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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 journalist 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, 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, a compelling tale of triumph despite
insurmountable odds. It uncovers the hidden history of the most
brutal combat sport on the planet.
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-Peire, and Conor McGregor and boxing icons
such as Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. 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. It is
a powerful story of hard work, tenacity, and success against
overwhelming odds.
Muhammad Ali is one of the most remarkable sports personalities and
celebrities of our time. He is a legend who transcended boxing and
rose above all sport. A man of mythic proportions, Ali rose to
become a prominent feature of our cultural landscape. Through
exclusive accounts from family members, close friends, associates
and adversaries, Fiaz Rafiq has compiled a compelling and
intriguing insight into a sporting legend. Muhammad Ali's story is
an epic one, one of bravery, courage, hope, skill and indomitable
will. Muhammad Ali: The Life of a Legend is an oral biography of
the greatest icon of world sport who continues to influence
millions. Among those interviewed include, George Foreman, Larry
Holmes, Chuck Wepner, Joe Bugner, Angelo Dundee, Don King, Jim
Brown, Lou Gossett Jr., Dr. Harry Edwards, Butch Lewis, Sugar Ray
Leonard, Evander Holyfield, some close family members and some of
the top sports journalists who worked with Ali, and many more.
Arnold Schwarzenegger - a bodybuilder-turned-real-estate mogul who
turned an undefeated streak at the Mr Olympia contest into an
astonishing film career and eight years as the governor of
California - is, for many people, the embodiment of the American
Dream. From humble beginnings in a small village in Austria,
Schwarzenegger has come to symbolise the opportunities that exist
for anyone willing to work hard - parlaying success and
self-confidence into the influence to shape hearts and minds across
the globe. Even today, whether he's campaigning against climate
change or fist-bumping fellow strongmen at his self-titled athletic
event, he's one of the few men on the planet who's recognisable
from his first name alone. Arnold. Fiaz Rafiq uses in-depth
interviews with Schwarzenegger's peers to tell the life story of
the one-time Governator, featuring exclusive interviews with his
personal and close friends, fellow bodybuilders and training
partners, Hollywood co-stars, directors, executive producers,
political personalities and journalists - all offering first-hand
accounts of the man they know. Together, these voices show new
dimensions to the Arnold we all think we know - from the driven
young man who brought building into the mainstream to the
passionate advocate for political change.
Labels such as 'icon' or 'legend' are rarely attached to one
individual to the degree that they are to Bruce Lee. He only made a
handful of films, yet four and a half decades after his untimely
death at the age of 32, the Little Dragon's influence on culture is
as strong as ever. Named among Time magazine's 100 most influential
people of the 20th century, Lee wasn't just an actor and martial
artist, but a director, inventor, husband, father and philosopher.
His martial art, jeet kune do, is still practised around the world,
while UFC champions credit him with inspiring the growing sport of
mixed martial arts. His films kick-started a global kung fu boom
and retain the power to awe today, while his thoughts - collected
in a series of books from Lee's own notes - still inspire. Bruce
Lee: The Life of a Legend is a unique oral biography that combines
the memories of Lee's original students, close friends, co-stars
and colleagues - those who knew him best - to provide a candid view
on the action movie star adored by millions, capturing the essence
of a complex man in a way no straightforward narrative ever could.
Further, for the first time ever in print, legendary professional
boxing, bodybuilding and MMA champions and personalities from the
motion picture industry pay homage to Lee, giving a blend of unique
perspectives on a man who changed the face of their respective
sports.
"Rahaman has, at last, written the definitive biography on his late
brother, which tells the real Ali story." -Mike Tyson More words
have been written about Muhammad Ali than almost anyone else. He
was, without doubt, the world's most-loved sportsman. At the height
of his celebrity he was the most famous person in the world. And
yet, until now, the one voice missing belonged to the man who knew
him best-his only sibling, and best friend, Rahaman Ali. No one was
closer to Ali than Rahaman. Born Cassius and Rudolph Arnett Clay,
the two brothers grew up together, lived together, trained
together, travelled together, and fought together in the street and
in the ring. A near-constant fixture in his sibling's company,
Rahaman saw Ali at both his best and his worst: the relentless
prankster and the jealous older brother, the outspoken advocate,
the husband and father. In My Brother, Muhammad Ali, Rahaman offers
an insider's perspective on the well-known stories as well as
never-before-told tales, painting a rich and intimate portrait of a
proud, relentlessly polarizing, yet often vulnerable man. In this
extraordinary, poignant memoir, Rahaman tells a much bigger and
more personal story than in any other book on Muhammad Ali-that of
two brothers, almost inseparable from birth to death. It is the
final and most important perspective on an iconic figure.
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