Merab Dvalishvili tipped to become bantamweight GOAT by coach

UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili has been tipped to become the greatest bantamweight all of time sooner rather than later.

As we know, Merab Dvalishvili is the current king of the bantamweight division. We also know that 135 pounds is one of the most competitive weight classes in all of mixed martial arts, and that’s been the case for a long time now in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As a result of that, we haven’t really seen too many people dominate the division in comparison to others.

RELATED: Umar Nurmagomedov’s coach responds to Merab Dvalishvili claiming UFC 311 title fight is undeserved

Next weekend, Dvalishvili will defend his belt against Umar Nurmagomedov. It comes hot on the heels of him dethroning Sean O’Malley, which was considered to be one of the most impressive title fight wins of the year in 2024.

His coach John Wood, meanwhile, thinks that there is a great deal on the line for ‘The Machine’ in California.

Dvalishvili’s coach backs him for greatness

“(If) Merab goes out and beats Umar, which I believe he will, I think there’s no question that he’s the bantamweight GOAT,” Wood told Inside Fighting. “And had all those guys that he beat been title defenses, it’s not even a question now. So I think we’re looking at the next bantamweight GOAT here shortly.”

Quotes via MMA News

Given the reputation of the Nurmagomedovs as a family, we can understand why he’d put forward this kind of idea. In equal measure, there are lots of other previous bantamweight champions who would probably disagree with this.

Do you believe Merab Dvalishvili could soon become the greatest bantamweight of all time? How do you expect his bout with Umar Nurmagomedov will go, and do you expect we will see a finish? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!