Delgado (10-1) enters on a career-best seven-fight win streak, including two wins inside the UFC, and now faces his toughest test yet against Wood in Abu Dhabi.
Round 1 – Both fighters opened with calf and body kicks to feel out the range, but less than 30 seconds in, Delgado landed an accidental low blow on Wood, prompting an early timeout.
Once action resumed, Delgado mixed his kicks high and low, forcing Wood to respond by pressing forward with a combination. Delgado fired back with one of his own, drawing a roar from the crowd, and soon after landed a sharp combo that connected clean on Wood.
Wood answered immediately, throwing heavy leather, but a powerful right hand from Delgado dropped him.
Delgado jumped into top position and unloaded ground-and-pound as Wood scrambled toward the fence. The referee urged Wood to defend, and Wood managed to work back to his feet. Delgado greeted him with an elbow and cracked him with another combination after briefly disengaging.
Staying aggressive, Delgado remained in range, which allowed Wood to clip him with a big shot and drop him in return. Delgado quickly recovered, and the two met back in the center, trading heavy blows until the horn. Delgado continued to find success with the right hand late in the round.
Round 2 – Delgado reopened Round 2 by returning to the body kicks, including a sharp upward kick that caught Wood clean on the chin.
Wood refused to stay passive, pressing forward with intent and landing right hands whenever Delgado switched stances. He walked Delgado toward the fence and initiated the clinch, but Delgado quickly disengaged with minimal damage.
Back in open space, Delgado accidentally landed another low blow, prompting referee Jason Herzog to pause the action. Wood was given time to recover, while Herzog issued a warning but did not deduct a point.
When the fight resumed, Wood established his jab while Delgado responded with flurries of combinations. Wood then connected with a sharp left hand that snapped Delgado’s head back, followed shortly by a clean right hand.
Wood closed the round with a solid low kick to punctuate his late momentum.
Round 3 – Wood opened the third round with relentless pressure, backing Delgado toward the fence. But Delgado stayed composed, circling out and firing heavy counters in return. Wood connected with a clean left hand and followed with an inside leg kick, while Delgado answered by stepping in and landing a vicious knee to the body.
Wood’s jab continued to land effectively, but Delgado changed levels and shot for a takedown. He couldn’t complete it, though he managed to press Wood against the fence. What followed was a high-level scramble, about 15 seconds of both men battling for top position in a frantic exchange.
Wood eventually returned to his feet but ate a sharp uppercut from Delgado on the break. In the closing seconds, Wood shot and secured a late takedown, finishing the fight on top.
To the surprise of many, the judges awarded Wood the decision likely securing him a high-profile, possibly ranked opponent in his next outing.
Official Result: Nathaniel Wood def. Jose Delgado via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
