Preview: UFC on ESPN 14 ‘Whittaker vs. Till’ Prelims

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Bantamweights

Nathaniel Wood (16-4) vs. John Castaneda (17-4)
Odds: Wood (-425), Castaneda (+340)

Wood has mostly lived up to his status as one of the better prospects to come out of Britain, but while there's no shame in losing to John Dodson in his most recent fight, there are still some questions going forward. Wood came into the UFC as a well-rounded prospect who could do a bit of everything, and that's mostly held true. Wood has had trouble getting his striking game going inside of the Octagon, but he's been able to fall back on a solid wrestling game more often than not. On the positive side, it's good to see Wood have enough options to cycle through until he finds something that works, but on the contrary, it's worrying to see him without one thing to hang his hat on as he moves up a deep bantamweight ladder.

On paper, this is a nice rebound fight from the loss to Dodson, but newcomer Castaneda is an interesting fighter in his own right. Minnesota's "Sexy Mexi" is another fighter with a lot of different arrows in his quiver; he's proven an ability to dictate terms on the feet, and has shown a strong ability to hang on the ground and hunt for submissions. There's definitely a chance for Castaneda to score some big moments and even a finish, but at the end of the day this looks like another fight where Wood can rely on his wrestling. The pick is Wood via decision, but there's some upset potential.

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