Overview

A record-setting MMA fighter reveals his turbulent path to glory

Before Frank Shamrock became known professionally as “The Legend”—winning almost every mixed martial arts title in existence—he endured a childhood marred with abuse, neglect, and molestation that led to an equally troubled young adulthood. This riveting book tells his whole story: his neglect as a child by his hippie mother and absentee father, his salvation under the foster father who took him in when no one else would, his desperate act of armed robbery and subsequent incarceration in state prison, and his eventual rebirth as a cage fighter who would go on to dominate the entire sport for the next two decades. Detailing his fights inside and outside of the ring, it discusses the people and events that enabled him to become a champion as well as his problems with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the reasons behind his retirement. With eye-opening depictions of the world of mixed martial arts fighters and refreshing candor, this thrilling story of sex, violence, crime, and redemption reveals the numerous pitfalls a famous fighter encountered in his life and how he successfully overcame them to become a champion in every sense of the word.

Reviews

Author Biography

Frank Shamrock was the undefeated mixed martial arts (MMA) champion for 10 years and is the only person to win a title in all three major North American fight promotions (UFC, WEC, and Strikeforce). He has worked as an NBC sports announcer, is an owner of fight venues, and created his own line of MMA training gyms. He is the author of Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies. He lives in Los Angeles. Charles Fleming is a writer, an adjunct faculty member of the University of Southern California, and a reporter whose writing has been published in such publications as Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, and Vanity Fair. He is the coauthor of several books, including The Goomba Book of Love, The Goomba Diet, A Goomba’s Guide to Life, My Lobotomy, and Three Weeks in October. He lives in Los Angeles. Mickey Rourke is an actor, a screenwriter, and a retired boxer. He has acted in such films as Angel Heart, Iron Man 2, and Sin City, and he won a Golden Globe Award in 2009 for his lead role in The Wrestler. He lives in New York City.