Nathaniel Wood will face off against Lerone Murphy at UFC 286 on March 18 in London

Nathaniel Wood is scheduled to face fellow UK fighter Lerone Murphy at the highly-anticipated UFC 286 event. The event will take place at the O2 Arena in London, England, on March 18th, 2023. Their fight will be contested in the featherweight (145-pound) division.

As of this writing, the UFC is yet to officially announce the Wood vs. Murphy matchup. That said, according to Marcel Dorff, Wood is indeed scheduled to fight Murphy at UFC 286.

Taking to his official Twitter account, Dorff suggested that the news regarding the Wood-Murphy showdown was first reported by Italian MMA journalist Al Zullino. Dorff's tweet regarding the matchup read as follows:

"Lerone Murphy will fight Nathaniel Wood at #UFC286 on March 18th. (first rep. The Machinist of the 🍍 on 🍕 Train: @phre) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 #UFCLondon"

The UFC 286 event is expected to be headlined by the much-awaited trilogy matchup between reigning UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards and former UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman. Their series of welterweight bouts is currently tied at one win apiece.

Usman bested Edwards via unanimous decision in December 2015. 'Rocky' avenged that defeat by stopping Usman via a fifth-round KO in their rematch in August 2022. Their rematch notably witnessed Edwards capture the UFC welterweight belt, courtesy of his incredible victory over 'The Nigerian Nightmare.'

While the UK's own Leon Edwards seems primed to put on a show for his fans in London, there's been widespread speculation that Kamaru Usman might withdraw from the UFC 286 event.

Usman was recently spotted sporting a hand brace, and many believe that his hand injury issues could prevent him from fighting in March. If he were to pull out of the fight, it's unclear who'll replace Usman to face 'Rocky' for the title.

---

Nathaniel Wood looks to hand Lerone Murphy his first MMA defeat

Nathaniel Wood (MMA record: 19 wins, 5 losses) would earn a unique distinction at UFC 286, provided he's able to defeat fellow English athlete Lerone Murphy (MMA record: 11 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw) at the event.

Wood, a 29-year-old former bantamweight, is looking to become the first fighter to beat the 31-year-old Murphy in a professional MMA bout.

But that's easier said than done for anyone, including Nathaniel Wood, since Lerone Murphy is as tough as they come. The consensus is that the clash between Wood and Murphy will surely provide a huge impetus for the winner since it's taking place on one of the most high-profile UFC fight cards of 2023.