' "Did you see the big fight this weekend'" The question used to be about boxing matches, when the giants of the fight world were Mike Tyson and Roy Jones. Now fans are leaving the sweet science in droves for the combat sport of the future: mixed martial arts (MMA). MMA has drawn millions on cable and network television, as well as out-performed professional wrestling and boxing on pay-per-view. Fans are attracted to the sport, but unlike boxing (where strategy and technique are limited to using both your left and right hands), an MMA fight can be surprisingly complicated. The MMA Encyclopedia puts the fighters, the facts, and the fundamentals of the world's fastest growing sport at your fingertips as the definitive reference guide to mixed martial arts. The encyclopedia will break the MMA language barrier for those who don't know a wristlock from a wristwatch, while at the same time offering perspective and analysis that will entertain the hardcore fan who already has the basics down pat. With three appendices that detail the results of every MMA'fight in history, this the ultimate reference book for the ultimate sport.

Brings readers the history and information surrounding the contemporary world of MMA.

The first and only official and fully illustrated encyclopedia of the UFC covers more than 300 fighters and over 170 event results. This full-color, 400-page compendium is filled with more than 1,500 images and captures all facets of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, detailing the history of the organization from its beginnings in 1993.

Fistic combat represents the greatest human drama in all of sport. Roman gladiators thrilled citizens and emperors alike when they entered the octagon to face an intense, life-threatening experience. Boxing, the sport of kings, also has its roots in the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome. Banned in 500 A.D. by the Emperor Theodoric, it resurfaced twelve centuries later in England. John Milton praised it as a noble art for building character in young men, and sports writer A.J. Leibling dubbed it the Sweet Science. Many of its major protagonists - men such as Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali - have become transcendent, near-mythic heroes. But boxing is not the only combat sport, and mixed martial arts, in all their ferocious beauty, represent the fastest growing sports genre in the world. Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) has joined boxing in paying seven figures to some of its champions, and draws millions in its pay-per-view events. This book details leading figures in boxing, sumo wrestling, kickboxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, and mixed martial arts (including organizations such as Ultimate Fighting, PRIDE, K-1, Total Combat, and SportFighting). Over 150 entries cover champions, contenders, and other famous combatants from all over the world, as well as legendary promoters, managers, trainers, and events. Also included in this encyclopedia are sidebars on controversies, highlights, brief bios, and other noteworthy events, along with a general timeline. .

Mixed martial arts hasn t been dubbed the world 's fastest growing sport for nothing. It 's noticeably rocked the sporting world since the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship nearly two decades ago and has even shaken up the pop culture scene. Who would have expected popular MMA fighter Chuck Liddell to trade in his sparring gloves for dance shoes on "Dancing with the Stars"? A combo of grappling, punching, kneeing, and kicking, this sport looks like it will be grounding and pounding, sprawling and brawling, for some time to come."Mixed Martial Arts Most Wanted " steps into the cage and brings you round after round of fighting deeds and details worthy of a sport known for bloody battles and ingenious tactics. Authors Adam T. Heath and David L. Hudson Jr. have knocked out sixty top-ten lists detailing the low blows, grappling greats, human anomalies, and fighting females that make up the compelling world of mixed martial arts.There 's no need to be an insider Heath and Hudson bring you all of the sport 's best bouts, dirtiest moves, and brainscrambling kayos in a book that will keep MMA enthusiasts reeling for months.

The history of mixed martial arts as a sport in the United States.

This classic interpretation of Miyamoto Musashi's famous Book of Five Rings is intended specifically for the martial artist--as Miyamoto Musashi originally intended. It explains the underlying truths necessary for a full understanding of Musashi's message for warriors. The result is an enthralling book on martial strategy that combines the instincts of the warrior with the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism and Taoism. It is a crucial book for every martial artist to read and understand. Like the original, this classic book of strategy is divided into five sections. The Book of Earth lays the groundwork for anyone wishing to understand Musashi's teachings; the Book of Water explains the warrior's approach to strategy; the Book of Fire teaches fundamental fighting techniques based on the Earth and Water principles; the Book of Wind describes differences between Musashi's own martial style and the styles of other fighting schools; while the Book of No-thing describes the "way of nature" as understood through an "unthinking" existing preconception. Famed martial artist and bestselling author Stephen Kaufman has translated this classic without the usual academic or commercial bias, driving straight into the heart of Musashi's martial teachings and interpreting them for his fellow martial artists. The result is an enthralling combination of warrior wisdom and philosophical truths that Musashi offered to other warriors who wished to master the martial way of bushido.