Nathaniel Wood: 'Too many UFC fighters try and copy Conor McGregor these days'

UFC star Nathaniel Wood has claimed there are too many people who ‘try and copy Conor McGregor these days’.

The former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion said he understands that cage fighting has a bit of a bad reputation.

However, the British MMA fighter explained that he wants to change public opinion as he hopes to usher in a new era for the sport.

Speaking exclusively to GiveMeSport.com, Wood said: “I want people to leave with a smile after watching me.

JUST IN: UFC Paris: Michael Bisping explains how Tai Tuivasa can defeat Ciryl Gane

“Hopefully I’ll be remembered as a nice humble guy.

“I would like to think I’m a very down to earth person. I’m very normal. And yeah, I think sometimes certain fighters give us a bit of a bad rap these days.

“So you know I’d like to think that I’m going to start to maybe change the perception some people have of cage fighters.”

Wood, 29, just wants everyone to be genuine. He thinks there are too many of them out there who are trying to be something that they are not.

He told GiveMeSport: “I tell you what does frustrate me is when people get promoted because they’re being an a***hole.

“I won’t mention names. But there’s many people out there you know that are not themselves and they’re portraying a horrible kind of person and they’re getting praise for it. I don’t like that.

“But you know, for me, I want the sport to have a good name.

“I’m an athlete, you know, and that’s why I want to change the perception of this sport.”

One common misconception of cage fighters is they are often wrongly perceived as wild bloodthirsty savages.

But Wood is hoping to buck that trend, adding: “The amount of people I meet where they think he’s a cage fighter, he’s going to be this mean, hard-looking