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Video: Gunnar Nelson Grapples Actor, Strongman ‘The Mountain’ Hafthor Bjornsson

Ben Coate

We have all heard it thousands of times: in jiu-jitsu, technique beats size. But does that hold true against one of the biggest and strongest men walking the planet today. That question was put to the test in a recent video in which two-time ADCC veteran and current UFC fighter Gunnar Nelson agreed to grapple with “The Mountain” Hafthor Bjornsson.

Check out the video below from The Mountain’s YouTube channel.

In the video, we see the relatively predictable results: Nelson is able to control, sweep, and generally dominate The Mountain. Despite his massive size disadvantage, Nelson uses his elite grappling pedigree to get the better of the inexperienced and humongous Bjornsson.

Gunnar Nelson is a black belt under Renzo Gracie and is a Pans gi and no-gi champion, and competed in the 2009 and 2011 ADCCs. He joined the UFC in 2012, and since then he has earned a record of 8-5. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak, dropping decisions to top welterweight contenders Leon Edwards and Gilbert Burns.

Hafthor Bjornsson is likely best known for playing Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on HBO’s Game of Thrones. He is 6’8″ and weighs well over 300 pounds, and has a long history in strongman competitions. In 2019, Bjornsson won the World’s Strongest Man competition.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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