Coach John Wood believes Merab Dvalishvili’s failed fourth title defense in 2025 was partly the result of chasing finishes instead of leaning on the style that made him champion, and he expects that to change in a potential third fight with Petr Yan.
Coach says Merab Dvalishvili tried too hard to get finishes in defenses, aims to fix it for Petr Yan 3
In a recent sit‑down at Syndicate MMA with Jake Noecker for Home of Fight, Wood admitted the team “focused a little too much on chasing finishes, breaking guys and looking for knockouts,” before stressing that “Merab just needs to go be Merab” and that it is his responsibility as coach to keep the champion aligned with his strengths.
Dvalishvili’s schedule at bantamweight was unusually heavy: he entered UFC 323 on December 6, 2025 looking to become the first UFC champion to defend a belt four times in a single calendar year, having already turned back Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January, Sean O’Malley in their June rematch at UFC 316, and Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 in October.
He lost the title to Yan by unanimous decision in their second meeting, a high‑volume fight that earned another Fight of the Night bonus but left his team examining what went wrong after such an active run. Wood has since described that stretch as “a lot,” pointing to the demands of four championship training camps and the cumulative wear that comes with it.
The numbers from those defenses underline how Dvalishvili leaned into pressure and output. Against Nurmagomedov, he threw 293 total strikes to 259, then upped that pace to 215 thrown to 115 landed by O’Malley in the June rematch, and 399 attempts against Sandhagen with 243 connects, all while mixing in his trademark clinch and wrestling sequences. Even in the losing effort against Yan at UFC 323, Dvalishvili still attempted 458 total strikes and out‑landed the former champion 196–134, but he struggled to turn volume into clear, damaging moments on the scorecards. That contrast between pressure and finishing threat sits at the heart of Wood’s current adjustment.
In the interview, Wood framed the next step as dialing back the chase for highlight‑reel moments in favor of the grinding, pace‑heavy approach that built Dvalishvili’s long winning streak and title run.
He praised Merab as “the type of guy where, if you tell him to do something, he’ll do it,” then accepted blame for steering him toward forcing stoppages instead of trusting the style that had already beaten Yan once in their first five‑round fight back in 2023.
As talks build for a trilogy with Yan following their 2025 rematch, Wood’s message is clear: the focus will be on structure, discipline, and letting Dvalishvili’s pace, wrestling, and cardio decide the fight rather than chasing the finish that slipped away during his historic but punishing title‑defense schedule.
