Fighting against the Odds

An Insider's Life in UFC, Boxing, and Entertainment

Fiaz Rafiq (Author) , Royce Gracie (Foreword)

Fighting against the Odds

An Insider's Life in UFC, Boxing, and Entertainment

Fiaz Rafiq (Author) , Royce Gracie (Foreword)

Ebook (Epub & Mobi) ~~$45.14~~ $36.11 Ebook (PDF) ~~$45.14~~ $36.11

Quantity

In stock

$36.11 RRP $45.14 Website price saving $9.03 (20%)

Add to basket

Add to wishlist

Read on any device, including Android, Apple & Kindle

Description

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.

Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
One: Crazy Obsessions
Two: It’s A Man’s World
Three: Feeling Despondent
Four: The American Dream
Five: Enter the Gracies
Six: Returning to Los Angeles
Seven: Enter the Journalist
Eight: UFC Assignment
Nine: Realer than the UFC
Ten: The Giants
Eleven: Hollywood, Here We Come!
Twelve: Home Sweet Home
Thirteen: Sport of MMA Hits Mainstream
Fourteen: Ringside and Brock ‘The Beast’ Lesnar
Fifteen: UFC 105 Encounters
Sixteen: Boxing V UFC: Tyson-Gracie Challenge
Seventeen: UFC, Royals and Rich Arabs
Eighteen: Mike, Managers and Me
Nineteen: Muhammad Ali Encounters
Twenty: Martial Arts to Movie Magic
Twenty-One: I’ll Be Back
Twenty-Two: From Hospitality to MMA Chaos
Twenty-Three: Adventures In New York
Twenty-Four: Las Vegas
Twenty-Five Canada: MMA Mad
Twenty-Six: The Massive MMA Fiasco
Twenty-Seven: I’m No Terrorist
Twenty-Eight: Racism to Road Rage
Twenty-Nine: Mr Rocky
Thirty: Bruce Lee: Enter the Ring
Thirty-One: Enter the Octagon
Thirty-Two: Old School Meets New
Thirty-Three: Challenging Conor McGregor
Thirty-Four: Tough Man Tales
Thirty-Five: Notorious
Thirty-Six: Meeting with an Underworld Figure
Thirty-Seven: Perils of Sports Fame
Thirty-Eight: Michael, Matt and Martial Arts
Thirty-Nine: A New Direction: New World
Forty: Flying High
Forty-One: A Tumultuous Year
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
Index

Product details

Published	01 May 2022
Format	Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
Edition	1st
Extent	336
ISBN	9781538154847
Imprint	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Illustrations	55 b/w photos
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Fiaz Rafiq

Foreword

Royce Gracie

Fiaz Rafiq and I bonded over Bruce Lee. His interview-heavy books on Lee, Muhammad Ali & Arnold Schwarzenegger and pioneering coverage of full combat 'cage' sports was impressive. However, I didn’t understand him before Fighting against the Odds, his moving memoir which doubles as a self-help book. He’s the Islamic Horatio Alger. With a H.S. education, while adhering to his religion, he’s become a well-regarded entertainment and sportswriter, among the first to identify MMA-style combat sports as a phenomenon. As a shy, introverted kid, he fixated on Bruce Lee, hiding it from his strict parents,. Like Lee, he was a small-boned kid, and saw martial arts as an avenue. His passion became his life’s work as a writer. No one else covers MMA with such insight. Now, he spins out his unlikely life story with entertaining energy, verve, sincerity and passion.

Alex Ben Block, former editor, The Hollywood Reporter, veteran showbiz journalist
An inspiring story of a kid who discovered his path in life — and success — through his passion for Bruce Lee and the martial arts. Highly recommended.

Matthew Polly, New York Times bestselling author
He (Fiaz) studies his subjects and does his homework so much that he can’t go wrong. Fiaz studies the person - like he studied about me, Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and all those guys. And he knows more about the person than the person knows about himself.

Royce Gracie, Three-time UFC champion
The story of an obsessive individual who drew inspiration from his boyhood idol Bruce Lee to follow his dream and shape his life. It reflects how his passion forged friendships and taught him to roll with the blows that journalism can throw at you.

Simon Jones, Daily Mail
Fiaz knows exactly how to get to the heart of every story seamlessly - and telling his own is no different. A must read for fans of combat sports, MMA and Hollywood.

Ellie Henman, The Sun
This is a gripping memoir which doubles up as an insightful deep dive into the world of entertainment and sports by a journalist who identified the phenomenon of MMA fighting as well as one man’s journey to discover who he really is.

Halina Watts, Sunday Mirror, freelance showbiz editor