Contributor: Connor Dillon
This is a little nostalgic for me. The first MMA-type book I bought was A Fighter’s Heart. I kept seeing this awesome cover and thought to myself, “Looks good. Might as well buy it.” Let me tell you, I was enraptured with this book. From Sheridan’s open dialogue about his personal issues in Muay Thai or MMA training, to his very honest assessment of his own skills, this book is definitely about his own path through the combat world. However his tale is one that relates to many others, as Sheridan has faced many obstacles that would-be contenders in sports like kickboxing, boxing, Muay Thai, and mixed martial arts will learn to cope with.
The book is formed around nine different ‘chapters’, each with a special topic like Gameness and A Fighter’s Heart, and takes place in a roughly chronological order. For my money, the best chapters deal with Sheridan’s training in Thailand and with Pat Miletich in the U.S. It’s really interesting because you get two separate cultures talking about fighting. Sam’s Thai trainer couldn’t speak English but his fighting heritage and skill training farang (foreign fighters) meant he was an excellent fit for Sheridan. Miletich shows off that hard-nosed determination with stories about Tim Sylvia and broken bones.
Overall, this is a good fighting book. It should appeal to more than just MMA fans, as it talks about boxing, Muay Thai, and even dog fighting. He talks about the personal experience it is to fight, opening himself up as a person through his writing. It’s a really good book, and I recommend it to anyone who follows combat sports, or anyone who just wants an inspiring tale.
Connor’s Rate: 8/10. Solid, good narrative.
Pros: Personal story told through the eyes of a fighter.
Cons: Wished there was more.
–Connor can be reached @connorhavok.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
