Tag: john wood

Khalil Rountree Delivers Motivational Speech To His Teammates

Khalil Rountree gave a good account of himself in the main event of UFC 307 despite being a sizable underdog. Many expected that Alex Pereira would defend his lightweight title in Salt Lake City but the feeling was that the fight would be entertaining for however long it lasted. In the end, the challenger made […]

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Khalil Rountree gave a good account of himself in the main event of UFC 307 despite being a sizable underdog.

Many expected that Alex Pereira would defend his lightweight title in Salt Lake City but the feeling was that the fight would be entertaining for however long it lasted.

In the end, the challenger made it competitive in the first three rounds but started to slow down and when he did, an incredible display of toughness kept him in there as “Poatan” looked to close the show.

Just days after the biggest fight of his career, Rountree returned to his home base of Syndicate MMA where his coach, John Wood, used his fighter as a role model for others to follow.

“As a coach guys, there’s not much more, obviously the best thing is always to go out and get a win and that’s what we’re always looking to do and have that success but all I ask for you guys, one way or the other, is go out and fight your a** off. Go out on your shield like this man did the other night. Shock the world, proved to a lot of people that he deserves to be there, proved to himself, proved to all of us what we already knew, that he’s one of the best in the world so congratulations.”

Khalil Rountree Tells His Teammates That UFC 307 Setback Had Motivated Him And Should Do The Same For Them

Rountree then gave his own speech where he reflected on the fight and his performance against one of the biggest stars in the sport.

His interviews on fight week both before and after the contest featured a lot of talk about self belief and gratitude.

This was still the case in the words he said days after UFC 307, telling his teammates that he wanted to thank them for their support and share the positives that he was able to take away from the defeat.

“I’ve gone out there and like represented Syndicate. I think that like not only was I the underdog but it just shows like I’ve been training out of this place for so long and we don’t need all this crazy s***, we don’t need all these guys from all around the world. We just need us, we got enough people here on the mats to make sure that we can go and fight for a title and show who we are so yeah. I just wanted to swing by, I saw everybody’s support in the IG group so I thought let me just go say what’s up to everybody.

“But yeah, hell of a fight. Dude was big. Dude was big, I tried to use whatever tools I can but it motivated me. I think like just to know that I went in there and put up the fight that I had but I’m not done. We’re not done here, I know Syndicate we’re gonna keep going so yeah, appreciate you guys.”

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Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

Merab Dvalishvili has won ten consecutive UFC fights to find himself as the number one contender in the bantamweight division. In many of his signature wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, José Aldo and Petr Yan, it has been his relentless cardio and grappling game that usually sees him dominate opponents. Though the Georgian […]

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Merab Dvalishvili has won ten consecutive UFC fights to find himself as the number one contender in the bantamweight division.

In many of his signature wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, José Aldo and Petr Yan, it has been his relentless cardio and grappling game that usually sees him dominate opponents.

Though the Georgian fighter has shown a willingness to test his striking skills rather than constantly chaining together his takedown attempts, he has been hurt several times whilst standing with other contenders.

While it is important for Dvalishvili to not be too one dimensional in his upcoming title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, his coach is also very aware that this is where they have the best chance of winning this fight.

John Wood Says It’s Important For Merab Dvalishvili To Use His Grappling Skill Set At UFC 306

O’Malley and Dvalishvili are far too accomplished as overall mixed martial arts to refer to this fight as entirely a striker vs grappler match-up, but it’s clear that they do their best work in the respective ranges.

This is something that was stressed by John Wood in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, where he spoke about Dvalishvili’s preparations.

He isn’t going to be training his fighter to neglect his striking skills but at the same time, he knows that if they aren’t looking to use their grappling whenever they can, they’re making it an easier night for the champion on September 14.

“I never want to overlook what got Merab to the dance, what brought Merab into this title fight and we have to try to keep those things in check and not lose ourselves. ‘Oh we have to go learn traditional boxing, we have to learn striking, we have to do these things to compete with O’Malley,’ because that’s how we’re going to get knocked out. Merab is a crazy man we just have to make him a technical crazy man.”

Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

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Sean Strickland Details Leaving UFC Champion Coach’s Gym Because He Was Not A ‘Leader’: ‘Don’t Think He Carries The Passion For It…’

Sean Strickland appears to have landed in the perfect gym for his training style. For starters, his heavy emphasis on sparring is helped by how many fighters are always passing through the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. He has also been able to develop a great relationship with the head coach, Eric Nicksick, who […]

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Sean Strickland appears to have landed in the perfect gym for his training style.

For starters, his heavy emphasis on sparring is helped by how many fighters are always passing through the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas.

He has also been able to develop a great relationship with the head coach, Eric Nicksick, who is able to handle Strickland’s zany energy.

Before he found his way to Xtreme Couture, the former UFC middleweight champion was training out of another top gym – but it didn’t suit him quite as well.

Sean Strickland Compares The Coaching Styles Of Eric Nicksick And John Wood

Syndicate MMA, also in Las Vegas, is another gym that has achieved a lot of success at the highest level of the sport.

Veteran coach John Wood has been in the corner of several UFC champions, including Weili Zhang and most recently, Merab Dvalishvili.

Strickland eventually decided to leave Syndicate before making his way to Xtreme Couture, for a few different reasons.

One of those reasons was his connection with Nicksick that was very different to the relationship that he had with Wood, due to their different coaching styles.

On a recent episode of Nicksick’s Verse Us podcast, Strickland explained the difference between them and why he felt more at home after making the switch,

“Let’s say John wrote an entire book on MMA and you’re like, ‘Oh that’s a good book,’ and say Eric would write a pamphlet, that pamphlet will take you farther than that book, you know what I’m saying? Because like Eric is a leader. He knows how to implement it, he knows how to push it and he knows how to do it.

“John, on the other hand, he’s more of like, I don’t think he carries the passion for it like you watch, you come to a Monday practice, Eric’s f****** involved bro. The amount of energy he brings, like he is f****** involved. You go to a Syndicate practice, it’s like, ‘Alright we’re going to do wall stuff for like five minutes’.”

Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals UFC Rules He Would Change: ‘Aljo Does It…’

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Dvalishvili’s Coach Admits He Too Trash Talked O’Malley’s Corner During Fight

Merab Dvalishvili’s head coach, John Wood, recently revealed what he, too, yelled at Sean O’Malley’s corner, specifically his coach Tim Welch, during the heat of their clash at Noche UFC 306. “The Machine” put on a dominant display against reigning champion O’Malley, claiming the UFC bantamweight title last Saturday inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, […]

Continue Reading Dvalishvili’s Coach Admits He Too Trash Talked O’Malley’s Corner During Fight at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili’s head coach, John Wood, recently revealed what he, too, yelled at Sean O’Malley’s corner, specifically his coach Tim Welch, during the heat of their clash at Noche UFC 306.

“The Machine” put on a dominant display against reigning champion O’Malley, claiming the UFC bantamweight title last Saturday inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dvalishvili commanded the majority of the bout, expertly delivering well-timed takedowns to counter “Suga” and keep him at arm’s length. Ultimately, the Georgian powerhouse walked away with a decisive unanimous decision win.

While Dvalishvili commanded the entire bout, effortlessly executing his game plan, the real stir came when the newly crowned champion suddenly interrupted the proceedings, fiercely gesturing towards O’Malley’s corner just moments into the fight. The sequence triggered swift intervention from referee Herb Dean.

In a recent tweet, Dvalishvili revealed that Welch was trying to pull the same stunt he had used against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last year. Welch had shouted instructions, seemingly to trick Sterling into believing they came from his own corner during his fight with O’Malley. This time, he attempted the same tactic at Noche UFC 306, which is why “The Machine” immediately protested.

Although Dvalishvili didn’t fall for the ruse, Wood claims he decided to play the same card against O’Malley himself…

Wood Takes A Swing At Welch, Tells Him To Leave Trash Talk To The Fighters

During a recent interview with MMAFightingonSBN, Wood weighed in on the fiasco between Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s corner at Noche UFC 306. The seasoned MMA coach expressed that, while he respects Welch as a person, his antics to distract opponents don’t align with the true spirit of the sport. Wood admitted that after seeing Welch’s attempts to mess with his fighter, he decided to turn the tables, using a similar tactic on “Suga”—but with his own twist.

“That’s not our job, Wood said. “I’m not trashing Tim for anything he does. I respect Tim, but it is a bullsh*t move. I was yelling at Tim across the cage several times when Sean would mess up, and I was making sure Sean heard me calling out everything that he wanted to throw. When he would do something stupid, I caught myself a couple of times in the fight, going, ‘Tim, did you teach him that? That was terrible’ across the cage.”

Wood didn’t hold back and fired yet another salvo at “Suga’s” coach, criticizing him for trying to rattle Dvalishvili during the media events. He advised Welch to leave the trash-talking to the fighters where it belongs.

“Fighters are there to trash talk, to build the fight, do their thing, whether they like each other, don’t like each other, but I don’t think it’s a place for coaches to get in. Tim was doing some stuff beforehand, like at the weigh-ins, he was talking sh*t to Merab on camera, saying things, and that’s fine. If you really feel like you need that mental edge, and especially if you could see how fragile Sean was and how quickly he broke, maybe they do. But like I said, I have nothing against Tim. The tactics, I wouldn’t do it; I don’t need the shine. I don’t need to be the guy in front of my fighter looking to get any kind of attention.”

Continue Reading Dvalishvili’s Coach Admits He Too Trash Talked O’Malley’s Corner During Fight at MMA News.

Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

Heading into the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for a high-stakes chess match in the main event of UFC 306. Many will point to the grappling skills as the clear advantage that Dvalishvili has over the bantamweight champion,…

Heading into the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for a high-stakes chess match in the main event of UFC 306. Many will point to the grappling skills as the clear advantage that Dvalishvili has over the bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley. The issue is getting to “Suga” without taking significant damage requires […]

Continue Reading Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306 at MMA News.

Coach: Donald Cerrone Ready To Open Can Of Whoop-Ass At UFC 249

CerroneDonald Cerrone will be looking to make a statement at UFC 249. “Cowboy” returns to action for the first time since his defeat to Conor McGregor in January when he faces Anthony Pettis in a rematch on the featured prelim of the event taking place May 9. Cerrone is currently on a three-fight losing streak […]

Cerrone

Donald Cerrone will be looking to make a statement at UFC 249.

“Cowboy” returns to action for the first time since his defeat to Conor McGregor in January when he faces Anthony Pettis in a rematch on the featured prelim of the event taking place May 9.

Cerrone is currently on a three-fight losing streak after defeats to Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje and McGregor. He also notably lost his first meeting with Pettis back in 2013 via first-round TKO.

However, he is fired up to compete next month according to Syndicate MMA head coach John Wood, who has been helping him train ahead of the bout at the former’s ranch in New Mexico.

“From what I see, he’s pretty much the same,” Wood told MMA Fighting. “Whoever you put in there (with him) he’s ready to fight. I think anytime you lose to somebody, there’s always a little revenge factor going into it to try to get that back. That may be in the back of his head. I’m positive this fight’s going to go a little bit different.

“I know right now that he’s fired up coming off a couple of losses. He wants to get back there and in the winner’s and he’s definitely saying, doing the right things. I believe you’re gonna see a fired up Cowboy ready to open up a can of whoop-ass, that’s for sure.”

Like Cerrone, Pettis is also a fan-friendly fighter that is currently on a losing streak, having lost his last two outings. That makes their welterweight matchup have all the makings of a classic with Wood predicting Cerrone to get the finish.

“I don’t think it goes the distance and I think Donald gets his hand raised,” Wood added. “There’s multiple ways (Donald can win). A lot of people think of Cowboy just being this striking guy and his striking is amazing, but he is so slick on the ground. His wrestling is good, his grappling is sick, his submissions are slick. He can win it anywhere: a dogfight, going the distance.

“I don’t see this going the full three rounds and I definitely see Donald winning it.”

How do you see Cerrone vs. Pettis 2 going?