Nathaniel Wood Is Ready To Turn It Up

“I was overdoing it, I think,” said Wood. “I’ve always looked at it as every training session has to be as brutal as it can be and I was trying to fit in three sessions every day. I was ticking the boxes and I was turning up and getting the sessions in, but I wasn’t really concentrating on honing my skill set. Since then, with my team, I’ve improved a lot more in the quality of my sessions. If anything, I’ve cut down the sessions, so it’s more about quality over quantity, and since then, I’ve been on an absolute tear. I feel like I’ve got the right coaches, the right pad men, the whole team behind me, and I think it’s just my confidence. I don’t over think things anymore. I’m just happy to be doing what I love for a living. There’s a lot worse things going on in the world than for me to worry about stepping into the Octagon. I just enjoy it. Do what you love, train hard, and when I turn up, just believe in my skill set.”

And he believes he can do what a Who’s Who of the flyweight and bantamweight divisions haven’t been able to:

Finish John Dodson.

Watch Wood on ESPN+

“If I’m honest, every fight I have, I always go in wanting to make a statement,” Wood said. “I’d rather the crowd come away and think, ‘Wow, what an entertaining fight that was,’ whether I won or lost, as opposed to, ‘That guy just dragged out a win,’ which I think Dodson’s known for. He’s not exactly the most exciting fighter sometimes; he can run a lot in the fight and not engage as much. So I’m hoping with it being his hometown, he’s gonna come at me and be more aggressive for this one. I think he’s gonna get a lot more excitement and adrenaline rush behind him and I think he’s gonna get daring. And, for me, that’s the style I like. I like the guys that come in and try and trade with me. And if he does what I think he’s gonna do, then I believe I’m gonna knock him out within two rounds.

“I’m on a mission to achieve my dreams and, unfortunately, Dodson’s the one standing in my way at the moment.”

For more information and updates, sign up for the UFC Newsletter here.