Nathaniel Wood says he returned the 20% fine the UFC imposed on Jose Delgado after the American missed weight ahead of their UFC 321 fight in Abu Dhabi.
Delgado came in one pound over the 146 lb featherweight limit and was fined a fifth of his purse, which under normal UFC practice goes to the opponent. Wood, however, has confirmed he gave that money back to Delgado — a rare move in the promotion.
Wood, 32, won the contest by unanimous decision, a result that drew debate among fans and pundits. Speaking on Instagram, Wood explained why he reimbursed Delgado: he was initially annoyed by the weight miss and felt Delgado was too big for 145 lb, but because it was only one pound and Delgado is not as financially well-off, and because he thought Delgado had delivered a tremendous performance, Wood decided to return the money.
The win handed 27-year-old Delgado only the second loss of his professional career. Some observers argued Delgado deserved the decision, but Wood stood by his view that he had done enough to win. He said he believed he won the second round and that the third round was the deciding factor; after watching the fight back, he conceded it was a close contest that “could have gone either way.”
This marked Wood’s third consecutive victory at featherweight. In his post-fight interview he also called for a match with No. 12-ranked Patricio “Pitbull,” signaling his interest in climbing further up the division.
