Nathaniel Wood: Getting injured was a blessing in disguise, gave me that spark again

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Despite being on an eight-fight winning streak, Nathaniel Wood admits it’s been time off that has re-ignited his flame.

Wood (16-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on John Dodson at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 25 in Rio Rancho, N.M., the Brit’s first fight in almost a year.

He’s been sidelined due to a broken arm, putting a slight halt to his momentum and surge in the bantamweight rankings. But it turns out being prevented from going through the daily grind has made him fall in love with the process again.

“In a way, it’s a bit of a blessing in disguise that I got injured and had this time off,” Wood told MMA Junkie. “Because before, I always love what I do, I love this sport, but you know when you start to – it becomes very repetitive. It’s the same thing, in and out, and having an injury and putting me out and being told you can’t train, that’s given me that spark again. It’s given me that hunger again that I was maybe lacking a little bit on my last few fights.”

“For this fight, I’ve been training like Clubber Lang in ‘Rocky III.’ I’m hungry to get in there, and obviously I’ve got someone like Dodson. Who would need more motivation than to go against John Dodson?”

Dodson is by far the most notable name that former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Wood has faced thus far in his career. He’s also the smallest Wood will have faced – not that “The Prospect” is particularly small for a 135-pounder, but past opponents like Jose Quinonez and Andre Ewell have enjoyed quite a bit of height on him.

“For me, stylistically, I love those guys that are smaller,” Wood said. “I’ve got quite long limbs for my weight. Unfortunately, everyone I’ve fought so far in the UFC has been taller than me, so it’s nice to be quite a bit taller than him for once, but what I’m most excited about is going against someone with a CV like he’s got.

“He’s fought for the title twice. He knocked out T.J. Dillashaw. You name it, he’s been in there with the best there is, so for me to put my name against that, it’s pretty cool.”

Dodson has lost five of his last eight and is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. But, considering that he’s fighting in his home state of New Mexico, Wood is expecting an eager Dodson that’s willing to exchange.

If he does, that would fall right into Wood’s game, whose entire eight-fight winning streak has come by the way of finish.

“If I can finish him, to be the only man to finish him with who he’s gone against, that would prove a lot,” Wood said. “If I can finish John Dodson within the distance and be the only man to do that, then where does that put me? He’s fought everyone there is, you could possibly think of in the top rankings.”