It's that time again. After a marathon of fight cards, MMA goes into its traditional "off-season," with no major cards until Strikeforce hits suburban Chicago on July 30. (There will be Strikeforce Challengers, Bellator and DREAM cards in the next few weeks.)
How do you manage? First, be happy that you're not a basketball fan. With the NBA lockout in place, there's no telling when they'll get to see their sport again. Then, you could do something crazy like pop open a book. Here are a few of the latest MMA books that are either new on the market or will be released in the coming weeks.
"Why I Fight: The Belt Is Just an Accessory," by Jay Dee "B.J." Penn and Dave Weintraub: The autobiography of the UFC's former and lightweight champion has been praised for being honest, detail-oriented and well-written. Penn doesn't hold back, touching on everything from the way the UFC does business to his own fighting philosophies.
"MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting" by Anderson Silva and Glen Cordoza: If you're interested in a technical breakdown of MMA, why not learn from the fighter ranked No. 1 in the world? Silva's book focuses on how to employ some of the dangerous attacks he uses in his fights. For some reason, Steven Seagal is not listed as a co-author.
"Fighting Words: In-Depth Interviews with the Biggest Names in Mixed Martial Arts" by Mike Straka: As the host of HDNet's "Fighting Words," Straka has interviewed many of MMA's luminaries. His book promises a close look at MMA through interviews of Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Cain Velasquez, Frankie Edgar, Dana White, Renzo Gracie, Ken and Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten and Jon Jones. (Side note: The book's release date is reportedly July 15, but you can it's in-stock at Amazon today.)
"Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival" by Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman: Brock Lesnar is both a loved and hated figure in MMA. If you want to feed your love or your hate of the former UFC heavyweight champ, read the book that promises a look at "about what it takes not only to succeed in the world's fastest-growing sport but to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World."
"Say Uncle!: Catch-As-Catch Can Wrestling and the Roots of Ultimate Fighting, Pro Wrestling & Modern Grappling" by Jake Shannon: If you're a history nerd (like me), you'll get into this look at catch wrestling and how it evolved around the world. With interviews from Karl Gotch and Josh Barnett, the book illustrates catch wrestling's continuing effect on MMA today.
On a completely un-MMA note, Yahoo! Sports own Jay Busbee recently released "Bluff City," an awesome work of fiction that features the Elvis Brawl, a pro wrestling match of Elvis impersonators. Clearly, it is worth your time.
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