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Pavel Andrusca Shines In UFC Paris Debut After Accepting Nathaniel Wood Fight On Just Five Days’ Notice Pavel Andrusca turned a five-day notice opportunity into a statement at UFC Paris, overwhelming Nathaniel Wood with relentless grappling and bloody ground-and-pound to remain undefeated in his promotional debut. The Moldovan stepped in after Mairon Santos withdrew from the featherweight matchup, leaving Andrusca with virtually no time to prepare for his UFC arrival. Despite the circumstances, the 24-year-old showed no hesitation from the opening bell at Accor Arena. Andrusca immediately brought pressure, landing a sharp right hand before repeatedly mixing his striking with takedown attempts. Wood managed to use the cage to escape early danger, but Andrusca continued forcing exchanges and landed a flying knee, right hand and short elbow before the opening round ended. UFC Paris: Pavel Andrusca Breaks Down Nathaniel Wood In Brutal Final Round Nathaniel Wood changed the complexion of the fight in the second, catching Pavel Andrusca with a heavy right hand that dropped the debutant. Rather than allowing the veteran to capitalize, Andrusca immediately turned to his wrestling, recovering with a takedown and later threatening an arm-triangle choke. The Moldovan maintained that approach in the third, repeatedly shooting underneath Wood’s strikes and dragging him back into grappling exchanges. Once he pinned Wood against the fence, Andrusca began unloading short punches, elbows and knees, eventually opening a nasty cut on the British veteran’s head. Wood survived and briefly found top position late, but he could not produce the damage needed to steal the round. Andrusca remained active until the final horn, sealing one of the most impressive short-notice performances of UFC Paris. The judges rewarded his effort with a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 unanimous decision, moving Andrusca to 9-0 and extending his perfect record. Meanwhile, Wood dropped to 23-7.