It appears that UFC officials are granting Casey Kenney’s request for a quick turnaround fight after the bantamweight just competed on October 3rd at UFC on ESPN 16, also known as UFC Fight Island 4.
Multiple MMA outlets are reporting that Casey Kenney will take on Nathaniel Wood at UFC 254 in what should be an exciting bantamweight battle between two rising prospects who are both on the verge of cracking the Top 15.
Kenney (15-2-1) has won seven of his last eight fights including a unanimous decision victory over Heili Alateng last weekend. He’s 4-1 inside the octagon since joining the UFC last year.
Nathaniel Wood (17-4) has won nine of his last 10 fights including going 4-1 inside the octagon since his UFC debut in 2018. He last fought in July and defeated John Castaneda via unanimous decision.
Prior to UFC on ESPN 16, Kenney made the following comments about wanting a quick turnaround:
“This is the year of the quick turnaround, and I guess I haven’t been screaming it loud enough, so I might have to get a little louder this time. You know me, I’m always trying to get back in there as soon as possible.”
Following his one-sided win over Alateng, Kenney reiterated during the post-fight press conference that he wanted to fight again before leaving Fight Island.
Kenney also stated that he would fill in for any bantamweight that had to drop out of the next few UFC events.
Casey Kenney will fight Nathaniel Wood at #UFC254 on October 24th. (per @KarynBryant) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN pic.twitter.com/6hM0ZVc7S3
— MaRCeL DoRFF 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) October 5, 2020
Kenney vs Wood Opening Odds
The following betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline:
- Casey Kenney (-200)
- Nathaniel Wood (+170)
Kenney opens as a sizable betting favorite despite both competitors being on the cusp of cracking the Top 15. In fact, the winner of this fight will definitely climb into the Top 15 bantamweight rankings.
Kenney has been the betting favorite in his last two fights including a -361 favorite against Alateng last weekend. Kenney defeated Alateng via unanimous decision.
Nathaniel Wood has been the betting favorite in eight straight fights. He was a massive -400 favorite against John Castaneda in July and easily cruised to a unanimous decision win. This is the first time that Wood has been documented as a betting underdog.
It remains to be seen where this fight will be placed on the card considering there’s already 12 fights tentatively planned for the PPV. More than likely, it will serve as a featured fight on the prelims.
As for the opening odds, Wood offers value right now as I expect these lines to come down as we draw closer to fight week.
UFC 254 will take place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, Arab Emirates. It features a lightweight world title fight as the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov takes on the interim lightweight champ Justin Gaethje. UFC 254’s main card will have a special start time of 2PM ET on PPV.
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
