Nathaniel Wood pummels Daniel Pineda, earns unanimous decision victory – UFC 304 Highlights
After seeing his three-fight win streak snapped in his last outing against Muhammad Mokaev, Nathaniel Wood returned to the Octagon on Saturday night for a scrap with Texas native Daniel Pineda at UFC 304.
It didn’t take long for Pineda to get his grappling going, shooting in early and pressing Wood against the cage wall within 30 seconds. Wood was able to break the grip and separate himself from Pineda, returning to the center of the Octagon. Near the 1:40 mark, Wood landed a front snap kick to the solar plexus of Pineda, folding him. Wood moved in and landed a few strikes, but ultimately ended up taking Pineda to the mat.
They remained grounded for the remainder of the round, but Pineda managed to reverse the position and land some solid ground-and-pound strikes just before the bell.
After an early onslaught from Wood in the second, Pineda appeared to have some trouble with his right eye, constantly wiping at it. Still, that didn’t stop him from throwing some wild hooks as Wood attempted to close the distance.
With a minute to go in the round, Wood landed a nasty left hook that dropped Pineda, but as he did in the first, Wood followed him down to the mat, content to hold position rather than forcing his compromised opponent back up.
A majority of the third round was contested on the canvas with Wood initiating the grappling. However, it was Pineda who turned the tables, gaining top control and fishing for a submission. Wood defended well, but offered little in the way of resistance, likely content to ride out the fight from his back and walk away with a victory.
Official Result: Nathaniel Wood def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
