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The Housekeeper: Love, Death, and Prizefighting
UFC fighter and journalist, Josh Samman, chronicles his struggles with addiction, career-threatening injuries, and the death of his lover in this gripping memoir. In and out of institutions for the greater part of his youth; Josh, a wild teenager, falls into a rollercoaster romance with Isabel, a Southern jewel, who drives him to search for purpose in professional Mixed Martial Arts. As Isabel marches towards personal battles of her own, Josh fights his way from local MMA circuits to front and center of FOX's The Ultimate Fighter TV show. After losing the most important bout of Josh's career, the pair rekindle their love, and seek to find strength in each other. With a penchant for raw and heartfelt honesty, Samman chronicles a gut-wrenching story of love, loss, and what it means to conquer life's greatest tragedies. The Housekeeper is an intimate look into the world of a man fighting for redemption.
- GenresNonfiction
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2016
18 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 28, 2016
Don't be turned off by the subject matter; MMA is just stage dressing. A brutally honest look at self-destruction, the redemption love can bring, and the pain of a life snatched away.
April 29, 2016
Powerful.
Josh Samman puts his heart out there during these pages and it is beautiful and painful to read.
A memoir of Josh Samman, MMA fighter and promoter, which certainly walks through those doors of his life but is just a small piece of his full story. Drug abuse, illness, love and death drive the book on.
Honest, crushing and empowering.
Recommended.
Josh Samman puts his heart out there during these pages and it is beautiful and painful to read.
A memoir of Josh Samman, MMA fighter and promoter, which certainly walks through those doors of his life but is just a small piece of his full story. Drug abuse, illness, love and death drive the book on.
Honest, crushing and empowering.
Recommended.
May 10, 2016
Beautifully written, tragic and heartbreaking.
By the end of this memoir I was drowning in my own tears and in awe of the mental and emotional strength of the author. To experience such a life with so many ups and downs before you're even 30 and to continue to have a positive outlook in the end and have the ability to pursue your dreams after so many losses is a true inspiration to us all.
By the end of this memoir I was drowning in my own tears and in awe of the mental and emotional strength of the author. To experience such a life with so many ups and downs before you're even 30 and to continue to have a positive outlook in the end and have the ability to pursue your dreams after so many losses is a true inspiration to us all.
September 12, 2024
I first heard about Josh Samman’s story in Napoleon Blownapart’s excellent documentary series about the ultimate fighter. As such I knew where the story was headed but that didn’t make it any easier to read. This book is incredibly dour, especially with the knowledge that Samman eventually relapsed and overdosed just a short while after the book was written. This is one of the bleakest things I have read. That being said, the sheer fire Samman had inside is inspiring, we follow his story through a rough childhood including an overdose at age 11, two trips to jail before age 16, countless devastating injuries, 3 rejections from TUF, and the death of three loved ones in one year. Despite all this Samman clawed his way back into the UFC, barely healed from a torn hamstring and knocked out his opponent. Josh Samman was a relentless competitor and this book shows that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
beautifully written made my cry a couple times wouldn’t read again that was an emotional experience
May 29, 2016
Great read
I watched Josh Samman compete in The Ultimate Fighter show, and in the Octagon, but knew nothing of his real story. This book is raw and emotional, peeling back all the layers of the man.
I watched Josh Samman compete in The Ultimate Fighter show, and in the Octagon, but knew nothing of his real story. This book is raw and emotional, peeling back all the layers of the man.
September 10, 2021
Great book, great and sad history by Samman, R.I.P.
June 24, 2025
A podcast recommendation of a slightly more niche and unknown UFC fighter narrating his life and the struggles he faced.
A well written book using his UFC career as more of a backdrop than the main part of the story, talking through the themes and hard parts of his life from addiction and struggles from a young age, to heartbreak, grief and loss.
The death of his partner Isabel in a car crash is a stark reminder of how life can be short, and the highs and lows can switch so quickly.
Super intense what feels like a short time between his girlfriends Hep C diagnosis (from their drug use together) and her hair in the shower drain, to her ultimate death with Josh texting her as she is driving before her demise.
You honestly can’t believe how raw and intimate the book is written, from the perspective of someone you wouldn’t give that much credit to (comparing to modern day UFC stars), but his description of his mental state and how closely he walked the line of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts.
In what you hope is a wake up call, is drenched in further sadness with Josh’ eventual death from an overdose 2 years after this was published.
A well written book using his UFC career as more of a backdrop than the main part of the story, talking through the themes and hard parts of his life from addiction and struggles from a young age, to heartbreak, grief and loss.
The death of his partner Isabel in a car crash is a stark reminder of how life can be short, and the highs and lows can switch so quickly.
Super intense what feels like a short time between his girlfriends Hep C diagnosis (from their drug use together) and her hair in the shower drain, to her ultimate death with Josh texting her as she is driving before her demise.
You honestly can’t believe how raw and intimate the book is written, from the perspective of someone you wouldn’t give that much credit to (comparing to modern day UFC stars), but his description of his mental state and how closely he walked the line of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts.
In what you hope is a wake up call, is drenched in further sadness with Josh’ eventual death from an overdose 2 years after this was published.
December 27, 2017
An autobiographical memoire written with pure emotion, the pain and joy of his experiences come flying off the pages. Whilst the author is a prizefighter it is much more than a centre of the octagon type buzz. Instead the focus is on the reason why Josh first decided to fight and why he chose to continue fighting as a channel for his energy and emotions throughout both the good times and the bad times.
The book lays bare a young man's quest to understand the world, to find a way in the world and to contribute to the world. The ultimate loss of a man who fought so hard to grow his own roots and to stand firm for the loved ones in his life is traumatic. That Josh could share his story and offer such a profound insight to others is inspiring.
The book lays bare a young man's quest to understand the world, to find a way in the world and to contribute to the world. The ultimate loss of a man who fought so hard to grow his own roots and to stand firm for the loved ones in his life is traumatic. That Josh could share his story and offer such a profound insight to others is inspiring.
March 6, 2024
I was veered way off my usual path with this read; I never thought in a million years I would be reading about sports, let alone UFC. The amount of heart in the book will forever make me see it all differently. From being able to relate to what it was like being a shithead kid back in the day, to experiencing Josh’s love and the beauty of a being like Isabell, I loved this read so much. This is a story that deserves to be heard. Rest in paradise 🌹🌹
July 2, 2020
Outstanding book
I couldn't put this book down. I had heard of the book watching the UFC profile Josh Samman. I found his story gripping. Following Josh from childhood to fighting in the UFC. Ultimately the story is about love and loss. It was heartbreaking and raw. I highly recommended it.
I couldn't put this book down. I had heard of the book watching the UFC profile Josh Samman. I found his story gripping. Following Josh from childhood to fighting in the UFC. Ultimately the story is about love and loss. It was heartbreaking and raw. I highly recommended it.
November 9, 2020
The book is the most powerful and emotional book to date. Suffering from addiction, Love, and Lost. The book gripped me from beginning to end. The book doesn't disappoint. God bless Josh Samman, your brilliant author taken from us too soon. Go rest on that high mountain brother. Mahsi Cho for your story.
July 22, 2017
autobiography detailed
Well done autobiography of a young man.
I started reading before his passing. He delves deep into himself. The highs (no pun intended) and the lows.
Well done autobiography of a young man.
I started reading before his passing. He delves deep into himself. The highs (no pun intended) and the lows.
March 24, 2018
Book #1 of the LoudMouth MMA Bookclub. This one is absolutely amazing on so many levels. If you’re not an MMA fan, read this. If you’re fan...read this.
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September 22, 2021This is a typical MMA fighter Bio. Josh Samman has now passed and his story is well-written. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a more in-depth look at the athletes of MMA.
September 20, 2022
Never felt emotions so deep and felt like I was there. Great book.
December 1, 2023
Exceptional memoir by an mma fighter i've not heard of before. A fighter from beginning to the end, battling his own demons
October 29, 2024
Like actually about these three things. Well written. Glad he said what he wanted to say.
February 7, 2017
Highly recommended.
December 5, 2016
This memoir, written by MMA/UFC fighter Josh Samman, broke my heart in so many different ways. The writing isn't great, but the story is. It's a story of overcoming hardships, both self-inflicted and environmental. Of growing up a trouble maker and then growing out of it in order to be the kind of person someone special might love. Of sticking with the people you love even when they're in jail, down and out, or caught in a cycle of addiction.
And if you're a UFC fan, there's the theme of using MMA in order to give yourself goals and stay out of trouble. Of growing into the sport as the sport grows and finding a calling in life. And it's a love story about Josh and his girlfriend, who went through so much to be together, only to have her die in a highway accident just when their love was hitting its stride. Climbing out of the black hole of her death, dealing with family and funerals and his own drug abuse, and getting back to the sport that saved his life make a great comeback story, with only one catch.
Josh Samman published this memoir a few months before his own tragic death by overdose, which many think was an accident. You can go back and watch his fights and his interviews and his time on The Ultimate Fighter show and even though you've never met him, you'll miss him.
And if you're a UFC fan, there's the theme of using MMA in order to give yourself goals and stay out of trouble. Of growing into the sport as the sport grows and finding a calling in life. And it's a love story about Josh and his girlfriend, who went through so much to be together, only to have her die in a highway accident just when their love was hitting its stride. Climbing out of the black hole of her death, dealing with family and funerals and his own drug abuse, and getting back to the sport that saved his life make a great comeback story, with only one catch.
Josh Samman published this memoir a few months before his own tragic death by overdose, which many think was an accident. You can go back and watch his fights and his interviews and his time on The Ultimate Fighter show and even though you've never met him, you'll miss him.
September 21, 2016
I downloaded this book to my Kindle because it was free and I thought it would be an inside look at MMA.
This "book" is really just the gushy diary of a drug addict who loses his girlfriend in a car accident. It has very little to do with MMA. It isn't particularly well-written or edited; the story, as it plays out, isn't original. It seems like the kind of book that non-readers would find profound in the same way that, I dunno, people with poor taste feel "The Big Bang Theory" accurately portrays smart people and science.
I applaud Josh Samman for writing this book and using the creative process to heal, but I don't see any reason to read it. If you are looking for a book about healing / redemption / struggle, there are plenty of other options out there. What is still lacking is a good personal account of training and fighting.
This "book" is really just the gushy diary of a drug addict who loses his girlfriend in a car accident. It has very little to do with MMA. It isn't particularly well-written or edited; the story, as it plays out, isn't original. It seems like the kind of book that non-readers would find profound in the same way that, I dunno, people with poor taste feel "The Big Bang Theory" accurately portrays smart people and science.
I applaud Josh Samman for writing this book and using the creative process to heal, but I don't see any reason to read it. If you are looking for a book about healing / redemption / struggle, there are plenty of other options out there. What is still lacking is a good personal account of training and fighting.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews