Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting [Paperback]

Jonathan Snowden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2008

From the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) meager beginnings to its present-day glory, this in-depth chronology reveals all the information needed to understand the contemporary world of mixed martial arts, where the backroom deal-making is as fierce as the fighting. Between the UFC's controversial president, Dana White, the political persecution that the sport has suffered from politicians like John McCain, and the tumultuous careers of its greatest stars, mixed martial arts (MMA) competition has garnered more than its fair share of the spotlight in recent years. This thorough history provides fans with the whole story behind the Ultimate Fighting Championship, including profiles of MMA's greatest stars such as Ken Shamrock; the immense popularity of mixed martial arts events in Japan; the influence of the Fertitta family, whose Las Vegas connections opened the door for the UFC to succeed; and, finally, Spike TV’s role in making mixed martial arts a national obsession.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The best book on the real history of MMA that I've seen. . . . This book really is so great I couldn't put it down . . . it's a thorough history dating back to the turn of the 20th century, covering the heydays in Brazil, Japan, and major UFC opposition groups over the past 15 years in North America."  —Wrestling Observer

"If the history of MMA was taught as a college course, Total MMA would be the official textbook used for the class."  —Five Ounces of Pain

"A definitive history of the sport, and it tackles just about every major figure and event in the sport's history."  —CBSSports.com

"I highly recommend it for yourself or for the MMA fan in your life."  —Inside Fights

"[Total MMA] is amazingly detailed with hundreds of footnotes as Snowden focuses on the expansion of MMA from its early beginnings to late 2008. Snowden obviously loves the business but doesn't shy away from exposing its darker sides and presenting both sides of arguments."  —411Mania.com

"By far the most definitive book on mixed martial arts I've ever read . . . I can't recommend this book more highly."  —The Angry Marks

"A go-to resource for the figures big and small in the history of MMA . . . It is hard to imagine any book in the future matching the detail and definition provided here . . . make it the cornerstone of your MMA library."  —mmapayout.com

"I just tore through . . . Jonathan Snowden's excellent history of MMA. . . . If you're looking for a one volume history of Mixed Martial Arts, it would be hard to do better than this."  —Bloody Elbow

About the Author

Jonathan Snowden is a former lawyer, radio DJ, and television producer. He has worked for the U.S. Army and the White House Communications Agency, is trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the Army Combatives Program, and currently works for the Department of Defense. He lives in Vienna, Virginia.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (December 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550228463
• ISBN-13: 978-1550228465
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #727,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Mixed Martial Arts

More About the Author

Jonathan Snowden quit his job as a lawyer after September 11, 2001, to join the United States Army. He trained in Brazilian jiu jitsu and the Army Combatives Program and fell in love with the UFC. He is a former radio DJ and television producer who worked for the White House Communications Agency in Washington, D.C. He currently works for the Department of Defense and is a Contributor for Bloodyelbow.com and the Houston Chronicle as well as the author of Total MMA (ECW Press, 2008)and The MMA Encyclopedia (Coming to Amazon November 2010).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The complete history of MMA, December 21, 2008

By 

David Walsh (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting (Paperback)

As the sport of Mixed Martial Arts grows, as does the public's interest with the fighters, the personalities and the history of the sport. Of course, to meet that demand that means that publishers are going to start to demand books on the subject are available. With that being said, Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting by Jonathan Snowden sets itself away from the rest of the pack by doing what nobody else has done; present a thorough history of Mixed Martial Arts dating back to the inception of Judo and everything else leading up to modern Mixed Martial Arts. Not only is it the information that sets Total MMA apart, but the narrative style and passion the writer has for the sport of MMA.


Total MMA is written in a way that is both engaging and informative; to not only appeal to a newer fan of the sport who might not know much of the storied history behind the sport, but to the avid fan who has heard many of the tall tales and third-hand accounts of stories recounted in this book. As opposed to a simply linear presenation, Total MMA moves back and forth, jumping between countries, promotions and personalities. One chapter will present what was happening in the United States with the Ultimate Fighting Championships, while the next chapter will tell of the events unfolding at the same time in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championship. No stone remains unturned in the major history of MMA, as everything from Antonio Inoki's appeal in Japan as a martial arts champion to the Fertitas and their links to the Nevada State Athletic Commission and organized crime.

A lot of fans of the sport will easy recognize many of the stories told in Total MMA, but the painstaking research that has gone into this book to not only retell these stories, but to find as many sources as possible for each story and tell the most accurate account of the event possible. From interviews with fighters, people behind the scenes to sourcing other publications, Total MMA reached into the heart of the sport, from insiders to fighters to fans, to retell the story of Mixed Martial Arts. It not only looks at the obvious, such as the formation of the UFC, its rise to power or the rise of PRIDE, but also looks at some of the individuals and their cultural significance and impact on the sport. It looks at fighters like Ken Shamrock, his younger adopted brother Frank Shamrock, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Quinton Jackson and how they affected the sport as well as helped it grow in the United States. On the other side of the ocean, it looks at stars like Nobuhiko Takada, Masakatsu Funaki, Akira Maeda, Antonio Inoki, Kazushi Sakuraba right up until the cultural phenom Bob Sapp and how each one has affected modern MMA in Japan.

Total MMA is easily the most complete history of Mixed Martial Arts available today and was written by a writer who is a passionate fan of the sport in a style that can appeal to both fan and non fan, the hardcore or the novice. Buy this book, devour it and enjoy it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great MMA history book, October 11, 2009

By 

Andy Marlinata "dragonlee" (OK, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting (Paperback)

Waaooww...!! that's the first impression when I read this book for its first couple pages. Then I can't stop reading it although it has almost 400 pages!! This book is a total package of the history of MMA in the world, even it goes back to early 19th century, from any part of the world! Jonathan Snowden, the writer has a lot of credibility in his life. And the way he tells us the history and his opinions are awesome. He's very detail in explaining the events, feeling and histories and also he always gives us the pros and cons of every thing and character (which is very true in this life, there's always two sides of a coin).

From the fierce competition inside and outside the arena or even the feeling of each chareacter. He doesn't just tell the story in a chronological time, but he goes a little bit back and forth without too much confusion involved. That way he makes us all think , memorize something or even looking for that particular reference in the earlier ares of hte book to double check the fact or the real zone for that particular event or character.

I have two thumbs up from my hands and if it counts, I give an extra two thumbs from my toes when I jump up and down getting excited reading this book ;p

Thanks

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for early MMA overview, September 24, 2009

By 

Andrew Bock (Waltham, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Total MMA: Inside Ultimate Fighting (Paperback)

I really enjoyed Total MMA. It's a quick read with lots of broad ranging detail. I especially appreciated how Snowden covered a lot of history, but didn't bog it down with detail far too minute to hold a UFC fan's attention.

I cannot say I knew much about mid 90's Japanese MMA/Shoot fighting or about the Gracie legacy pre-Royce, so this book got me up to speed and allowed me to seek out more detail elsewhere if I chose.

The book takes a fairly 3rd part perspective as to not choose sides, though at times, Snowden definitely nudges you in one direction. Nonetheless I was satisfied with everything overall.

So this is a great book if you want a general background on how MMA came to be the International success it is without having to feel like you're studying for a mid-term out of a text book.