LONDON is calling for the golden generation British UFC fighters. But there will only be one Londoner competing at the card.
The honor of representing the capital goes out to Nathaniel Wood, bantamweight prospect.
On March 19, the UFC will return to London
Wood, nearly three years after he fought in his hometown as a UFC fighter for the first time, is now relishing the chance to'represent" his hometown.
SunSport spoke with him, "It's hard to put it into words." After a long absence, I am back and I'm back in my hometown.
"I have done it before so I am familiar with the experience. It's electric, and there's a great buzz.
"My last fight was one I will remember for the rest my life." It's great to be able to do it again.
The Prospect doesn't feel any extra pressure to be the only Londoner on a card that is dominated by England’s northern contingent.
He said, "I'm London's only cardholder. I want to represent my city and perform for the crowd."
Wood of Team GB, 28 years old, makes his debut of the year after suffering a defeat to Casey Kenney, a fellow divisional prospect in October 2020.
His stock rose enormously after the spectacular UFC 254 fight that he and Kenny won in Abu Dhabi.
He stated that Dana White gave him a round of applause following the fight, and I received a Fight of the Night [bonus], which helps to soften the blow.
"I thought I had done enough in the last round [to win]
"And in my mind, I was trying play it safe because i did believe I did enough to achieve the result.
"Obviously, I was disappointed that it didn’t go my way. But you win some and you lose some.
"We just need to keep going and get back to the drawing board. We can become a better fighter, and we can spend some of the bonus money."
Wood has been on the sidelines for a lot of time due to a broken hand. He insists that he will throw once adrenaline kicks in on fight night.
He stated that once the adrenaline rush has come in and I have had Brad Pickett slaps prior to the fight, that's when I won't feel the hand that goes in the fight.
"So, you can be sure that I'm going to try to knock him out with it."
Wood is now in danger of losing his win column. UFC rookie Liudvik Stolinian is the one standing between Wood and victory. He lost to Jack Shore last September, making it his first defeat inside the UFC.
Wood was impressed by Sholinian's persistence in his failed attempt to give Shore his first loss. He is confident that he will overcome any problems that the Ukrainian may present.
He stated that if he came in with the intention of having the Fight of the Night he could easily pick it up.
"But I'm going be comfortable wherever the fight takes me down. If he attempts to take me down I believe I will submit him before it hits his floor.
"So, I'm excited for how the fight goes, and I'm excited get to work."
TICKETS TO UFC FIGHT NIGHT(r), VOLKOV vs. ASPINALL, are still available via AXS or Ticketmaster. Register your interest at UFC.com/London to stay informed about the latest tickets.
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