No Holds Barred

Overview

Called the bible for MMA, No Holds Barred is the definitive American history of MMA and its rapid rise in the sports and entertainment world. Armed with a recorder and a press pass to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, author Clyde Gentry III set out to tell the story of MMA in the late 1990s when the sport was barely treading water due to the political backlash that threatened to relegate the sport to smoky bars and venues typically reserved for tough-man competitions and low-level professional wrestling matches. Instead, MMA has become a billion-dollar business and has changed martial arts forever. This book takes readers from the controversial event that spawned it all in 1993 to the breakout reality show The Ultimate Fighter and beyond. An unprecedented 125 interviews, along with boxes of rare documents and notes collected over 10 years, serve as the backbone for the ultimate tome on the ultimate sport. The phrase no holds barred may be a misnomer for MMA, but it aptly describes the true, compelling story of how the sport evolved in America. This is the most definitive, in-depth and thoroughly researched book on the history of the sport ever written and a must-have book for every mixed martial arts fan.

Author Biography

See Author

Media

MMA Manifesto gives a terrific review to No Holds Barred.

Clyde Gentry talks to Sports Jabber about MMA and No Holds Barred.

Examiner.com gives a great review to No Holds Barred.

The Chicago Sun-Times features No Holds Barred and Fighting Words.

Press Releases

Mixed martial arts has swept the nation and is the fastest-growing mainstream sport in the world. It has completely changed the perception of martial arts and spawned multimillion dollar clothing lines and, arguably, a lifestyle to boot. The fan base isn't composed of brutish characters; it is a diverse group of young and old, hip and successful adrenaline junkies. Fans can't seem to get enough and the sport can be readily watched on a half-dozen TV channels, on pay-per-view, and of course, live and in person.

No Holds Barred: The Complete History of Mixed Martial Arts in America is the definitive American history of MMA and its rapid rise in the sports and entertainment world. Armed with a recorder and a press pass to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, author Clyde Gentry III set out to tell the story of MMA in the late 1990s when the sport was barely treading water due to the political backlash that threatened to relegate the sport to smoky bars and venues typically reserved for tough-man competitions and low-level professional wrestling matches. Instead, MMA has become a billion-dollar business and has changed martial arts forever.

No Holds Barred takes readers from the controversial event that spawned it all in 1993 to the breakout reality show The Ultimate Fighter and beyond. An unprecedented 125 interviews, along with boxes of rare documents and notes collected over 10 years, serve as the backbone for the ultimate tome on the ultimate sport. The phrase no holds barred may be a misnomer for MMA, but it aptly describes the true, compelling story of how the sport evolved in America. This is the most definitive, in-depth and thoroughly researched book on the history of the sport ever written and a must-have book for every mixed martial arts fan.

About the Author:
Clyde Gentry III has spent more than 10 years in the mixed martial arts field. After publishing the first edition of No Holds Barred in 2001, he became editor in chief of Ultimate Athlete, the first feature magazine on the sport. Over the years Gentry has worked behind the scenes in fight promotion, and regularly contributes to both TapouT and MMA Worldwide magazines. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

Contact: Josh Williams, Triumph Books, 312.252-1261, j.williams@triumphbooks.com

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