A unique record of cage fighting - 300 explosive
images, based on exclusive cage-side access. A global
sports phenomenon, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has taken
the world of full-contact sport by storm. In these
high-octane clashes, highly trained and conditioned
fighters go head-to-head, using a combination of boxing,
kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, Ju-Jitsu and Judo, to
overcome their opponent in the cage. Despite only
becoming recognized a sport in the last 15 years, MMA
has now eclipsed boxing and WWE (wrestling) in the
United States and is currently second only to the NFL as
the most popular sport in the US. Drawing average crowds
of 20,000 fans, with 6 million+ pay-per-view subscribers
to premiere events, this isn t just a US phenomenon
either; in the UK, audiences of 15,000+ attend the
largest events, while Japan has seen audiences in excess
of 70,000 fans attending bouts that see fighters
travelling from all parts of the globe. Blunt Force
Trauma is the unique story of Mixed Martial Arts as seen
through the lens of fighter/photographer Lee Whitehead,
who has followed the meteoric rise of the sport. His
knowledge and experience put him in an unrivalled
position to capture both the savagery and ferocity they
exhibit in the cage, as well as a side of MMA that the
public rarely sees the humanity and humility of these
modern-day gladiators.
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