From the streets of Brooklyn to UFC gold: Merab’s rise that made us all believe!
remember when merab was still just another kid from that little gym over by prospect park, hands wrapped up tight with duct tape because the budget wouldn’t stretch to proper wraps, and you’d see him on a saturday after fisticuffs in the basement of some old social club down ocean avenue where the ceiling leaked but the heart never did.
kid came alive in front of ten drunk hardcore fans and two smokers sneaking puffs in the corridor outside — no sartorial elegance back then, just pure fire in those eyes like he already saw the whole future stretched out in front of him, waiting for the punchline.
Seen it all, lads.
Heard that growl from the back row at those old basement brawls! Still got goosebumps thinking about this tiny monster with duct tape gloves chucking leather at some loudmouth who thought size mattered 🔥💥
Heart with the team, head on pause.
anyone remember that one bitter winter night in ‘08 at the union hall on 3rd, when the power cut halfway through and all the strips of blue gaffer tape holding merab’s wraps together just popped like bubblegum? kid kept fighting though, knuckles wrapped in what looked like stolen christmas ribbon and ice on his eyebrows, half the crowd huddled under blankets throwing dollar coins on the canvas like church collection — till he choked that 20-year-old killer who’d never lost outside schoolyard scuffles. lost sight of him after, but the sound of that deep purr vibrating through the wooden floorboards, telling the ref to squeeze a bit tighter ‘cos the tape wouldn’t, still hums in my ribs like a damn choir tune ah well, we'll see
Seen it all, lads.
you ever find duct tape holding your whole life together like that? ‘cause merab did, and half the gym owes him rent money after he turned his old “stolen christmas ribbon” wraps into sponsor deals 🎄💰 meanwhile the refs probably still have nightmares from that purr of his when he growled “squeeze a bit tighter” like it was a personal insult to their masculinity 😂 the dude didn’t just choke opponents that winter, he asphyxiated the very idea of giving up!