What inspired this project?

First and foremost, I’m a fan of the sport and I believe it is our generation’s version of boxing. Boxing had its Rocky moment in the eighties when it exploded in popularity, and we’re now seeing something similar with MMA which is incredible to watch. But it’s also interesting because fighting taps into an aspect of the male psyche and masculinity which I find fascinating. In terms of pure athleticism and difficulty, there’s no other sport that matches up to it. You have so many disciplines intertwined and the margins are tiny - it doesn’t take much to lose.

 

What made you decide the subject of the documentary?

Initially, I had a question of what would make people get into the cage. For me, it represented not just a physical thing but a metaphorical barrier to someone from a working class background becoming successful. It’s also a physical barrier that entraps them in a life in which they feel stuck and in order for them to overcome it, they have to fight.

 

I was already going to the club as an amateur martial artist so I knew all the guys already. And then seeing that Rick, one of the characters of the film, was on the verge of greatness and everyone was excited, I thought why don’t we film this process? Initially the idea was to film his fight camp and follow it through to the fight. But as the process continued, I realised the story wasn’t just about Rick but about the grassroots MMA scene in the UK which no one really documents. All you see is the flashiness of the UFC but the grassroots is much rougher.

 

How did you get the project off the ground and how long did it take?

It took a year from shooting to post-production. In terms of getting it off the ground,  I literally just picked up my camera and started filming, and as I met other characters, I arranged scenes with them and the whole thing grew organically.

 

Why did you choose to make a web series rather than a conventional documentary?

Youtube was a big draw for me as an alternative to mainstream media outlets which tend to only show extreme or sensationalist aspects of the sport. In terms of why I chose the web series format, the sport has a massive following online. It lived and grew online because initially it was never on mainstream television. So MMA fans are already used to finding content online and the MMA community is hugely supportive of new talent and stories. I split it into four episodes because younger people and the online community prefer to watch shorter, more authentic films. It also worked perfectly as it meant we could show each character’s story arc individually all the while fitting it into the wider theme of the fight team.

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What was your favourite shot of the film?

My favourite shot is of Rick looking at the star lit stage which represents his dream in the distance. He is so close to achieving it all and you can sense what he’s thinking. It also works on a wider level as representative of the feeling of being blocked off from success in society.

 

What was the most difficult part to shoot?

Probably shooting at the Bamma event in Ireland. There were restrictions as to what we could film, there was lots of noise backstage and on top of that, I was really nervous for Rick. You could feel the tensions backstage and things started to break down slowly and you could just see it wasn’t going to be a good night but no one imagined just how bad.

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Why do you think this is an important story worth telling?

It’s a story of people’s dreams. Seeing someone like Rick work so hard, train so hard, believe in himself so much and then seeing something like that happen to him, it kind of reflects life in that sometimes, no matter how hard you work, you get derailed and it all comes down to your response. In terms of the sport, I believe MMA is massive and i believe it is this generation’s equivalent to boxing.

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