Fighting against the Odds

A riveting memoir by acclaimed combat sports and entertainment journalist Fiaz Rafiq, as he shares captivating stories of fighting legends and entertainment stars alongside the story of his own personal hardships, struggles against prejudice, and ultimate triumph. Fighting against the Odds is the culmination of Fiaz Rafiq's decades of work behind the scenes as a mixed martial arts and combat sports journalist, gaining the trust and confidence of the best fighters in UFC and boxing. Rafiq shares candid accounts, hidden histories, and thrilling experiences from his time with some of the most famous and prominent personalities in fighting sports. Included are never-before-told stories of UFC's most decorated and revered champions in Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, and Conor McGregor and boxing and martial arts icons such as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee. Reaching the pinnacle of his career was anything but a smooth ride for Rafiq. The writer faced adversities, obstacles, and even harassment at American airports. Fighting against the Odds is a fascinating odyssey, one man's inspiring coming-of-age story populated by some of the most colorful characters in the world of sports and entertainment. Itis a powerful story of hard work, tenacity, and success against overwhelming odds.

Fiaz Rafiq is a professional sports and entertainment contributing writer for prominent newspapers, and author of acclaimed biographies of Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. For fifteen years, he was a columnist for a bestselling combat sports magazine MAI, and contributed to Fighters Only, MMA Uncaged, Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness and the movie magazine Impact. Fiaz contributed to the authorized documentary, How Bruce Lee Changed the World. He remains close friends with more than one member of Muhammad Ali's family.

Acknowledgments
Foreword
Preface
One: Crazy Obsessions
Two: It's A Man's World
Three: Feeling Despondent
Four: The American Dream
Five: Enter the Gracies
Six: Returning to Los Angeles
Seven: Enter the Journalist
Eight: UFC Assignment
Nine: Realer than the UFC
Ten: The Giants
Eleven: Hollywood, Here We Come!
Twelve: Home Sweet Home
Thirteen: Sport of MMA Hits Mainstream
Fourteen: Ringside and Brock 'The Beast' Lesnar
Fifteen: UFC 105 Encounters
Sixteen: Boxing V UFC: Tyson-Gracie Challenge
Seventeen: UFC, Royals and Rich Arabs
Eighteen: Mike, Managers and Me
Nineteen: Muhammad Ali Encounters
Twenty: Martial Arts to Movie Magic
Twenty-One: I'll Be Back
Twenty-Two: From Hospitality to MMA Chaos
Twenty-Three: Adventures In New York
Twenty-Four: Las Vegas
Twenty-Five Canada: MMA Mad
Twenty-Six: The Massive MMA Fiasco
Twenty-Seven: I'm No Terrorist
Twenty-Eight: Racism to Road Rage
Twenty-Nine: Mr Rocky
Thirty: Bruce Lee: Enter the Ring
Thirty-One: Enter the Octagon
Thirty-Two: Old School Meets New
Thirty-Three: Challenging Conor McGregor
Thirty-Four: Tough Man Tales
Thirty-Five: Notorious
Thirty-Six: Meeting with an Underworld Figure
Thirty-Seven: Perils of Sports Fame
Thirty-Eight: Michael, Matt and Martial Arts
Thirty-Nine: A New Direction: New World
Forty: Flying High
Forty-One: A Tumultuous Year
Epilogue
Author's Note
About the Author
Index