Nathaniel Wood withdraws from UFC 286 after ‘freak accident’ causes nasty gash

Simon Samano
·2 min read

Nathaniel Wood announced on Wednesday that he is out of his UFC 286 fight with Lerone Murphy following a “freak accident” involving, of all things, wood.

Wood explained what happened to him on Instagram.

“It is with a heavy heart to announce I will no longer be fighting in London,” Wood said. “It seems I just can’t get a break in this game with constant setbacks. A freak accident landing on wooden trim in wrestling practice.”

He explained a little more on Twitter: “For those asking I unfortunately sliced my knee on some wooden trim on the outside of the mats going for a takedown.”

Wood’s Instagram post included a photo of him on crutches, as well as images of the nasty gash on his right knee before and after it was stitched up.

“Unfortunately I cannot bend my knee until these stitches are out,” Wood said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ɴᴀᴛʜᴀɴɪᴇʟ ᴡᴏᴏᴅ (@theprospectmma)

Wood (13-6-1 MMA, 4-5-1 UFC) vs. Murphy (11-0-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) was set to be a featherweight clash between Brits on English soil.

Wood, 29, is 2-0 since moving up to featherweight. “The Prospect” scored back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Charles Rosa in July and most recently Charles Jourdain in September.

Unbeaten in the octagon, Murphy was last seen in action in October 2021 when he scored a come-from-behind knockout of Makwan Amirkhani at UFC 267. Murphy was scheduled to face Nate Landwehr at UFC on ESPN 33 in March but withdrew from the bout.

It’s unknown if Murphy will get a replacement for UFC 286, which takes place March 18 at The O2 in London.

Below is the updated lineup for UFC 286:

  • Champ Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman – for welterweight title

  • Rafael Fiziev vs. Justin Gaethje

  • Roman Dolidze vs. Marvin Vettori

  • Gunnar Nelson vs. Daniel Rodriguez

  • Luana Carolina vs. Joanne Wood

  • Malcolm Gordon vs. Jake Hadley

  • Jennifer Maia vs. Casey O’Neill

  • Jai Herbert vs. Ludovit Klein

  • Chris Duncan vs. Omar Morales

  • Veronica Macedo vs. Juliana Miller

  • Jafel Filho vs. Muhammad Mokaev

  • Makwan Amirkhani vs. Jack Shore

  • Yanal Ashmoz vs. Sam Patterson

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 286.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Q1 2024 FirstEnergy Corp Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 FirstEnergy Corp Earnings Call

  • Love/Hate from day 2 of the NFL Draft

    Yahoo Sports’ Draft Live Crew discusses their favorite and least favorite moments from day 2 of the NFL Draft in Detroit.

  • Athletics vs. Orioles Highlights

    Brent Rooker and the Athletics take on Adley Rutschman and the Orioles on April 26, 2024

  • Casey DeSmith makes 29 saves as the Canucks take 2-1 series lead over the Preds

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Backup goalie Casey DeSmith finally has his first postseason victory, and he helped the Vancouver Canucks take back home-ice advantage in the process. DeSmith made 29 saves as the Canucks held off the Nashville Predators 2-1 Friday night for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series to open the NHL playoffs. “It couldn’t come at a better time," DeSmith said of his first playoff victory. "I was really disappointed with how I played the other night. I thought the team played

  • Haniger hits grand slam in Mariners' 6-1 win. Diamondbacks ace Gallen leaves with hamstring injury

    SEATTLE (AP) — Mitch Haniger hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, two batters after Arizona ace Zac Gallen left because of tightness in his right hamstring, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Diamondbacks 6-1 on Friday night. Gallen (3-2) walked Josh Rojas to lead off the sixth, then was pulled in the middle of Julio Rodríguez’s subsequent at-bat. Rodríguez went on to single off Scott McGough, and Cal Raleigh walked to load the bases for Haniger, who hammered a 389-foot shot to left-center. Josh

  • Mavericks’ defense dominates series ahead of pivotal game four against LA Clippers

    The Mavericks took a 2-1 series lead against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. How has the team taken the series lead?

  • Trump promised big plans to flip Black and Latino voters. Many Republicans are waiting to see them

    NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump says he wants to hold a major campaign event at New York’s Madison Square Garden featuring Black hip-hop artists and athletes. His aides speak of making appearances in Chicago, Detroit and Atlanta with leaders of color and realigning American politics by flipping Democratic constituencies. But five months before the first general election votes are cast, the former president’s campaign has little apparent organization to show for its ambitious plans. The Trump campai

  • As border debate shifts right, Sen. Alex Padilla emerges as persistent counterforce for immigrants

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden had a question. “Is it true?” Biden asked Sen. Alex Padilla, referencing the roughly 25% of U.S. students in kindergarten through high school who are Latino. Padilla said the question came as he was waiting with the president in a back room at a library in Culver City, California before an event in February. It was exactly the kind of opening Padilla was hoping to get with the Democratic president. Biden was weighing his reelection campaign, executive action

  • Retrial of Harvey Weinstein unlikely to occur soon, if ever, experts say

    The retrial in New York of Harvey Weinstein — whose moviemaking prowess once wowed Hollywood — won’t be coming to a courtroom anytime soon, if ever, legal experts said on a day when one of two women considered crucial to the case said she wasn't sure she would testify again. A ruling Thursday by the New York Court of Appeals voided the 2020 conviction of the onetime movie powerbroker who prosecutors say forced young actors to submit to his prurient desires by dangling his ability to make or break the their careers. The appeals court in a 4-3 decision vacated a 23-year jail sentence and ordered a retrial of Weinstein, saying the trial judge erred by letting three women testify about allegations that were not part of the charges and by permitting questions about Weinstein’s history of “bad behavior” if he testified.

  • Indiana voters to pick party candidates in competitive, multimillion dollar primaries

    INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — In deep red Indiana, where Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers of the state legislature and most top offices are held by GOP politicians, the May 7 primary will determine the outcome of the general election in many races. The most-watched is the GOP race for governor, a six-way competition of office-seekers who all have cast themselves as outsiders in an appeal to conservative voters. Indiana also will send at least three new representatives to the U.S. House fo

  • Q1 2024 Olin Corp Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Olin Corp Earnings Call

  • Browns' draft picks from Michigan, Ohio State connected by horrific injury in last year's big game

    BEREA, Ohio (AP) — The Cleveland Browns selected two players in the NFL draft forever connected by a horrific injury. In Friday’s third round, the team picked Michigan guard Zak Zinter, who broke his left leg against Ohio State on Nov. 25 when Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr., taken by the Browns in the second round, was accidentally thrown into him. Zinter, an AP first-team All-American, fractured his tibia and fibula on a play that hushed a crowd of more than 100,000 fans inside Mich

  • Oceanside Pier planks with names engraved possibly destroyed in fire

    Doug Nakama's grandfather's name was engraved on a plank at the end of the pier. Nakama said the pier was his grandfather's favorite spot.

  • Pro-Palestinian protesters block Paris's Sciences Po

    STORY: Dozens of riot police officers were seen keeping guard near the student protesters in the area.An unidentified masters student who was one of approximately 30 remaining students occupying the campus said the university had agreed to a general assembly to address Palestinian issues and that the threat of suspension had been ruled out.Students blocked access to the prestigious Sciences Po university over the war in Gaza on Friday, demanding the institution condemn Israel's actions, in a protest that echoed similar demonstrations on U.S. campuses.Renewed clashes between police and students opposed to Israel's war in Gaza broke out on U.S campuses on Thursday (April 25), raising questions about forceful methods being used to shut down protests that have intensified since mass arrests at Columbia University last week.

  • NFL draft order Saturday: Who drafts when for Rounds 4 through 7 of 2024 NFL draft

    Day 3 of the 2024 NFL draft kicks off Saturday, with Rounds 4 through 7 concluding the event. Four teams lead the way with seven picks on Day 3.

  • Moderate Republicans look to stave off challenges from the right at Utah party convention

    SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Moderate Republicans, who often have been successful with Utah voters, will look to stave off farther-right challengers at Saturday's state GOP convention, which typically favors the most conservative contenders. All eyes are on the crowded race to succeed U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, the state's best-known centrist Republican, who often made waves for opposing former President Donald Trump and other leaders of the party. Delegates at the convention will select the party's nomine

  • Q1 2024 Carter's Inc Earnings Call

    Q1 2024 Carter's Inc Earnings Call

  • Relic of St. Jude brought to San Diego for the first time

    For the first time, the relic of St. Jude has been brought to San Diego, giving thousands of people the rare opportunity to be a part of history.

  • Beach closed due to contaminated water from fire

    The fire at the Oceanside Pier on Wednesday contaminated the ocean water, causing a beach closure.

  • Joey Ortiz homers, drives in 4 runs, including winner in the 11th inning, as Brewers top Yankees 7-6

    MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joey Ortiz hit an run-scoring single in the 11th inning and finished with a homer and four RBIs to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night. Owen Miller, inserted as a pinch runner for former Yankee Gary Sánchez at second to start the 11th inning, advanced to third on a fly ball to right field by Brice Turang. Ortiz then singled through the legs of third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera, driving in the winning run. New York's Jose Trevino, on seco