Cage Kings: How an Unlikely Group of Moguls, Champions and Hustlers Transformed the UFC into a $10 Billion Industry
Zoomicon-zoom-in
Cage Kings: How an Unlikely Group of Moguls, Champions and Hustlers Transformed the UFC into a $10 Billion Industry

Cage Kings: How an Unlikely Group of Moguls, Champions and Hustlers Transformed the UFC into a $10 Billion Industry

By
Michael Thomsen (Author)  

Paperback

In Stock

Quantity

Also available on eBook for £10.99. Click here to purchase from Rakuten Kobo

A cultural and business history of the UFC, tracing the unlikely rise of mixed martial arts from what was derided in the '90s as 'human cockfighting' - more violence than sport - to a global pop culture phenomenon. Senator John McCain once decried mixed martial arts as 'human cockfighting,' while the New York Times despaired that the sport offered a 'pay-per-view prism' onto the decline of western civilisation. But the violent spectacle of cage fighting no longer feels nearly as scandalous as it did when the sport debuted in 1993. Today, it's spoken of reverentially as a kind of 'human chess' played out in real-time between two bodies and the UFC is one of the most valuable franchises in the world, worth more than any team in the NFL, NBA, or MLB and equal to what Disney paid to acquire Marvel Comics. Once banned in thirty-six states and hovering on the edge of bankruptcy, the UFC has evolved into a $10 billion industry. How did cage fighting go so mainstream? A rollicking behind-the-scenes account of one of the most spectacular upsets in American sports history, Cage Kings follows the desperate fighters, audacious promoters, fanboy bloggers, fatherly trainers, philosophical announcers, hustling sponsors, and three improbable twentysomething corporate titans on a darkly comic odyssey to normalize a new level of brutality in American pop culture-and make a fortune doing so. Stylishly written and poignantly observed, the book offers a provocative look at how the hollowing out of the American dream over the past three decades and the violence endemic to modern capitalism left us ready to embrace a sport like cage fighting.
Michael Thomsen writes about sports, video games, technology, and political culture for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Wired, The New Republic, and other outlets. He lives in New York City.
  • Contributor: Michael Thomsen
  • Imprint: Ebury Press
  • ISBN13: 9781529103717
  • Number of Pages: 448
  • Packaged Dimensions: 153x234x32mm
  • Packaged Weight: 537
  • Format: Paperback
  • Publisher: Ebury Publishing
  • Release Date: 2023-06-15
  • Binding: Paperback / softback
  • Biography: Michael Thomsen writes about sports, video games, technology, and political culture for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Wired, The New Republic, and other outlets. He lives in New York City.

Delivery Options

Home Delivery

Store Delivery

Free Returns

We hope you are delighted with everything you buy from us. However, if you are not, we will refund or replace your order up to 30 days after purchase. Terms and exclusions apply; find out more from our Returns and Refunds Policy.