Nathaniel Wood, a British UFC fighter, discusses his struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, describing how it has affected his MMA career.
Read more Wood on “living nightmare” OCD: “Never be afraid to go to the doctors”
Nathaniel Wood, a British UFC fighter, discusses his struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, describing how it has affected his MMA career.
Read more Wood on “living nightmare” OCD: “Never be afraid to go to the doctors”
Three suspected gunrunners have been detained by Department of State Services (DSS) operations after allegedly providing bandits with weapons and ammunition in Kaduna State.
According to the agency, the state’s Igabi and Kachia Local Government Areas were the subjects of coordinated sting operations.
A 30-year-old man was being detained along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Bypass in Igabi while carrying 200 rounds of live ammunition, four empty magazines, and two AK-47 rifles, one of which was being transported by a PKT machine gun.
In a Volkswagen Golf car, two others were detained in Kachia’s Doka village while attempting to sell three AK-47 rifles to bandits along the Abuja–Kaduna Expressway.
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Governor Uba Sani praised the DSS for conducting the operation and said that under his administration’s peace model, there would no place for bandits and other criminal elements to hide.
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu and the Director-General of the DSS for continuing to support Kaduna’s security framework through his Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shuaibu (SAN).
He noted that the state’s non-kinetic peace model, which his administration introduced, has significantly lowered crime rates, and warned against engaging in criminal activity that might compromise stability.
The DSS maintained that ongoing inquiries are being conducted and that suspects would face full legal repercussions.
Nathaniel Wood’s two daughters are the first thing that he mentions when he sits down for his interview.
Wood is delighted to learn that Layla and Arla, both one, have joined him in Abu Dhabi.
The 32-year-old Londoner has invited his family over to watch his UFC 321 fight with Jose Delgado, including his wife, mother, and father.
Because things have already gone wrong without them, Wood needs to have his family with him in order to get in the right headspace before a fight.
“I’m thinking about going home if I’m not with them.” Every two seconds, Wood tells BBC Sport, “I’m checking my phone to see what’s going on.”
They can concentrate on the task at hand because I have them here. I feel much more at ease.
Wood is at ease as he shakes hands with his family and responds to BBC Sport’s questions with conviction while having a friendly family nearby.
But for him in Abu Dhabi, things haven’t always been this way.
Before his daughters were born in 2023, Wood was the subject of Muhammad Naimov’s brutal assault after having a mental health issue.
Wood has obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental illness that causes compulsive behavior and obsessive thoughts.
It “comes in waves.” You can be completely fine at times, but then you could experience a “dark cloud day” where you just become anxious and fixated on something, Wood says.
“Unfortunately, fight week was when I had a chance. I was having incredibly bad anxiety as I flew out.
OCD keeps telling me, “I can’t move on when I have it.” I didn’t care about the fight for the entire week. I was just obsessing over and thinking about things that I didn’t need to.
It consumes a lot of energy. You’re thinking about that thought every second of the day, not anything else. I might be talking to you right now, but I’m also considering other options.
He claims that his obnoxious thoughts can be related to a variety of subjects, but cites health issues as an “prime example.”
Wood says, “I could be having a slight headache and thinking, “I’ve got a brain bleed, or brain cancer,” and I can’t let the thought go.
“And then it makes you anxious, and then it makes you ruminate more.” When you’re in that room, you’re living a nightmare.
Before urging people to never “ever be afraid to go to the doctors” if they believe they have the disorder, Wood claims he has sought medical attention from therapists and is currently taking medication for it.
“I have a very good family, and I’m very fortunate. I have people to talk to, along with my wife, my mom, and my dad. I believe that’s a very dark place for those who don’t, he says.
Personally, I think you can get a little calm when I express my worries. Not as bad as you imagine.
You can pretend to have real nightmares while playing your own.
Wood jokes that he won’t be eating much because of the weight loss in his featherweight (11st 5lb) fight with Delgado after taking his family to the local mall for dinner.
With just one defeat in 11 fights, American fighter Delgado is a rising star.
Wood, who has lost just one of his previous eight matches, is the underdog.
Wood concentrates on defeating Delgado because his family is close by.
“I’ve heard that being busy and talking to someone help me.” When I’m occupied and have things in mind, my mind doesn’t go crazy like it does when I have nothing to do, says Wood.
“This is my fourth fight in Abu Dhabi,” I said. I lost two games and one win.
“I’m going into this fight with full intentions to win this fight as best and as impressively as I can,” I say.
Some young women in Kwara, a state with a Muslim majority and where religious customs rule daily life, are defying cultural norms by playing football.
They have discovered the sport’s camaraderie, competitive spirit, and emotional journey, but critics have expressed reservations about its suitability for women with modest clothing.
Maryam Muhammed, 17, endures the intense heat, which her hijab and leggings make more difficult, as well as community criticism, when she arrives for practice at the Model Queens Football Academy in Ilorin.
“They tell me that I won’t succeed,” I say. But she persists in saying, “But I believe I will achieve something great,” despite being frequently taunted while training.
She is unable to agree to wear modest clothing while playing, despite it being occasionally uncomfortable.
She explained that “sometime it feels like I want to open the hijab, but I have to keep my hair a secret.” I must practice it as a decent Muslim.
Hijabs were initially prohibited by FIFA in 2007 on safety grounds, leading to the disqualification of Iran’s women’s team from a 2012 Olympic qualifier. The restriction was lifted in 2014 and was fully lifted in 2012. Nouhaila Benzina, the first senior women’s World Cup player to wear a hijab, became famous in 2023 as a result.
Maryam’s mother, Kehinde Muhammed, has withstanded criticism for backing her daughter’s passion. She admitted that “so many people discouraged me.” However, I respect the choices of my kids. I continue to pray for her and support her.
She specializes in making custom hijabs and matching team shirts, stating, “I advise her that this is the customary way to dress as a Muslim.”
Muyhideen Abdulwahab, a coach for the model queens, works to alter attitudes in the community. He said, “We go out to meet parents and tell them that modest dressing is permitted.” Some still say no despite that.
Bashirat Omotosho, a 19-year-old football player, juggling her family duties and her love for football. She frequently skips training to support her mother by selling puff puff, a fried dough snack, at their roadside stall.
While serving customers and observing her teammates jog past during practice, she said, “Training is frequently in the morning, but I have to be here.” My mother and I cannot leave because of this.
Bashirat’s mother, Titilayo Omotosho, initially opposed her daughter’s athletic ambitions.
What makes a woman choose football? she questioned.
After her husband’s approval and seeing successful Muslim players like Nigerian star Asisat Oshoala, Omotosho’s stance became less oblique. She cited the record-holder six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year, saying, “Seeing other Muslim girls succeed, like Asisat, encouraged us to let her play.” Oshoala, who plays without a hijab, is from southwest Nigeria, where traditional Islamic customs are less rigid.
Despite growing interest, female participation in Ilorin continues to be a problem, according to local football administrator Ambali Abdulrazak.
The Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL), which is made up of southern clubs from Lagos and Port Harcourt, have the best infrastructure and social support. Although growing grassroots initiatives are being implemented, northern and central regions still face cultural and religious restrictions.
Women’s football is becoming more popular all over the country as a result of the success of the national team, increased sponsorship opportunities, and development initiatives. According to Nigerian media company iTelemedia, which tracks audience trends across local leagues, NWFL viewership has increased by 40% since 2020, and match attendance has increased by 35% in 2024.
As the sun sets, Muhammed and her teammates practiced on a sandy school pitch as the sun sets, their voices mingling with the muezzin’s prayer from a nearby mosque.
In a youth tournament final, Muhammed led the Model Queens, but they lost. She cheered and cheered with her teammates as they won the medals in the second place competition, but she later cried by herself in her room.
Josko Gvardiol became the second-most expensive defender ever after moving to Manchester City from RB Leipzig for £77 million in August 2023.
However, the Croatian international, who is 23 years old, revealed that Dinamo Zagreb was close to ending his “dream” career in football.
The center-back told BBC Sport, “I was considering quitting because I enjoy basketball as well.”
Gvardiol considered options for a career in football after struggling to get game time for Zagreb’s youth team at the age of 16.
“I wasn’t sure in football any longer because, you know, when you get to the training ground, you don’t feel happy anymore,” I said.
Because all of my friends were playing basketball, I was just trying to find other solutions and feel happier than I had before.
Gvardiol bided his time and joined the senior squad, winning back-to-back titles with Zagreb and sealing his move to the Bundesliga for a record sum for a Croatian teenager.
After making 87 appearances for RB Leipzig, Gvardiol signed a five-year deal with Manchester City in 2023, impressing in his two seasons there.
Only one defender in professional football has moved to a higher paying position, joining Manchester United from Leicester City for $80 million in 2019.
Although it was obvious that my goal was to play football professionally, Gvardiol continued, “I didn’t know that I was going to make that leap.”
Gvardiol once engaged in minute-long battles.
No defender has scored more goals in the Premier League since his arrival, making him a crucial part of Guardiola’s system.
Last season, I was like, “No matter what, how I feel, no matter if I’m fit or not, I just want to play.” “I only want to compete to support the team,” said Gvardiol.
“I could feel it on my body, especially in the summer,” he said. My knee injury was a [knee] injury, but it’s now recovered after six months.
He played more than 6, 000 minutes for the club and nation last season, appearing in 55 of City’s 61 games and missing only 140 Premier League games overall.
Gvardiol was named eighth among the top ten players by matchday squad inclusions for 2024 and 25 in a recent Fifapro report.
We can’t forget the fact that he played and played and played like he did last season, according to Guardiola.
Guardiola preferred playing Gvardiol at left-back for the majority of last year, including during a time when the reigning champions only managed one win out of 13 games.
It was Gvardiol’s first trophy-less season since 2016-17, and they remarked of their subpar form: “It was quite challenging to get out of.”
We frequently discussed it and tried to solve it. In the end, we were able to reach the FA Cup final and once more reach the Champions League.
Guardiola’s City appear to have put the problems of the previous season behind them, thanks to their summer signings.
City are now five points clear of their first three Premier League defeats, with Gvardiol making his recognizable left-sided starting debut.
He declared, “I’m happy to be back in my position.” Play as you normally would, “Protect the goal, defend the goal.”
We want to aim high this season, and it’s obvious that we have new goals. However, I like to say that the season is over, so let’s go game by game, and it’s still early to discuss our goals.
Ellen White, a former England and Manchester City forward, claimed that Gvardiol’s return to centre-back has improved the club’s defensive defense this year.
She told BBC Sport, “He was absolutely right at left-back and scored a lot of goals.”
They now concede less goals and shots, which is how the statistics speak for themselves.