5 UFC fighters poised to break out as stars in 2020

#5 Nathaniel Wood

London's Nathaniel Wood could break into title contention in 2020

London, England’s Nathaniel Wood is nicknamed ‘The Prospect’, and to say that his moniker is an apt one would be an understatement. Still just 26 years old, Wood has tremendous skills in all areas and is currently 3-0 in the UFC after pulling off three straight submissions over surprisingly tough foes.

Striker Johnny Eduardo was finished off in the first round with a D’Arce choke, tough veteran Andre Ewell lasted 3 rounds, but took a beating on his feet before being submitted, while Jose Quinonez was overwhelmed by strikes before being choked out.

The fascinating thing is that the Londoner came into the UFC with a reputation as a hard-hitting striker; of his 13 pre-UFC wins, 9 of them had come by KO or TKO. But while he has used his striking in the Octagon, his ground skills have been the most effective part of his arsenal to date.

Essentially, Wood fights like a grizzled veteran – which he almost is, given he’s got 19 professional fights to his name.

2020 should be the year that sees him step up in competition, and while Bantamweight is undoubtedly one of the most stacked divisions in the UFC, should he defeat the highly-rated veteran John Dodson in their scheduled fight in February, then the sky is the limit.