Legendary MMA coach John Wood of Syndicate MMA recently appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he revealed exciting news about working with pioneering women’s MMA star Gina Carano. The revelation came during an interview that primarily focused on Merab Dvalishvili’s recent loss, but took an intriguing turn when Helwani brought up footage of Carano training in Las Vegas.
When asked about what Carano is training for, Wood explained their long history: “I’ve known Gina and Kevin Ross for 20 plus years. Kevin used to live with me and Gina, they’ve been around in and out of the gym for years and years and years.”
He revealed that he received a call a few months ago about Carano wanting to return to training. “She wanted to kind of get back in shape and get back at it and had a little, you know, itch to scratch and see where it went. So, I said, ‘Absolutely.'”
Wood was effusive in his praise for the former Strikeforce star, who last competed in August 2009. “They’re such good people. Her and Kevin are just amazing people and why wouldn’t you want to have, you know, a living legend that’s somebody who paved the way for a lot of women and a lot of fighters in general, man or woman. She deserves the respect that she’s earned and it’s awesome having her in the gym and who knows where it’s going to go.”
When pressed about whether Carano wants to compete again, Wood suggested the possibility is real. “I definitely think that there is a little itch that is, you know, that to do that,” he said.
“I think that there’s, you know, when you’re a real fighter, and Gina is a real fighter, it never goes away. And then once you kind of get back in the gym and start realizing, oh s**t, I can still do this and she can, man. She’s still got some pop.”
Regarding her current form, Wood provided encouraging details about her training progress. “She’s been there for I think about a month or two now. Couple months. Doing two days just kind of getting back into shape and she’s putting in the work.”
He described her training regimen: “I got her working with some of the girls and we do a lot of mid work and control partner drills and starting to play around with some of the touch sparring and stuff and she looks great, man.”
Wood was particularly impressed with Carano’s physicality and competitive spirit. “I can tell you this right now, she still hits and kicks like a mule. You know, I would not want to get hit or kicked by her. That drive is still there. That competitive nature is super there.”
The veteran coach concluded his assessment on an optimistic note: “I see that fire there. And the willingness to get back in shape and to do it… I’m impressed with her mental state and her mindset towards it. And I think you’re going to see some interesting things.”
Carano recently posted a video on social media showing her back in the gym, hitting pads and looking noticeably leaner after shedding significant weight.
When Helwani playfully suggested a potential matchup between Carano and Ronda Rousey, Wood diplomatically declined to comment and simply responded, “Oh, I don’t know.”
