Jun 7, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, UNITED STATES; Merab Dvalishvili (red gloves) reacts after defeating Sean O’Malley (not pictured) in a bantamweight title fight during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Coach John Wood Reveals His Take On A Potential Merab Dvalishvili vs Alexander Volkanovski Super Fight

Super fights get MMA fans more excited than almost anything else in the sport. When two champions from different weight classes could potentially square off, the speculation becomes endless. Merab Dvalishvili currently holds the UFC bantamweight title at 135 pounds, while Alexander Volkanovski holds the belt at 145 pounds. The matchup sounds interesting on paper, but would it actually happen? That question came up recently, and the answers might surprise you.

At the UFC 320 press conference, a reporter asked Merab Dvalishvili if he would move up to featherweight and fight Alexander Volkanovski. The Georgian champion gave a humble response that reflected his character. He said he respected Volkanovski too much to fight him and wanted to stay at 135 pounds instead. But his coach John Wood had a different take on the potential matchup, and it revealed something fascinating about what happens behind closed doors at training camp.

John Wood Says Size Wouldn’t Be An Issue For Merab Dvalishvili

Talking to Submission Radio, John Wood explained that Merab was being humble when he declined the Volkanovski fight idea. The coach has tremendous respect for Volkanovski and acknowledges his incredible accomplishments. But Wood doesn’t think the ten-pound weight difference would give Volkanovski any advantage. In fact, he suggested the opposite might be true. Wood revealed that Merab regularly trains with fighters who compete at 155 and even 170 pounds, and he’s an absolute nightmare for them in the gym.

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Merab walks around much smaller than welterweights, yet he’s apparently giving them serious problems during training sessions. Wood’s confidence comes from watching his fighter handle bigger, stronger opponents on a daily basis. Merab’s relentless pace, cardio, and wrestling ability don’t disappear just because someone outweighs him. If anything, his speed and movement give larger fighters fits because they can’t match his energy output. The coach believes that same formula would work against Volkanovski, despite the Australian’s elite striking and fight IQ.

Wood called a potential Dvalishvili versus Volkanovski fight a coin toss, meaning either man could win on any given night. That’s probably the most honest assessment possible from a corner man. He recognizes Volkanovski’s skills and championship pedigree while still believing his guy has all the tools to win.

Volkanovski has faced bigger challenges before, including moving up to UFC lightweight twice to fight Islam Makhachev. Those experiments didn’t go well for the Australian, but they showed his willingness to test himself against larger opponents. Merab represents a different kind of puzzle. He’s smaller but never stops coming forward. His cardio is legendary, and his wrestling chain attacks wear opponents down over five rounds. Wood thinks those attributes would neutralize any size advantage Volkanovski might have.

(Image Credit: Vincent Carchietta – Imagn Images)

Alexander Volkanovksi

John Wood

Merab Dvalishvili

UFC 320

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!