John Dodson plans to knock out Nathaniel Wood at UFC on ESPN+ 25, go to Justin Bieber concert

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – John Dodson’s plan is two-fold.

After he defeats Nathaniel Wood at UFC on ESPN+ 25, Dodson said, he’s booking his ticket to see Justin Bieber in concert.

“We’re waiting until after this fight so we can go ahead and get our ‘yummy’ on,” Dodson told reporters at a pre-fight media day Thursday. “I’m not even going to play around with all these intentions.

“We’re trying to figure out what’s going to happen after I knock him out. As soon as I finish Nathaniel Wood, we’re either looking at (concerts in) Chicago or probably somewhere in New York – or Utah, but I don’t want to go there.”

On a more serious note, Dodson (20-11 MMA, 9-6 UFC) said he’s entering UFC on ESPN+ 25 with “a whole new attitude.” He hopes to display improvements in his fight against former Cage Warriors champ Wood (16-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC)

“I feel amazing,” Dodson said. ” I want to make sure that I can come in there with a whole new attitude. I came in with a new camp. The hair had to go, and the old look is coming back, so I can show the same animal instinct everyone likes to see.”

Dodson hasn’t competed since February 2019 and has suffered back-to-back decision losses to Jimmie Rivera and Petr Yan. Born and raised in Albuquerque, Dodson decided the card was the right time to mark a return. He plans to make the most of it.

“Well, it always feels good to be back in the octagon,” Dodson said. “But to be able to fight in my hometown, the crowd’s going to be all mine. The only person who’s going to have to sit there and worry about everything is Nathaniel Wood.

“I’m going to crush him (in) this fight. As soon as he tries to party and drown his sorrows with as much alcohol, he might get beat up in the parking lot, too.”

UFC on ESPN+ 25 takes place Saturday at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M. The event streams on ESPN+.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full UFC on ESPN+ 25 pre-fight interview with Dodson in the video above.