Warrior of the Light: A Fighter's Journey through the Rise of Mixed Martial Arts

The Ultimate Fighting Championship burst on the scene in 1993 showcasing the effectiveness of an art little known at the time, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It took more than a decade for MMA, a quasi-legal phenomenon, to become a legitimate and recognized sport. In 2019 the UFC and what had become known as Mixed Martial Arts debuted on ESPN. The hard-fought journey was just cresting; MMA was now in the heartland of sports legitimacy. Derek Meyer Galanis takes the reader through the rise of MMA using his own life as the foil, reflecting the stunning highs and unfortunate lows of the world of traditional and mixed martial arts. Along the way questions will be answered that fans have long pondered. How prevalent is doping in the sport? What makes a great trainer? How are prospects determined? The answers may shock you.There is an unwritten code that what happens in the training room stays in the training room. The author breaks that code and tells all in the same manner in which he formerly revealed the world of underground financiers and the mafia in, Greed and Fear: The Galanis Crime Family.Derek Meyer Galanis is a life-long martial artist and fighter whose dream is to have a Combat Sports non-profit where children can learn about the positive benefits of martial arts like he did.