News flash for those still pooh-poohing Mixed Martial Arts: The biggest fighting event the city has seen since 1972 will debut in Omaha on Wednesday. The unindoctrinated may not realize it, and boxing fans may not like it, but MMA already has soared past niche sports level and has its sights set on the stratosphere occupied by the NFL, major league baseball, NASCAR and the NBA. And Omaha appears to be on board, with Fight Night in Omaha — televised nationally by Spike TV — possibly just the beginning.

“They’re just dangling the carrot out there for us,” said Mick Doyle, an Omaha gym owner and trainer of MMA fighters. “It’s going to be absolutely huge.”

Easily selling out the Civic Auditorium will go a long way toward getting bigger UFC events to Omaha, perhaps even a pay-per-view event, but there are other growth indicators locally.

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