LONDON is finally calling for the golden generation of British UFC fighters – but there’ll only be one Londoner competing on the card. The honour of representing the capital goes to a man who is no stranger to the hallowed walls of The O2 Arena, bantamweight prospect Nathaniel Wood. And nearly three years after fighting […]
LONDON is finally calling for the golden generation of British UFC fighters – but there’ll only be one Londoner competing on the card.
The honour of representing the capital goes to a man who is no stranger to the hallowed walls of The O2 Arena, bantamweight prospect Nathaniel Wood.
And nearly three years after fighting in his hometown for the first time as a UFC fighter, Wood is relishing the opportunity to ‘represent’ his hometown.
He told SunSport: “I can’t put it into words. Not only am I back after a long lay-off, but I’m also back in my hometown.
“I’ve done it before so I know the experience. It’s electric and it’s such a buzz in there.
“My last fight there was a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life. So to do that all over again, it’s a good feeling.”
Being the sole Londoner on a card dominated by England’s northern contingent isn’t a source of added pressure for The Prospect.
He continued: “I’m the only Londoner on the card, so I’m looking to represent my hometown and put on a performance for the crowd.”
Team GB’s Wood, 28, goes into his first outing of the year on the back of a decision defeat to fellow divisional prospect Casey Kenney in October 2020.
But his stock rose tremendously with the barnburner of a fight he and Kenny turned in on the historic UFC 254 card in Abu Dhabi.
He said: “Dana White [gave] a round of applause after the fight and I got [a] Fight of the Night [bonus], so that always helps soften the blow.
“I did think I did enough in that last round [to win].
“And in my head, I was trying to play it safe because I did think I did enough to get the result.
“Obviously I was gutted that it didn’t go my way, but you win some and lose some.
“We just have to get on with it and go back to the drawing board, become a better fighter and spend some of that bonus money.”
Wood’s time on the sidelines has in large part been down to a broken hand, which he insists he’ll have no reservations about throwing once the adrenaline starts pumping on fight night.
He said: “Once that adrenaline rush comes in and once I’ve had the Brad Pickett slaps before the fight, I won’t even feel that hand if it goes in the fight.
“So you best believe I’m gonna be trying to knock him out with it.”
Standing between Wood and a return to the win column is UFC rookie Liudvik Sholinian, who is chasing his first victory inside the octagon following a debut defeat to Jack Shore last September.
Sholinian’s tenacity in his ill-fated attempt to hand Shore his first loss impressed Wood, who is confident of seeing off whatever problems the Ukrainian presents him.
He said: “If he comes in with the intentions of having the Fight of the Night, I reckon we could pick that up very easily.
“But I’m going to be comfortable wherever the fight goes. If he tries to take me down, I think I’m gonna submit him before it hits the floor.
“So I’m excited to see how the fight goes and I’m excited to get to work.”
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