UFC star Nathaniel Wood: ‘I blamed my opponent when my newborn daughter was in intensive care’
UFC star used daughter’s health issues as motivation to win fight
- UFC fighter Nathaniel Wood revealed he used his newborn daughter's critical health issues, including a hole in her heart, as motivation for a fight last July.
- Wood said he mentally blamed his opponent, Daniel Pineda, for his daughter's condition to channel his anger and intensify his training.
- Arla’s condition has since improved, though she will require future heart surgery.
- Now a father of two, Wood's priorities have shifted, focusing on his family's well-being and retiring from fighting with his health intact.
- He lives with anxiety and OCD, which can lead to dark thoughts about potential injuries during fights, but said he also uses these to fuel his performance.