Forget boxing; forget wrestling; in the past 15 years, mixed martial arts (MMA) has emerged as the full-combat sport to beat. It would impossible to render the sensational rise of this brutal competition without telling the story of "Croatian Sensation" Pat Miletich, who has also been called "the Patron Saint of Badass." In a few short years during the '90s, this Davenport, Iowa, native transformed the sport, turning it into a $2 billion-a-year attraction. L. Jon Wertheim's Blood in the Cage intertwines Miletich's arresting personal struggles both inside and outside the ring. Perhaps the best book yet written on this mega-popular extreme sport.
Starred Review.
In his latest page-turning sports tour, Sports Illustrated senior writer Wertheim (Running the Table, Venus Envy) tackles mixed marital arts (MMA), a one-on-one bare-fist brawl that combines kickboxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and basically any other fighting technique an athlete chooses (minimal rules include no kidney-kicking and no sticking fingers in orifices or wounds). Chronicling the life of MMA legend Pat Miletich (the sport's Abner Doubleday), Wertheim also traces the history of the ultraviolent contest, dissects the league that dominates it (Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Champion) and examines the appeal (and the stigma) that's taken it from Internet subculture to pay-per-view king to $500 million commercial powerhouse. Miletich entered the sport in the early 1990s, when it was a no-holds-barred free-for-all (referred to by Sen. John McCain as "human cockfighting"), and wound up a five-time UFC champion; now, he operates an MMA training facility in Bettendorf, Iowa that draws athletes from around the world. A winning writer, Wertheim introduces a colorful, mostly likable cast of fighters, promoters, trainers and executives, brings an unflinching eye to fight scenes (the opening beat-down will certainly grab readers' attention) and defends the sport just as well as he questions its less-savory operating tactics.
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Wertheim follows up his well-received tale of a pool hustler, Running the Table, with this candid, eye-opening, and engrossing account of a successful athlete, his brutal and frequently misunderstood sport, and the fledgling league he helped to popularize. Wertheim's probe into the inner workings of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) league will entertain and enlighten listeners and may even shatter myths about mixed martial arts and its practitioners. Narrator Phil Gigante's (The Best Game Ever) deep voice and animated style perfectly suit the story's dramatic and often graphically violent content, making this a wholly convincing and satisfying listening experience for both fans and those curious about what all the recent media fuss is about. [Audio clip available through library.brillianceaudio.com; the Houghton hc was recommended "for all public libraries," LJ12/08.-Ed.]
—Douglas King
In his latest page-turning sports tour, Sports Illustrated senior writer Wertheim (Running the Table, Venus Envy) tackles mixed martial arts (MMA), a one-on-one bare-fist brawl that combines kickboxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and basically any other fighting technique an athlete chooses (minimal rules include no kidney-kicking and no sticking fingers in orifices or wounds). Chronicling the life of MMA legend Pat Miletich (the sport’s Abner Doubleday), Wertheim also traces the history of the ultraviolent contest, dissects the league that dominates it (Las Vegas-based Ultimate Fighting Champion) and examines the appeal (and the stigma) that’s taken it from Internet subculture to pay-per-view king to $500 million commercial powerhouse. Miletich entered the sport in the early 1990s, when it was a no-holds-barred free-for-all (referred to by Sen. John McCain as “human cockfighting”), and wound up a five-time UFC champion; now, he operates an MMA training facility in Bettendorf, Iowa that draws athletes from around the world. A winning writer, Wertheim introduces a colorful, mostly likable cast of fighters, promoters, trainers and executives, brings an unflinching eye to fight scenes (the opening beat-down will certainly grab readers’ attention) and defends the sport just as well as he questions its less-savory operating tactics. (Jan.) —Publishers Weekly “A seamless combination of sport, entertainment . . . Wertheim has pierced the veil to create an edifying book for die-hard MMA fans and curious bystanders alike. “ —Sam Sheridan, author of A Fighter’s Heart “Blood in the Cage is not only factually accurate, but also a joy to read. Jon Wertheim poignantly writes about the less than glorious rise to the top of MMA legend Pat Miletich while taking you for a ride down the historical trail blazed by some of MMA’s biggest stars . . . this book is a must read.”—Big John McCarthy, legendary UFC referee and founder of Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy “In a book as bracing and forthright as an open-handed slap, Jon Wertheim transcends easy caricature and cheap sensationalism to deliver the first honest journalism about Mixed Martial Arts that this country’s ever seen. Half hype, half hemoglobin—and from its bareknuckles beginnings to its recent arrival as a national pay-per-view pastime—the brief, brutal history of MMA has confounded even its own fans. Blood in the Cage stands above the din.” —Jeff MacGregor, special contributor, Sports Illustrated and author of Sunday Money “In Blood in the Cage, L. Jon Wertheim tells the story of Pat Miletich, the consummate professional athlete turned world class trainer. Miletich is someone for whom I have considerable respect and admiration and who puts his athletes and our sport first and foremost.” —Randy Couture, UFC champion “As Voltaire said, ‘That’s why they invented the squeegee.’”—David Mamet, author, playwright, and director —
