NATHANIEL WOOD is willing to give up his dream of becoming a UFC champion to ensure he’s around physically, and mentally, to see his kids grow up.
The GB Top Team standout has been a mainstay on the UFC roster since graduating from feeder league Cage Warriors back in 2018.
Wood has experienced it all inside the octagon, which he initially graced as a bantamweight before bumping up to 145lbs.
Capturing a UFC title has been 21-6 Wood’s sole mission since he started his mixed martial arts journey 16 years ago.
But the 32-year-old’s priorities have well and truly shifted since the arrivals of his daughters.
In an exclusive interview with SunSport, South Londoner Wood said of fatherhood’s effect on his outlook on fighting: “It’s massively, massively changed it.
“It’s changed it for the absolute better. It put things into perspective.
“I no longer want a Richard Mille watch, I now want to get a Wendy house in the garden for my little girl.
“It’s definitely changed a few things. As my fighting career goes, I want to retire earlier now.
“I want to retire with my marbles intact, I want to watch my girls grow up and be the best dad that I can be.
How to watch UFC 321
The UFC makes its annual visit to Abu Dhabi on October 25 for yet another blockbuster pay-per-view card.
UFC 321 will take place at the state-of-the-art Etihad Arena, which has been the promotion’s home in the UAE since January 2021.
Topping the bill is the eagerly anticipated Octagon return of heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who has been on the sidelines for the last 14 MONTHS.
The 32-year-old will make his first defence of the 265lbs title, which he was awarded following Jon Jones’ retirement, against long-time rival Ciryl Gane.
UFC gold will also be on the line in the co-main event of the evening, which will see Brazilians Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba vie for the vacant strawweight title.
UFC 321 is jam-packed with entertaining fights from top to bottom.
And MMA fans in the UK and Ireland can watch all the action from the Etihad LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office.
The UFC’s 11th pay-per-view card of the year will be available to purchase for a mere £19.99.
UFC 321 will also be available to buy on Discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, Virgin Media TV and Sky Sports.
And fight fans don’t need to subscribe to TNT Sports to buy the star-studded event.
Watch UFC 321: Aspinall v Gane exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office from 7pm on Saturday, 25th October.
For more info visit: tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice
“I don’t want my girls to look after me because dad got punched in the head too much.
“And I don’t want to tarnish my MMA career by becoming a punch bag and everyone’s saying, ‘Retire, retire’ and I just can’t afford to.”
He added: “I’m 32, I’m by no means old, I think I’m in my prime, but I also want to retire on a high.
“I want to retire, in a way, in my prime.
“I don’t want to retire when the sport decides, I want to retire when I decide.
“And I want the UFC [to] go, ‘What? There is still more in the gas tank.’
“And I go, ‘Yep, and that’s for my kids, man. I’m leaving that for my kids.’”
Despite just reaching the peak of his physical powers, Wood has already set himself a hard out.
He added: “Usually the sort of age where fighters start to decline, I think, it’s around 34 or 35. So I don’t want to wait that long.
“I’m 32 now and the way I’m looking at it is another year, maybe two years, and then I’m done.”
Seeing fighters of yesteryear who stuck around for too long struggle to speak and exhibit other worrying sights of CTE has struck the fear of God into Wood.
“I don’t want to start slurring my words and forgetting things,” he said. “As I say, it scares the hell out of me.
“The thought of not being able to watch my daughters grow up because you’ve been hit in the head too much and your brain’s not working properly [scares me].
I don’t want my girls to look after me because dad got punched in the head too much.”
Nathaniel Wood
“The brain is such a precious thing that I want to keep it intact. I do want to keep my marbles intact and be able to live a long, healthy and happy life with them.”
Wood’s next assignment will see him take on Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Jose Delgado on a stacked UFC 321 card in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night.
And to say Wood, like most UK MMA fans, was surprised he wasn’t given a ranked opponent after back-to-back wins over Daniel Pineda and Morgan Charriere would be an understatement.
He said of his clash with Delgado: “This is just risk and and no reward. Like, what the hell?”
He added: “If you find out, [what it’s going to take for me to get a ranked opponent], please let me know. Because, I’m not too sure.
“You’d like to think, ‘OK, you fight a ranked opponent and you get ranked if you beat them.’
“But if I’m not getting given ranked opponents, how can I do that?”
Wood has never been the type to throw his toys out of the pram and plans to take his matchmaking frustrations out on Delgado, who has scored back-to-back first-round finishing in MMA’s top promotion.
He said: “The UFC want to see those finishes. And I think with a good finish, I would like to think I’d at least hit the top 15.
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“And if I don’t, then I’ll just have to keep knocking on the door and, you know, chipping away at it.”
Nathaniel Wood takes on Jose Delgado on the undercard of UFC: 321 Aspinall vs Gane live on Saturday 25th October at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. To find out more about how to watch the fight on TNT Sports Box Office click the link here.
