Title Shot: Into the Shark Tank of Mixed Martial Arts

by Kelly Crigger

In 2007, Army Officer Kelly Crigger embarked on a year-long journey into the shark tank of mixed martial arts competition. His quest was two-fold—to learn what drove fighters to put themselves through years of grueling training and into the cage, and to uncover the mainstream media's reason for focusing on the seedier side of the sport and its athletes. To dig for answers, he lived in five of the top MMA training camps in the United States, hung out at the toughest tournaments the sport had to offer, and spent time with the biggest names in the sport, including UFC President Dana White. Title Shot divulges the truths and personal stories he unearthed. Laced with sarcasm, humor and a touch of daredevil bravado, Crigger sheds a never-before-seen light on a misunderstood sport and its combatants. Whether you're a hardcore MMA junkie or a casual fan, Title Shot will have you hanging on the edge of your seat.

Genres: Nonfiction

239 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2008

About the author

I’ve written for a plethora of Mixed Martial Arts outlets and in 2007 wrote Title Shot about my journey through the world of professional fighting. That led to two books about Greg Jackson's fighting techniques. A few years ago I met Zak Bagans and struck up a friendship. We decided to write a book about the paranormal together which hit the New York Times bestseller list in October, 2011 and released a sequel in 2015. I wrote a dark humor book about midlife called Curmudgeonism. My debut novel, The Comfort Station, was released in 2016. I'm also the President and owner of Graybeard Publishing.

Reviews

[Nicole Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love martial arts you'll love this book. It has great visual descriptions and really goes through the ins and outs of the MMA community. An overall enjoyable read.

[Kelly Crigger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first attempt to write a non-fiction book. Could have been better for sure, but hindsight is always 20/20.

[Colin Slider · Rating 3 out of 5]

an enjoyable read, worth the time.

[Matt Redmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the common thread of sushi as the author navigated the MMA culture and geography. Definitely kept my attention.