Preview: UFC 294 Prelims

Featherweights

Nathaniel Wood (19-5, 7-2 UFC) vs. Muhammadjon Naimov (9-2, 1-0 UFC)

ODDS: Wood (-340), Naimov (+270)

This pairing represents some odd matchmaking in the aggregate but should result in an entertaining fight. Wood hit the ground running as a bantamweight prospect in 2018, quickly rising through the ranks with a well-rounded game until a rough 2020 campaign. “The Prospect” started the year getting knocked out by John Dodson, rebounded with a victory over John Castaneda and then got outworked by Casey Kenney. Thanks to a subsequent rash of injuries that kept him out of action for nearly two years, Wood became a bit of a forgotten man until he made his return in 2022, moving up to featherweight and handily defeating Charles Rosa. Since then, Wood has essentially picked up where he left off with two strong performances over Charles Jourdain and Andre Fili. Wood’s continual pressure does leave him open to eating some hard shots—it nearly cost him against Fili—but the Brit’s doggedness and ability to switch things up has been enough to get some fun fights over the finish line. It stood to reason that Wood would be poised for bigger things with his win over Fili, but instead, he draws an assignment that is almost all risk and no reward against Naimov. Tajikistan’s Naimov stepped in for a late-notice debut against Jamie Mullarkey in June, which showed off the pros and cons of his game. His willingness to throw power in close quarters eventually paid off with a second-round knockout, but the fight up to that point saw Naimov get neutralized for the better part of eight minutes. On the regional scene, Naimov was notable for his ability to carry power for 15 minutes, even as opponents found a lot of success, so Wood—traditionally not a finisher—will likely have to thread the proverbial needle for three rounds in order to find a win. Despite Naimov’s relative lack of name value, his size and power for the division could make that a difficult ask for the undersized Wood. However, the bet is that Wood can salt away this fight with wrestling, even if he has to walk through fire to do so. The pick is Wood via decision.

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