"People throw around terms so loosely" - Fans laugh off John Wood's claim of Merab Dvalishvili becoming the GOAT should he beat Umar Nurmagomedov

MMA coach John Wood recently came under fire from fans after making the bold claim that if Merab Dvalishvili wins his next fight, he should be considered the bantamweight greatest of all time.

Dvalishvili is set to defend his bantamweight belt against the No. 2 bantamweight, Umar Nurmagomedov, in the co-main event of UFC 311. The event will take place at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Ahead of the clash, Dvalishvili's head coach, Wood, asserted that ‘The Machine’ will beat Nurmagomedov and cement himself as the 135-pound division's “GOAT.”

Wood’s comment, shared by MMA Junkie on Instagram, sparked reactions from several MMA enthusiasts, who flooded the comment section, dismissing Wood’s claims.

One fan implied that the term "GOAT" is losing its credibility as it is now used so frequently, writing:

“Every other week in this sport we're naming a new greatest of all time. It's completely losing credibility at this point.”

Another user commented:

“People throw around terms so loosely they lose their validity and nobody will end up caring at all.”

One Instagram user added:

“So Merab himself says Umar doesn't deserve this, yet his coach believes if Merab beats Umar that makes him the Bantamweight GOAT? Calm down please.”

Another fan commented:

“From Umar not deserving a title shot to Merab being the GOAT if he beats him- sounds like a joke!”

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions screenshot. [Image courtesy: @mmajunkie on Instagram]

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Merab Dvalishvili reveals Aljamain Sterling's reaction to his quick acceptance of Umar Nurmagomedov fight

Merab Dvalishvili, before accepting the fight against Umar Nurmagomedov, consistently dismissed the notion of the bout, stating that the Dagestani had not done enough to earn a title fight yet and was more interested in a rematch with Sean O'Malley. However, he faced backlash from fans for avoiding the fight. But he ultimately accepted it.

The reigning bantamweight champion was interviewed by ESPN MMA, during which he revealed that his close friend and former bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, was shocked by the news. Dvalishvili shared:

"Aljo [Aljamain Sterling] was a little bit shocked, like, 'Why you take [accept the fight against Nurmagomedov] this early? You should take a good [camp of] training [before accepting it]'. I didn't even tell him before, because it was like [his] fight week."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments below (7:29):