Bektic ducked, grabbed his legs, and drove him to the mat again.
“Fifteen seconds!” Liborio yelled.
They were a tangle of arms and legs, like two brothers punching and kicking at each other in a scuffle on the living room carpet.
The bell sounded. Bektic climbed to his feet and staggered away, his arms in the air.
They were called to the center of the cage for the decision. Bektic closed his eyes and prayed out loud: Thank you, God, for keeping me safe, and for this opportunity in my life.
As the ref raised his hand, he yelled in joy.
Liborio rushed to Bektic, lifted him up, placed him on his shoulders, and carried him around the cage.
Bektic, his head thrown back, pumped his arms above his head.
Mirso! Mirso! Mirso! the chants rang down.
He thought of the faith Liborio had in him, his family, all the people who had been writing to tell him he inspired them, that he showed them what was possible. He felt the weight he had to carry. There was a long way to go.
Acknowledgments
I began this book with little knowledge of the world of fighting and received a crash course from some of the best in the business. I am grateful to Jeff Monson, Steve Mocco, Daniel Straus, Mirsad Bektic, Sirwan Kakai, Ricardo Liborio, Kami Barzini, and Paul Gavoni for their patience and generosity of spirit. Thanks as well to their families and friends, including the Moccos, the Bektics, Jen Monson, Dani Monson, Rachel Lipson, the Daniel Straus entourage, Misti Liborio, and Francesca Barzini.
Many others at American Top Team took the time to share both camaraderie and insights. In no particular order: Dan Lambert, Conan Silveira, Nathan Coy, Kenny “Deuce” Garner, Will Lenzner, Roger Krahl, Mike Brown, Rich Attonito, Marcos Da Matta, Richie Guerriero, Jorge Masvidal, Thiago Alves, Dustin Poirier, Robbie Lawler, Brad Pickett, Michelle Ingels, Paulina Indara, Din Thomas, Emyr Bussade, Fatih Cam, Jason High, Carmelo Marrero, Kelly Anundson, Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal, Renato Tavares, Rian Gittman, Tyron Woodley, Gleison Tibau, Yves Edwards, Luciano Maccarão, John Hackleman, Chuck Eisenbeis, Bret White, Ryan Stoddard, Shaughn Koukos, J.P. Reese, Alan Abeles, Bob Deluca, Colby Covington, Ryan Quinn, Dan Cramer, Everton Bittar Oliveira, Aaron Rajman, Devin Cole, Jake Heun, Mike Graves, Shawn Jordan, Randy Barosso.
My brothers, Dave and Nik Merlino, provided crucial moral support as this project unfolded, as did my mom, Michelle Merlino, and stepmom, Lynn Merlino. I am also indebted to Don Stevens and Duke Vogt for going above and beyond during a difficult period.
It would be impossible to get over without friends. Many thanks to Alisa Weinstein, Brandon Sprague, Charles Hack, Tom Zoellner, Dino Christofilis, Damian Joseph, Robin Shulman, Roxanne Bartlett and Charlie Frey, Chris O’Connell, Nigel Hatton, Jim Rudd, Damon Agnos, Kristina Shevory, John Ostrowski, Brendan Koerner, Ben Schneider, Josh Prager, Minky Worden, Jonathan Collier, David Evanier, Susan Cingari, Todd Dayton, and Carole-Anne Elliott.
Eddie Goldman and Jim Genia, two estimable MMA journalists, provided insight and guidance. Josh Rosenblatt of Fightland published several of my pieces and was a great sounding board about the sport and business. Jackson Galka introduced me to the local MMA scene in Philadelphia.
Beowulf Sheehan spent a week at the gym shooting many of the beautiful photographs that grace this book. The Writers Room in New York City supplied a peaceful, quiet place to work. Lucinda Bartley provided incisive comments on the manuscript. Thanks to Joe Hurst and the Kakavitsas family for one of the most fun and unexpected weekends of my life. In Saint Petersburg, I enjoyed Nabokov tourism and vodka with Richard and Vera Gachot. A random conversation with Barrett Lee inspired this whole undertaking. Anne Marie Hanson was the best neighbor a person could wish for.
My agent, Zoë Pagnamenta, deftly steered this project through the shoals of publishing, and Sarah Levitt has helped shepherd it forward.
I was fortunate to work with two outstanding editors. Pete Beatty helped develop the concept. Rachel Mannheimer greatly sharpened and focused the story that emerged.
As always, my deepest debt is to Tracey Gurd, who not only fully supported this project from the beginning but even, to her great surprise, became an avid MMA fan. It would be impossible to overstate her impact on this work.
A Note on Sources
This book is based almost entirely on firsthand reporting, but three books were particularly helpful for understanding the history of the sport: Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting (Toronto: ECW Press, 2008) by Jonathan Snowden; No Holds Barred: The Complete History of Mixed Martial Arts in America (Chicago: Triumph Books, 2011) by Clyde Gentry III; and Brawl: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Mixed Martial Arts Competition (Toronto: ECW Press, 2002) by Erich Krauss.
The reporting and analysis of Dave Meltzer, founder of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, greatly helped to understand the business side of the sport.
The websites Sherdog.com, MMAFighting.com, CagePotato.com, and BloodyElbow.com were essential daily reading.
Index
Abbott, Tank, here
Abu Dhabi grappling tournament, here, here, here, here
Aldridge, Lou, here, here
Ali, Muhammad, here
Alvarez, Eddie, here, here, here
Alves, Thiago, here, here, here, here
AMC Pankration, here
American Kickboxing Academy (San Jose), here, here
American Top Team gym (ATT), here
Brazilian fighters and, here, here
classes and kids’ programs at, here, here
core groups of fighters at, here
culture of fitness at, here
described, here
as elite MMA gym, here, here
fighters in Orlando bout (April, 2014), here, here, here, here
fighters’ rivalries and allegiances at, here
founding of, here
hierarchy at, here
and housing for fighters, here, here
logo of, here
owner of, here
profitability of, here
satellite gyms, here, here
sense of family at, here, here, here
shows of uncontrolled aggression between fighters at, here
successful fighters trained at, here, here
training at, here, here, here, here
tryouts for new talent at, here
Arona, Ricardo, here
Askren, Ben, here
ATT. See American Top Team gym
Attonito, Rich, here, here, here
audience at MMA fights
blood-lust in, here
descriptions of, here
disorderly conduct in, here, here
sources of pleasure for, Straus on, here
Barnett, Josh, here
Barzini, Francesca (wife), here, here
Barzini, Kami, here
as ATT wrestling coach, here, here
background of, here, here
as Bektic coach, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
character of, here, here
joining of ATT, here
Lawal and, here
on MMA, benefits of, here
and Mocco
friendship with, here
training of, here
near-deportation of, here
on Pyscho Switch, here
as role model for young men, here
and sparring practice, here
sparring with author, here
on worry about possible injuries to fighters he trains, here
Battlecade: Extreme Fighting, here
beast, as term, here
Beast Mode, here
Bektic, Mirsad, here, here, here, here, here
and ATT, changing relationships at, here
and austere life of MMA fighters, here
background of, here, here, here, here, here, here
Bosnian fans of, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
brothers of
childhood bullying and, her
e
and flight from Bosnia, here
lessons learned from, here
support of, here, here, here, here
career prospects of, here, here
character of, here, here, here, here, here
daily life of, here, here
fear of failure in, here
friendship with Kakai, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
and girlfriend, difficulties of relationship with, here, here
injuries, here
interviews, here
Jenkins fight, here
after-fight dejection, here, here
Bosnian fans at, here, here, here, here
at hotel, pre-fight, here
pre-fight warm-up, here
Macias fight, here
post-fight activities, here
pre-fight activities, here, here
weigh-in for, here, here
weight cut for, here
motivational aids used by, here, here, here, here, here, here
motives for fighting, here
notebook kept by, here
pay per fight, here
Pearson fight, here
religious faith of, here, here, here
in Resurrection Fighting Alliance, here, here, here
as rising star, here, here
Skelly fight, here
dream prior to, here
night-before activities, here
pre-fight activities, here
weigh-in, here, here
social life, efforts to broaden, here
sports psychology sessions, here, here
and success, difficult road to, here
tour of childhood neighborhood by, here
training by, here, here, here
and UFC
first fight for, here
hopes of fighting in, here, here, here
visit to mother’s home, here
win-loss record, here
Belfort, Vitor, here
Bellator Fighting Championship
Alvarez lawsuit and, here
fighters’ pay in, here
Lawal in, here
as second-tier competition, here, here
Straus in, here, here, here
and contract negotiations, here
and exploitation of fighters, here
and Straus’s title fight, here, here
as Viacom property, here, here, here
Betzold, Matt, here, here
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Tahnoon, here, here
Bisping, Michael, here
Bloodsport (film), here
Bonnar, Stephan, here, here
books on MMA, here
Bowling, Roger, here
boxing, as key component of MMA, here
brain
fear and rage circuits in, here
punches to head and, here, here
Brazilian-style jiu jitsu
coming of to U.S., here
history of, here
lack of visual appeal, here
Brazilian Top Team, here
Brooks, Rashad, here
Brown, Jim, here
Brown, Mike
as ATT top fighter, here
Bektic and, here
earnings as fighter, here
fighting career of, here
at Liborio’s potluck dinner, here
and Mocco, training of, here, here
move to ATT gym, here
permanent injuries of, here
and sparring practice, here
Browne, Travis, here
Buffer, Bruce, here, here
Bustamante, Murilo, here
Carmouche, Liz, here
catch wrestling, here, here
Chandler, Michael, here, here
circuses and carnivals, wrestlers traveling with, here
coaches in MMA, characteristics of, here
Cochrane, Dakota, here
Cole, Devin, here
Coleman, Mark, here, here
Connery, Sean, here
Cormier, Daniel, here
Couture, Randy, here, here, here
Coy, Nathan, here
Craig, Daniel, here
Curran, Pat
loss of title, here
regaining of title, here
Strauss’ wait for challenge against, here, here, here, here, here, here
D’Amato, Cus, here
D’Andrea, Martie, here, here, here, here, here, here
Davie, Art, here
Donner, Richard, here
Drake, Marcos, here, here
Duarte, Hugo, here
Duarte, Luis Roberto, here
du Pont, John Eleuthère, here, here
Dzhepisov, Shakhmaral, here
Emelianenko, Aleksander, here, here, here, here, here
Emelianenko, Fedor, here, here, here, here, here
The End of Men and the Rise of Women (Rosin), here
endorsements, money made from, here
EPO (erythropoietin), here
Espino, Juan, here
Faber, Urijah, here
fame of MMA fighters
limited impact of, here
Monson on surrealness of, here
family
sense of, in MMA gyms, here, here, here
and travel, here
fans. See audience at MMA fights; UFC Fan Expo
fear circuit in brain, here
Fertitta, Frank III, here
Fertitta, Lorenzo, here
fighters. See also pay for fighters
adrenaline dumps in, author’s experience of, here, here
as aspirational models for men’s bodies, here
broken, here, here
control over body and mind, here
deaths of, here
dedication to training, here
and demands of sports entertainment business, here
and diversity, acceptance of, here
elite
as artists, here
dedication required from, here
end-of-fight embrace between, here
endorsements and, here
expenses incurred by, here
frequency of fights for, here
lack of health insurance or pensions, here
low-weight, dependence on speed, here
motives for training and fighting, here, here
out-of-ring demeanor of, here
prima donna behavior in, here
and rage, harnessing of, here, here
range of career outcomes for, here
sensitivity to relative status, here, here
showcasing of on The Ultimate Fighter TV show, here
stamina required by, here
and struggle to rise above adversity, here
will power of, here, here
will to succeed in, here
fighters’ careers
employment following, here
importance of each fight to, here, here, here, here, here
importance of standing out, here, here
and social media, here
Sonnen’s fame as model of, here, here
fight season, here
Ford, Ryan, here
Four Kings jiu jitsu experts, here
Fox, Fallon, here
Foxcatcher wrestling camp, here
Fox Network, UFC contract, here
Frazier, Zane, here
Furby, Brian, here
Gavoni, Paul
appearance of, here
background, here, here
first meeting with Monson, here
with Monson in Russia, here, here, here, here
Monson’s late career fights and, here, here
on motives for MMA training, here
training of Monson, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
gender roles, MMA fighting and, here
glima, here
Gordeau, Gerard, here, here
Gracie, Carlos, here, here
Gracie, Carlson, here, here, here
Gracie, Helio, here, here, here, here, here
Gracie, Rickson, here
Gracie, Rorion, here
Gracie, Royce, here, here, here, here, here
Gracies in Action (film), here
Griffin, Forrest, here, here
Guccione, Bob, here
Guylain, Booto, here
gyms, profitability of, here
Hackleman, John, here, here, here, here, here
Hallman, Dennis, here
Hatem, Euclydes “Tatu,” here
Hayes, Mike, here
Henderson, Dan, here, here, here
Hendricks, Johny, here, here
Heun, Jake, here, here
human growth hormone, here
Hume, Matt, here, here, here, here
Inoki, Antonio, here
International Fighting Championships, here
Iran
and Iran-Iraq War, here
Islamic Revolution in, here
wrestling tradition in, here, here
Ishii, Satoshi, here, here
Jackson, Greg, here, here
Jackson, Quinton “Rampage,” here, here
Jackson Winklejohn Gym (Albuquerque), here
Japan
and jiu jitsu, here, here
MMA fighting in, here, here, here, here, here, here
PRIDE promotion in, here
shoot fighting in, here
Jeet Kun Do, here, here
Jenkins, Doug, here, here, here
Jimmerson, Art, here
jiu jitsu
early dominance of UFC matches, here
history of, here, here, here
as key component of MMA, here
rise in U.S. popularity, here
standing and ground techniques in, here
victory for, at first UFC match, here
jiu jitsu, Brazilian-style
coming of to U.S., here
history of, here
lack of visual appeal, here
Jones, Jon, here, here, here
Josefsson, Johannes, here
judo, history of, here
Kakai, Sirwan, here, here
and austere life of MMA fighters, here
background of, here, here
career prospects of, here, here
daily life of, here, here, here
on difficulty of high-level fights, here
friendship with Bektic, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here
introduction to MMA, here
layoff from fighting (2013), here
and success, difficult road to, here
training by, here, here, here
and The Ultimate Fighter TV show, here, here