Review: Total MMA. Inside Ultimate Fighting
The back cover summary of Total MMA explains that it will "arm you with all the history and information you need to understand the contemporary world of Mixed Martial Arts", and to be honest I was a little leary that it might turn out to be an uninformed piece written to capitalize on the growing popularity of MMA. After reading the first paragraph I was at least relieved to find that the author is clearly a fan of the sport. Jonathan Snowden, chose to depict the buildup to Wandy vs Chuck, a true MMA fan's wet dream. It doesn't take much further reading to realize Snowden really knows his stuff, and why shouldn't he, he's the editor for the UK's aptly named Total MMA news site. The result: a fantastic book.
I absolutely enjoyed this book. Maybe a little too much. Halfway through I tried looking at it from a non-fan's perspective, to determine if it still had legs. Fan or no, Total MMA stands tall whether you've been following the sport from its earliest days, or can't tell Ken Shamrock from the Lucky Charms leprechaun. It reads like a good documentary, and Snowden expertly weaves together the events from Mixed Martial Arts' humble beginnings to the mainstream popularity it enjoys today. To paraphrase the mighty Tenacious D,
And its not just a list of bullshit that was done in the past
It's a chronicling of MMA's rise, to power!
Total MMA is exactly that. It is the essential source for MMA's growth from street fights in Brazil and Japan, to barely surviving as "human cockfighting", to North America's fastest growing sport. An especially interesting and relevant read in this economic downturn as the UFC proves to be recession proof.
Snowden does a tremendous job of piecing together the most interesting and important events of MMA evolution from around the world and stitching it all together into a story that is easy to pick up but hard to put down. I tried to keep track of all the good anecdotes I wanted to mention, but by page 36 I finally threw in the towel as there were simply too many of them. For the hardcore MMA fan, the events described in the book may not be new, but I am willing to bet even the hardest of the hard core doesn't know the whole story behind each one as it is provided here in this book. Do you know which camp would have put the TUF antics to shame? How about where Vernon "Tiger" White got his nickname? Are you privy to the business decisions that were made that molded the sport as we know it today? Total MMA will educate you son!
Snowden's being a fan of the sport shines through in his writing. He describes the past exploits of Gracie vs Kimura and Santana with the flair and hype of a modern day UFC title fight. It is only in these instances where you will want to put the book down, if only to find the video on Youtube (I'll save you the trouble here and here). He is able to put weight behind each moment in MMA's history, describe to the reader the big turning points, the memorable fights, and legendary characters. The sense of history is so strong, it will make you want to go back and bust out your old UFC tournament VHS tapes. The quote provided early on,
The ninja that Pat Smith beat up at UFC 2? His bloody face did as much to launch the UFC as anything.
made me grin, as UFC 2 was my first pay-per-view and I used to tell people about that fight for years afterward.
Total MMA is not just a tome of worship to the MMA gods though. Criticism is not held back, and is aptly given where it is deserved. The beloved legends of the sport are not spared either. The Gracie family, Ken Shamrock, Bas Rutten, the list goes on. Throughout you will learn of their contradictions, brash actions, brutal behavior, questionable fights and more backed up by facts and quotes by the people who were there. It is very welcome and enlightening look at the real people in the industry.
If there is one criticism, if you can even call it that, is that the second half of the book revolves more heavily around the UFC point of view. Though this is generally more a consequence of their being the overwhelmingly dominant entity for that period.
Overall an awesome read. I will definitely be picking up a followup to this as soon as the crazy world of MMA provides enough material for a part 2. Unless you've been living under a rock lately, you must have had some exposure to Mixed Martial Arts, and in that case I say to you, you will get a kick out of Total MMA.
he would test their heart, their soul, and their capacity for pain. To produce the world's best fighters, the Den needed a steady influx of pain.