And Delgado’s success thus far contributes to both of those things.
In the span of three years and three months as a professional, Delgado has gone 10-1, earning a place on the UFC roster a little over a year ago and establishing himself as a rising star in the featherweight division win first-round stoppage wins over Connor Matthews and Hyder Amil to extend his winning streak to seven heading into his UFC 321 meeting with British veteran Nathaniel Wood. Another ascending talent to emerge from the MMA Lab, the 27-year-old has a 100-percent finishing rate, at least seven wins in two minutes or less, and needed just 26 seconds to lay out Amil during International Fight Week, a performance that has been featured on a recent episode of UFC Connected.
Having navigated the “face fellow newcomers” stage with aplomb, Delgado now graduates to the “pass a veteran test” portion of things as he steps in opposite Wood on Saturday.
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The British stalwart has won 21 of 27 overall and gone 5-1 since moving up to featherweight midway through 2022, with his one loss coming in a foul-filled clash with Muhammad Naimov two years ago in the same place they’ll meet this weekend. Wood is technically sharp, has enough power in his hands to keep you honest, as well as very dangerous low kicks, and is the type of veteran fighter that know how to go out there and make sure he wins the fight, odd as that may sound to some.
He’s a considerable step up in competition from Delgado’s first two opponents, but that’s what you get when you make an emphatic statement against someone with a little buzz of his own on a marquee fight card. And if he can do it again in Abu Dhabi, a date with a ranked opponent might be around the corner for the rookie standout.
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