Back in 2009, MMAjunkie.com's Kyle Nagel followed the story of Kyle Maynard, a former high-school wrestler looking for his shot in mixed martial arts.
But Maynard, a congenital amputee with only partially developed limbs, faced many obstacles.
In a new SnagFilms documentary titled "A Fighting Chance," which available in its entirety online for the next two weeks, we learn more about Maynard and his fight for the right to compete in the MMA world.
Maynard's story is no doubt an inspirational one. Despite his desire and commitment, he initially struggled in the sport of wrestling. But by his senior year in high school, he posted a 35-16 varsity record, qualified for the state high-school championships, won an ESPN Espy Award, and told his story to Larry King, Oprah Winfrey and other media figures. He even published a book, "No Excuses," which won rave reviews.
But as others wrestlers have experienced, Maynard found few additional opportunities to quench his competitive spirit. In 2005, at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, Maynard set a world record for the modified bench press with a lift of 360 pounds. But like those other wrestlers, he soon turned his attention to grappling and, more specifically, MMA.
"A Fighting Chance" documents that journey, mixing in footage of Maynard's early life and emotional wrestling days to the skepticism and even hostility he met from many within the MMA community. MMA notables such as Renzo Gracie, Randy Couture, Forrest Griffin, Rory Singer and Paul Creighton β as well as the coaches, officials, regulators, media members and family members involved in his debut β also share their thoughts.
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