Christmas of 2008 is the best year there has been to get a gift for the MMA reader. For years, there were very few MMA books and even fewer written by the sport's most prominent figures. But the surge in popularity of UFC in 2006 opened the door for a host of MMA books, and they started coming out en masse in early 2008.
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| There is a glut of MMA books on the market, and Couture's is among the best. (Getty Images) |
Made in America -- Matt Hughes (with Michael Malice)
Leading off the slate of high profile MMA books was Matt Hughes' autobiography. The book takes the reader from the beginning of Hughes' career through his victory over Chris Lytle in early 2007, a period during which Hughes established himself as MMA's most successful welterweight fighter.
One of Hughes' most likeable traits is just how comfortable he is in his own skin. Many fighters shelter their real selves and carefully try to maintain an image. Hughes, by contrast, isn't worried about what people think about him. He's a Midwestern wrestler with a jock's mentality, and he's fine with the fact some people are going to like him better than others. This mentality makes him a good subject for an autobiography, because he's content to tell his story without pretenses or filters.
Another strength of Hughes' book is his gift for storytelling. The book is not a robotic event-by-event narrative, but rather a series of often colorful stories from a tragic whirlpool accident to profitable collusion in Abu Dhabi. The book also provides frank behind-the-scenes looks at prominent teammates such as Pat Miletich, Jens Pulver and Tim Sylvia.
The book is aimed at followers of Hughes' career. It isn't likely to be compelling to those who don't already know Hughes relatively well. But for those who are intrigued by Hughes and his career, Made in America offers an entertaining and highly recommendable read. B+
Iceman: My Fighting Life -- Chuck Liddell (with Chad Millman)
This is the prototypical autobiography of a prominent professional athlete. On the positive side, it is well-written and covers all the most important moments of Liddell's career. But the reader won't finish the book with the gratifying sense they have been taken into Liddell's inner circle.
Liddell's book tells you about his fighting background, his preparation for fights and his thoughts on the most important battles of his career. The strongest parts of the book are the insights into how he approached different fights and his appraisals of other fighters.
What limits the book is that Liddell doesn't volunteer the sort of behind-the-scenes mistakes, insecurities and regrets every human being has. The book doesn't feel dishonest or incomplete, but it does feel sanitized. The closest Liddell comes to letting loose are some harsh words for Tito Ortiz and Vernon White, but that's nothing that wasn't already well known to the public.
Liddell is likely still the biggest star in American MMA and that status will help move books. But Iceman: My Fighting Life is ultimately a disappointment. It isn't a story glimmering with the insight or behind-the-scenes scoops that would make it stand out from the pack. C
This is Gonna Hurt -- Tito Ortiz (with Marc Shapiro)
