He’s been able to work on his craft, rather than work on getting his weight down, and that’s why he believes he’s going to surprise some people in his bout with Fili.
“Andre Fili is obviously a very game fighter. He’s been around for years. I was a fan and watched him before I was in the UFC. It’s an exciting matchup and one that I really wanted myself. I never wanted to call him out; I wanted it to be respectful and as soon as I got offered the name, I thought, ‘This is going to be an exciting fight,’” Wood said. “I believe that I’m going to be too much for him. I believe I’m going to be way too fast for him, and I think I’m the better fighter. I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way; he’s very talented all around, but I just think I’m better everywhere. Obviously, on Saturday night, we have to show that, and we have to prove it. That’s what I intend on doing.”
A win over Fili would be extra sweet due to the fact that Wood will have plenty of family and friends in the O2 Arena seats on Saturday.
Defending home turf and moving up the featherweight ladder is the perfect scenario for Wood, and although that might come with some pressure, he’s confident that he’ll be at his best.
“Fighting in your hometown is always pretty special. A lot of people, I think they feel it’s a lot of pressure, which it is, but I rise to the pressure,” Wood said. “It makes me perform and makes me fight better when I got my family and my friends and the people that I love in that arena. And I get to stay at home. I get to sleep in my own bed, I get to walk my dog in the morning, everything is a luxury to me. Nothing changes, it’s just fight day. When I leave my own house, it’s like I’m going to battle, and it gives me that extra motivation, if you will.”
