When Nathaniel Wood made his UFC debut in the bantamweight division in 2018 following a successful run at Cage Warriors, he quickly turned heads. However, after just six bouts, ‘The Prospect’ realized his body could not endure the “miserable” toll of extreme weight cuts. The experience left him frustrated with fighting at bantamweight, ultimately prompting the former Cage Warriors champion to make a permanent move to the featherweight division after a string of bout cancellations.

Wood’s struggles are not unique—other fighters, including Ilia Topuria, have also found cutting weight increasingly difficult as they get older. Now, more than seven years into his professional journey, Nathaniel Wood has compiled an impressive record across both 135 lbs and 145 lbs, standing at 9-3 during his

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