CAGE KINGS

An in-depth examination of the professionalization of mixed martial arts and the rise of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

In its relatively short existence, the UFC has transformed the landscape of competitive martial arts—and not always for the better. A longtime devotee of the sport, Thomsen traces the UFC’s history from its beginnings as a struggling, controversial new league to its current state as a media juggernaut. Writing about an internationally broadcast 2019 UFC event, the author gives visceral context to the company’s modern ubiquity. Head kicks that land with the force of a two-by-four, submission holds that tear ligaments and muscle from the bone, chokes that starve the brain of oxygen—none of it seems as instinctively wrong as it did to many at UFC 1,” he writes. “To the contrary, today, mixed martial arts has become commonplace as a form of personal fitness, as popular and accessible as yoga or Pilates.” Thomsen’s enthusiasm for the sport shines in blow-by-blow breakdowns of historic fights, making dozens of near-invisible decisive moments accessible to the uninitiated and underscoring the tremendous skill of these world-class athletes. The fighters’ stories—evocatively detailed in chapters about several key competitors—display single-minded dedication and remarkable discipline in the face of hardship. However, the UFC is a business, and within its world of licensing fees and investor capital, the fighters become little more than numbers, their long-term financial and physical well-being mortgaged to the company for the increasingly miniscule chance of making it big. “For long-term followers of the sport, it can be difficult to rationalize its effects on those who make it possible,” writes the author. “Over time, it can sometimes seem as if you’re watching people come apart in slow motion.” Covering its monumental highs and troubling lows, Thomsen delivers a fascinating look at this brutal, morally complicated industry.

A compelling story of passionate athletes and the ambitious businesspeople who manipulate them for profit.