Roy Nelson Discusses Sergei Kharitonov, Wants An Eventual Rubber Match With Mitrione

Roy Nelson has some serious history with fellow Bellator MMA heavyweight Matt Mitrione. They have fought two times, with “Big Country” finishing “Meathead” with first-round strikes in 2012 under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner and Mitrione winning a decision in their rematch at Bellator 194 this February.

The loss at Bellator 194 eliminated Nelson from Bellator’s ongoing heavyweight grand prix. Nelson is currently preparing to face Sergei Kharitonov at Bellator 207 on Oct. 12., the same event where Mitrione will have his semifinal fight against Ryan Bader.

“Sergei is a tough guy, he definitely comes to fight,” Nelson told Sherdog.com. “He’s knocked out Andrei Arlovski, [Alistair] Overeem, he’s defeated Fabricio Werdum. That’s why I like Pride FC fighters, and Sergei will be a good fight.”

While Nelson clearly respects the challenge presented by the Russian veteran, he already has a master plan in place should he prove victorious. Any and all career paths after the Kharitonov fight lead to Mitrione.

“The ideal scenario is I beat Kharitonov, beat Cro Cop and then fight Matt,” Nelson said, “Especially if he wins the tournament and holds the [Bellator heavyweight] belt. But no matter what, I want a third fight with him.”

Nelson and Mitrione have history dating back to at least 2010, when they were contestants on Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The two had yet to compete for the promotion -- in fact, Mitrione didn’t even have a single professional fight under his belt at the time -- and although they didn’t fight each other during the show, the two would end up fighting just two years later, with Mitrione replacing an injured Shane Carwin on short notice.

Nelson became the first man to finish “Meathead” with strikes, ending Mitrione’s night with an uppercut combination that floored his fellow “TUF” competitor. Years later, both men found themselves in Bellator’s relatively shallow heavyweight division, and a rematch was inevitable. Mitrione avenged his loss to Nelson with a narrow decision victory.

The winner of the Mitrione vs. Bader match will advance to the finals, where he will fight the winner of the other semifinal between Fedor Emelianenko and Chael Sonnen. The finals winner will be declared Bellator heavyweight champion and awarded the belt that has been without an owner since Vitaly Minakov was stripped of the title for inactivity in 2016.

While he is out of the tournament itself, “Big Country” knows that an emphatic win over Kharitonov could put him right in the mix for a title shot against whoever emerges with the belt. Nelson hopes it’s around Mitrione’s waist when the time comes.

“We still have unfinished business,” Nelson said. “He said a lot of crap after our second fight [accusing Nelson of cheating], which I thought I won anyway. If he really wants to say he beat me, he’s gotta prove it better than [the second fight].”