Fighting against the Odds
An Insider's Life in UFC, Boxing, and Entertainment- Authors:
- Publisher:
- 2022
Summary
A riveting memoir by acclaimed combat sports and entertainment journalist Fiaz Rafiq, as he shares captivating stories of fighting legends and entertainment stars alongside the story of his own personal hardships, struggles against prejudice, and ultimate triumph.
Fighting against the Odds is the culmination of Fiaz Rafiq’s decades of work behind the scenes as a mixed martial arts and combat sports journalist, gaining the trust and confidence of the best fighters in UFC and boxing. Rafiq shares candid accounts, hidden histories, and thrilling experiences from his time with some of the most famous and prominent personalities in fighting sports. Included are never-before-told stories of UFC’s most decorated and revered champions in Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, and Conor McGregor and boxing and martial arts icons such as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee.
Reaching the pinnacle of his career was anything but a smooth ride for Rafiq. The writer faced adversities, obstacles, and even harassment at American airports. Fighting against the Odds is a fascinating odyssey, one man’s inspiring coming-of-age story populated by some of the most colorful characters in the world of sports and entertainment. Itis a powerful story of hard work, tenacity, and success against overwhelming odds.
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Bibliographic data
- Copyright year
- 2022
- ISBN-Print
- 978-1-5381-5483-0
- ISBN-Online
- 978-1-5381-5484-7
- Publisher
- Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 302
- Product type
- Book Titles
Table of contents
- Contents No access
- Foreword No access
- Preface No access
- 1 Crazy Obsessions No access Pages 1 - 8
- 2 It’s a Man’s World No access Pages 9 - 14
- 3 Feeling Despondent No access Pages 15 - 23
- 4 The American Dream No access Pages 24 - 33
- 5 Enter the Gracies No access Pages 34 - 41
- 6 Returning to Los Angeles No access Pages 42 - 49
- 7 Enter the Journalist No access Pages 50 - 58
- 8 UFC Assignment No access Pages 59 - 65
- 9 More Real Than the UFC No access Pages 66 - 69
- 10 The Giants No access Pages 70 - 76
- 11 Hollywood, Here We Come! No access Pages 77 - 87
- 12 Home Sweet Home No access Pages 88 - 92
- 13 The Sport of MMA Hits the Mainstream No access Pages 93 - 100
- 14 Ringside and Brock “The Beast” Lesnar No access Pages 101 - 106
- 15 UFC 105 Encounters No access Pages 107 - 114
- 16 Boxing versus UFC No access Pages 115 - 123
- 17 UFC, Royals, and Rich Arabs No access Pages 124 - 131
- 18 Mike, Managers, and Me No access Pages 132 - 137
- 19 Muhammad Ali Encounters No access Pages 138 - 146
- 20 From Martial Arts to Movie Magic No access Pages 147 - 151
- 21 I’ll Be Back No access Pages 152 - 159
- 22 From Hospitality to MMA Chaos No access Pages 160 - T
- 23 Adventures in New York No access Pages 169 - 173
- 24 Las Vegas No access Pages 174 - 179
- 25 Canada: MMA Mad No access Pages 180 - 184
- 26 The Massive MMA Fiasco No access Pages 185 - 188
- 27 I’m No Terrorist No access Pages 189 - 199
- 28 From Racism to Road Rage No access Pages 200 - 204
- 29 Mr. Rocky No access Pages 205 - 210
- 30 Bruce Lee No access Pages 211 - 215
- 31 Enter the Octagon No access Pages 216 - 219
- 32 Old School Meets New No access Pages 220 - 226
- 33 Challenging Conor McGregor No access Pages 227 - 234
- 34 Tough Man Tales No access Pages 235 - 241
- 35 Notorious No access Pages 242 - 249
- 36 Meeting with an Underworld Figure No access Pages 250 - 255
- 37 The Perils of Sports Fame No access Pages 256 - 260
- 38 Michael, Matt, and Martial Arts No access Pages 261 - 266
- 39 A New Direction No access Pages 267 - 275
- 40 Flying High No access Pages 276 - 284
- 41 A Tumultuous Year No access Pages 285 - 292
- Epilogue No access Pages 293 - 294
- Afterword No access Pages 295 - 298
- Acknowledgments No access Pages 299 - 300
- About the Author No access Pages 301 - 302
