Sure Merab Dvalishvili beat Petr Yan like no one had before, but the night saw another, bigger battle won.
Most fight fans will remember UFC Vegas 71 for Merab Dvalishvili’s dominant upset over former bantamweight champion Petr Yan Saturday.
The Tbilisi-born Dvalishvili stood up to the Russian striker for five rounds, wrestling him into what he hopes will be a humbling defeat. For Dvalishvili — who remembers being bombed by Russians as a teen in Georgia — it was a satisfying end to a bout preceded by personal attacks and tainted by current geopolitics.
But the greatest upset of the night went completely unheralded — even though it was pretty obvious to someone who’s just a casual observer of the sport, like me. Hell, I didn’t even watch the fight.
So, what, you might ask, did all of the experts miss? What critical victory was won without any mention by ring announcer Bruce Buffer?
The answer to that question is so clear even a simpleton like me can see it: The very fact that you, gentle reader, were able to take it all in and still share your thoughts about it with your friends on BloodyElbow.com is a historic win for MMA fans everywhere.
If you are reading this, chances are you’re well aware how Kid Nate and his crew here were curb-stomped recently by the economic realities of modern media. It is something that has happened to countless other journalists over the past decades. Nothing personal.
But Kid Nate and his crew at BloodyElbow took the blows like a champ, wobbled some, and got back up and to work for you, the fans who made this website a daily must-read for anyone in the business.
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About the Author: Jim Suydam is a former reporter for the Austin American Statesman and currently serves as the Director of Media Relations in the Texas A&M University System.
