John Castaneda: Nathaniel Wood is ‘Very Beatable’

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A common belief for many athletes entering the Ultimate Fighting Championship is that their competition level will be higher than in previous promotions. Former Combate Americas bantamweight champion John Castaneda concedes that Nathaniel Wood is a high-caliber opponent for his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN 14. However, the 21-fight veteran also views the Englishman as a foe that is “very beatable.”

“Watching his fights; he’s a tough guy. He’s got strong striking. He’s fast [and] he’s quick. Here’s the thing; I’m not really impressed with his ground [game]. He has three submissions in the UFC. These guys that he’s submitted and taken down; to be honest they look like they don’t know what they’re doing in the jiu-jitsu game. I don’t think he has the advantage on the ground with me at all. I’m a lot quicker with transitions on the ground than he is, for sure. I [do] a lot more scrambling on the ground. I feel like my wrestling is higher caliber. I think he’s going to be one of the top guys that I’ve fought [but] I’m not scared. I’m not selling him short by any means, but he’s very beatable.”

Along with breaking down his UFC debut on July 25, “Sexi Mexi” spoke in-depth about his time under the Combate Americas banner and his reasons for leaving.