both a new opponent and a new date.
A difficult start preceded the response
When Magny and dos Santos eventually fought, Magny fell behind and spent a substantial part of the second round defending from underneath. He needed to escape before he could mount a sustained response.
After recovering to his feet, Magny attacked with knees to the head. He then brought dos Santos down, reached back mount and delivered punches until the referee intervened.
The replacement assignment ended in a stoppage win
The official result was a TKO for Magny at 4:39 of the second round. It completed a successful turnaround after the original Nelson booking had disappeared from the schedule.
The sequence connected two different events: the canceled UFC 318 matchup and the completed Las Vegas contest. Magny’s actual victory came against dos Santos, with the finish earned after an important mid-fight recovery.
Sources
- UFC: Nelson injury, original booking and Magny’s reassignment
- UFC: initially announced Magny–Nelson matchup
- UFC: comeback, knees, back mount and 4:39 second-round finish
