To The Top

Enter the Octagon, The Ring, and Entertainment

Fiaz Rafiq

• Publisher: Pitch Publishing
• eBook ISBN:
  9781785319273
• Year: 2021

When it comes to sports and entertainment, the glitz and the glamour of celebrity life, most of us only aspire to gain something small such as an autograph. Few of us ever have the chance to sit down with stars and discuss their lives, or rub shoulders with those closest to them. Being up close and personal with UFC, boxing and entertainment stars is just part of Fiaz Rafiq's daily routine. He's worked closely with some of the most revered champions and pioneers of UFC. In this gripping memoir he shares riveting behind-the-scenes stories of the top MMA and boxing champions and legends - from Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor to Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee (to many the Godfather of MMA) - their gritty beginnings and their most triumphant moments. The result is the culmination of over two decades of work, gaining the trust and confidence of the greatest fighters and personalities in MMA and combat sports. To the Top is a fascinating odyssey that uncovers the hidden history of the most brutal combat sport on the planet.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• 1. Crazy Obsessions
• 2. It’s a Man’s World
• 3. Feeling Despondent
• 4. The American Dream
• 5. Enter the Gracies
• 6. Returning to Los Angeles
• 7. Enter the Journalist
• 8. UFC Assignment
• 9. Realer than the UFC
• 10. The Giants
• 11. Hollywood, Here We Come!
• 12. Home Sweet Home
• 13. MMA Hits the Mainstream
• 14. Ringside & Brock ‘The Beast’ Lesnar
• 15. UFC 105 Encounters
• 16. Boxing Vs UFC: The Tyson-Gracie Challenge
• 17. UFC, Royals & Rich Arabs
• 18. Mike, Managers & Me
• 19. Muhammad Ali Encounters
• 20. From Martial Arts to Movie Magic
• 21. I’ll Be Back
• 22. From Hospitality to MMA Chaos
• 23. Adventures in New York
• 24. Las Vegas
• 25. Canada: MMA Mad
• 26. The Massive MMA Fiasco
• 27. I’m No Terrorist
• 28. From Racism to Road Rage
• 29. Mr Rocky
• 30. Bruce Lee: Enter the Ring
• 31. Enter the Octagon
• 32. Old School Meets New
• 33. Challenging Conor McGregor
• 34. Tough Man Tales
• 35. Notorious
• 36. Meeting with an Underworld Figure
• 37. The Perils of Sports Fame
• 38. Michael, Matt & Martial Arts
• 39. A New Direction: New World
• 40. Flying High
• 41. A Tumultuous Year
• Epilogue
• Afterword
• Acknowledgements
• Photos