Dec 6, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Merab Dvalishvili (red gloves) fights Petr Yan (blue gloves) during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

mma

Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach Speaks Out On Why He Insisted He Was Winning Despite The UFC 323 Outcome

Dec 6, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, UNITED STATES; Merab Dvalishvili (red gloves) fights Petr Yan (blue gloves) during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Coaches see fights differently than judges, fans, or even the fighters themselves during battle. They focus on executing game plans, controlling pace, and implementing specific strategies rehearsed in training camp. Sometimes what looks like control from the corner doesn’t translate to winning rounds on scorecards. And that’s what happened with Merab Dvalishvili’s corner at UFC 323.

John Wood has coached Dvalishvili through his incredible rise to bantamweight champion and successful title defenses throughout 2025. The veteran cornerman watched his fighter dominate Petr Yan in their first meeting, securing a convincing unanimous decision. Saturday night at UFC 323 told a completely different story, with Yan reclaiming championship gold. Now Merab Dvalishvili’s coach speaks out on why he insisted he was winning despite the UFC 323 outcome, explaining his perspective from the corner and what ultimately cost them the belt in their devastating title loss.

The Corner’s Perspective During The Fight

Wood spoke candidly with MMA Fighting about the rough weekend and heartbreaking result. He admitted it felt like waking up from a nightmare that doesn’t go away. But his assessment of the UFC 323 fight itself reveals the gap between what coaches see and what judges score.

Wood stated he thought they were winning and controlling the action throughout the fight. He believed Dvalishvili was pressing forward and doing what they needed to do based on their game plan. From Wood’s perspective in the corner, his fighter was implementing strategies effectively and maintaining the pace that made him champion.

“I thought we were winning and controlling, and I thought we were pressing and doing what we needed to do. Petr definitely had the bigger moments, and I think that shifted [the fight], and you just don’t know… He had the bigger moments in those things, and that really did account for the damage and the blood; those were the things that added up and took over.”

Wood acknowledged that Yan definitely had the bigger moments, and those bigger moments shifted the fight on the scorecards. He recognized that no one knows how judges will value certain exchanges until cards get read. Those bigger moments accounted for the damage and blood that became visible as rounds progressed. Those visual elements added up and took over in judges’ minds, overriding whatever control Wood perceived from the corner.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

John Wood

Merab Dvalishvili

Petr Yan

UFC 323

Zaid Quraishi

mma

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!