Nathaniel Wood vs Vince Morales UFC Prediction & Betting

13/03/2022

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UFC London is upon us, and what a card it is. To kick it off, two bantamweights finishers clash to impress the audience: Nathaniel ‘The Prospect’ Wood, representing England, and Vince ‘Vandetta’ Morales, hailing from Idaho, US.

Nathaniel Wood vs Vince Morales Prediction

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Nathaniel Wood is an exceptionally fast boxer with a slick defense. He has legitimate knockout power and half of his pro victories come by way of knockout. Wood was on a fantastic 8 streak finishing streak before his first defeat in the UFC against John Dodson. His resumé of wins and defeats is fairly impressive, owning victories over the likes of Andrew Ewell and John Castaneda. His two defeats in the UFC are to John Dodson, and Casey Kenney. It’s a good gauge of Wood’s skill level that the only fighters to derail his hype are two highly touted individuals. How does Morales measure up?

Nathaniel Wood triangles Grisha Adams — Nathaniel Wood showing good striking and takedown defense against Grisha Adams

Morales is a boxer/striker who favors counter striking, slips, and angle changing. He’s got dynamite in his hands, but he’s had a rougher run in the UFC compared to Wood, dropping fights to weaker opposition. Morales uses his slips and angle changes to set up opportunities for takedowns.

How do they match up?

Morales needs to be aware of Wood’s striking on the feet. His grappling may be a saving grace, but Wood’s grappling is also very good, with 3 of his 4 UFC victories coming by submission. In terms of the striking, Morales tends to keep his hands lower, and overextends on his punches in order to set up takedowns. He may not get away with this as easy with Wood, who is prone to countering opponents in close range. The takedowns may also not work since Wood’s grappling is about as strong as his striking.

Everything about this matchup points to a Wood victory, which could come by knockout, submission or decision.

My pick – Nathaniel Wood by UD