New Book Shines Light on UFC's Dark Shadows

There’s always a flood of fighter bios and Ultimate Fighter Championship (UFC) history books on bookstore shelves, but Jim Genia has staked out a territory of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) history that I haven’t seen before in print. 

Focusing on the fight scene in New York and New Jersey and the conditions that have given birth to underground shows and Atlantic City main events, in his new book, Raw Combat:The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts, Genia delivers a story of fighters and promoters living in the dark shadows of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Raw Combat delivers an insider's peek at the origins of some of the big names in the sport and at some of those names that didn’t make the cut.

While sports promotion company Zuffa, the New York State Assembly and maybe the Culinary Union, battle over the mixed martial arts legalization in one of the country’s biggest markets, tiny, more personal battles are waged in back rooms, gyms and casinos within New York City and its MMA friendly neighbor, New Jersey. 

While UFC mythology looks back at Zuffa opening the doors to sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts, the cause initially had been carried in New Jersey before Zuffa took over the UFC with successful results in America’s playground.

For years, Atlantic City has been a Mecca of fight promotions on the East Coast, with MFC, the IFL, Ring of Combat, Bodog and the occasional visit by the big dog of fight promotions.   

With the success of the UFC came money and interest fueled by the dreams of making it big on the MMA band wagon, while others just wanted a venue to prove their skills and maybe just to hurt someone. 

Jim Genia exposes the strange underbelly of fighters bouncing between unsanctioned underground bouts in New York City to sanctioned professional bouts in Atlantic City and beyond.  Fighters participating in unsanctioned matches on bloody mats for a handful of spectators hoping to prove something to themselves and learn something that will elevate them to the next level of the game.  Promoter’s slapping together fight cards from a handful of mismatched hungry killers waiting for their chance to prove their mettle.   Fighters, family and friends propping up hopes as dreams crumble in a sport where half the participants leave the cage losers. 

Jim captures something I’ve tried to convey to my readers for going on seven years—the thrill of a live event, and the intimacy of a local show.  I’ve been to big shows and where they put on a spectacular production.  UFC events explode and the crowd cheers, but it’s a spectacle—like seeing fireworks or going to a NFL football game.  Local shows are different, intimate and personal.  Sometimes closer to a high school wrestling meet than a spectator sport.  Fighters and camps make up the crowd around you. 

A fighter’s family, coach and friends scream out encouragement completely invested in the duel before them.  Camps face off and rivalries continue from event to event.  Fighters' supporters outside the cage line up to walk in with their warrior’s, just like the legendary Gracie train at the first UFC.  After the matches, fighters embrace, talk about improvement, and invite each other to cross train. 

It’s often hard to cheer a favorite, knowing both participants and knowing someone’s going home defeated.  Raw Combat chronicles several fighters and promoters that most of MMA fandom will never see on cable, but that’s where stars come from. 

They start on the bottom of the local card and work their way up to local main events.   They learn their craft in stifling hot gyms and cold backrooms.  For every Eddie Alvarez or Frankie Edgar who fought their way to primetime glory, there’s hundreds who never make it out of the underground or the undercard. 

Take a peak.  Afterall, Jim Genia has cracked the door for you to look inside the core of MMA without the guise of glitz and glam.  You might shudder and unconsciously count your teeth or, you may find yourself sitting at the local show in your town, cheering on a guy whose bloody hand you can shake as he leaves the event, and someday you can cheer as he makes his Octagon debut. 

Citadel Publication publishes Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts by Jim Genia. 

About the author: James Kirkland has been covering local and national mixed martial are since 2005 for BloodyKnux.com mixed martial arts fan forum and for the Northern Virginia Patch sites.