Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
July 7th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Foreword from Dana White, UFC President
 |
Ever since I can remember, I always loved fights. Whether it was sitting in front of the television watching boxing on Saturday afternoons when I was growing up or getting together with a bunch of friends to go to the arena to see a championship fight, there was nothing better than watching two fighters go toe-to-toe while matching wits and trying to prove who had the bigger heart.
To me, it was better than baseball, basketball or football, sports where you had teammates to help you out or take the blame when you lost. Fighting was a one-on-one sport, mano e mano, with no excuses. If you won, you took all the glory; you lost, you had no one to blame but yourself.
It was sport at its purest, but as the years went on, I saw boxing get engulfed and diluted by politics, in-fighting, and greed. I started to get disillusioned by the sport I loved, and it wasn’t until I met some athletes competing in a sport called mixed martial arts that the love of combat sports came back for me like it did when I was growing up.
In this sport, which combined the disciplines of boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu, I not only saw the future, but I saw the understated artistry that only true fight fans can appreciate. It’s something a lot of people can’t see, and I could never really put my finger on what it is, but when I saw Kevin Lynch’s photographs, I finally found something I could point to and say “that’s it. That’s what this sport is about.”
So when we at the Ultimate Fighting Championship decided to move forward with the book project that became Octagon, there was no question who would be the photographer. And while Kevin’s talent is obvious, his understanding of this sport and its athletes was another key factor in our decision, because let’s face it – not everyone is willing to look past the misconceptions about mixed martial arts and give it the fair treatment it deserves.
It’s been a long process to get to this point – for the UFC and for this book – but it was of the utmost importance to get it right, whether that meant unprecedented access to our events for Kevin, or having him capture our athletes at their most vulnerable, which was immediately before and after their fights. In combat sports, or any sport for that matter, vulnerability can be seen as weakness; but one look at the pictures in this book will show that behind the bruises and cuts and the defeated or triumphant eyes, there is strength. It’s what these athletes are all about, and let me tell you, it takes a special person to step into that Octagon and fight another man – it’s why I call our guys real fighters, and why many of them are like family to me.
Octagon captures everything that’s great about this sport, and it makes me a fan all over again. It also reminds me that even with all the traveling, business meetings, interviews, late hours, and time away from my family, I’m here because I love fights and the UFC, and I always will.
- Dana White
Price: $ 21.24
Rating: 
(out of 9 reviews)
List Price: $ 40.00
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Review by Shawn Kovacich for Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
Rating:
If you are one of the uninitiated and ill-informed, this is simply a coffee table book filled with a large collection of photographs taken of a great many UFC fighters at various times in their respective careers.
On the other hand, for those of you in the know (so to speak), this is quite an extraordinarily visual guide into the very hearts and souls of those very same fighters who graciously permitted their photographs to be taken not only in moments of great triumph and glory, but also in those times of despair and defeat, which, in my opinion, makes for some truly defining moments in the individual being photographed and also the photographer, who captured some pretty amazing moments on film.
This is definitely not a book that you are going to want in order to learn some new technique or strategy to help you compete in the cage, but it is without-a-doubt a very important and influential piece of MMA history that will never happen again. And it is in that respect that I give this book, the photographer/author, and the subjects so vividly portrayed within its pages, my highest regard and my most profound recommendation to all of you to pick up this book and add it to your collection. You won’t be disappointed!
Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
Review by Elvis Sinosic for Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
Rating:
This is a great book. It has some amazing pictures from the UFC. Kevin Lynch is an extremely talented photographer and has captured some great moments from the UFC. He also captures the spirit of the UFC. Having been in the Octagon myself and seeing it in the book it is something I will cherish. If you’re a fan of the UFC, you will love this book. Buy your own as you won’t be borrowing mine.
Review by Denise Conley for Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
Rating:
First off this isn’t a mma training book, its a Photography book. I’m really surprised that this book is this cheap, because it is really great, tons of pictures, and over 300 pages!
Most pictures are portraits of the fighters before and after their fights, but Kevin Lynch (the photographer) puts in his own creative style on some pictures while the fighters are fighting.
Review by Jeremy Meister for Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
Rating:
it was a good book. I would of liked to have more actual reading than just the pictures from beat up fighters. I still liked it though.
Review by M. Workman for Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
Rating:
I have been a HUGE UFC fan since the very beginning. I highly suggest this as a great buy for a family member or friend that also enjoys the sport of MMA. The pictures in this book are very detailed and well put together.
There is the same book (only much larger) that sells for a huge price tag, but for the price of this condensed version you cannot go wrong. Buy with confidence, it will be loved by any fan !!