Nathaniel Wood sees likeness in opponent Morgan Charriere

LONDON – Nathaniel Wooden thinks his matchup Saturday might fairly presumably be the very best unranked choice for him to climb up the UFC featherweight ladder.

At UFC Combat Evening 255, Wooden (20-6 MMA, 8-3 UFC) takes on Morgan Charriere (20-10-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a foremost card battle at The O2 Enviornment in London. Whereas Wooden has years of expertise within the UFC over France’s Charriere, they each rose to the world’s high group by way of the identical regional circuit and share lots of the identical similarities.

“I don’t have a nasty phrase to say about him,” Wooden advised MMA Junkie and different reporters at a information convention Thursday. “We’ve bought one another on Instagram. I just like the man. I really feel like he’s similar to me the place when you take a look at him, I’d say he’s a striker. However he’s additionally bought very violent grappling. He’s 29 years previous, I’m 31. He’s bought 20 wins. I’ve bought 20 wins. Cage Warriors champion, Cage Warriors champion. It’s very related.

“I really feel like I’m preventing somebody who’s on the identical kind of journey as me. Clearly, Daniel Pineda was rather a lot older and extra skilled, so he had benefits in some areas. I had benefits in others. With Morgan, I simply assume it’s very related stylistically.”

Wooden is 4-1 since he moved to featherweight in 2022. He holds wins over Charles Rosa, Charles Jourdain, Andre Fili, and Daniel Pineda in that point. The flip aspect of the equation, Charriere has completed Manolo Zecchini and Gabriel Miranda to this point since signing with the UFC in 2024.

Regardless of the credit score he heaped on Charriere, Wooden is assured he’ll get his hand raised Saturday. So the place does the distinction lie for Wooden?

“Undoubtedly within the pace, if we’re going off bodily attributes,” Wooden mentioned. “Going up a weight, clearly everybody goes to be barely stronger than me, however they’re not going to be quicker. The way in which I take a look at it’s, at bantamweight, I used to be all the time the identical as everybody else as a result of all of us lower the identical quantity of weight. Now, going up a weight, I’m at a drawback within the power. However I’m better off within the pace. If I struggle my struggle how I’m imagined to, I believe I’m going to be too fast for him, and I don’t know the way his mindset is. I do know my mindset proper now could be bulletproof, particularly preventing in London, as nicely. These are the 2 largest benefits I’d say I’ve bought in my arsenal. However that’s not an insult to him as a result of I’m positive he’s very motivated, as nicely. However yeah, I do know my mindset proper now could be in a great place to struggle.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Combat Evening 255.