ESPN 30 for 30: Ideas for an MMA-Themed Season

The ESPN 30 for 30 series has become a very popular documentary series while examining both major and minor sporting events. Items such as the downfall of SMU's program, the rise of "The U," Steve Bartman and The Fab Five have become excellent television for any sports fans.

What sets the series apart from many sports documentaries is that it brings the expectations of ESPN programming while still being personable enough to immerse fans into the story beyond what is perceived in the mass media.

The sport of MMA has a ton of stories that could fill out a season of the show, as few issues in the MMA world haven't been explored by mass media. Sure, the UFC is on Fox now, but as Dana White likes to remind us, it's a long process of getting new fans integrated into the sport.

Telling these stories through the 30 for 30 series could be a great way to both introduce new fans and entertain the fans who've been around for years.

Friend or Foe: The Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz Rivalry

The Chuck Liddell-Tito Ortiz rivalry became one of the biggest moments in UFC history. The two former teammates were fighting each other and had a genuine dislike of one another.

It also made both men superstars within the organization, as the UFC began its ascension to the top of the MMA world.

The documentary could look at the two men as training partners and how their relationship eventually fell apart to where both men became heated rivals. Both men would have an opportunity to share their side of the story and leave it for fans to decide who to believe.

The rivalry in itself has enough storylines to warrant a full 30 for 30 documentary, and when you add in how it affected the UFC's growth, you have a great story worth hearing.

Battle of the Brazilians

While Fedor Emelianenko, Dan Henderson and "Rampage" Jackson are just a few of the stars that headlined a number of Pride events, there was an intense rivalry going on inside the country of Brazil.

Two of the most prominent MMA gyms in Brazil, Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe Academy were competing for bragging rights. The two teams engaged in some legendary battles, with Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua becoming the faces of Chute Boxe, while the Nogueira brothers and Ricardo Arona were two of the most recognizable faces from Brazilian Top Team.

A deeper look into the rivalry would provide MMA fans with a glimpse of not only what caused the rivalry, but also the daily struggle of not only surviving Brazil but also maintaining the integrity of a gym as if it were your family's name.

Match Maker of the Stars

Another guy who rarely receives recognition for his work is UFC match maker, Joe Silva.

Silva is the guy who puts together the matchups UFC fans have come to love, and as a result, the UFC is one of the few promotions that can honestly say they put together the fights fans want to see.

Many fans don't often take the time to think about the process leading up to an UFC event or how fights come together, but negotiating a contract for a single fight is a day's work in itself. Considering UFC events have 10 or more bouts, you can just imagine the hard work Silva has to go through.

Straight out of Stockton

Nick and Nate Diaz are two of the most colorful fighters to ever compete in MMA. While Nick has been a bit more outlandish in his actions, there's no doubt Nate has no issues with attempting to keep up with his older brother.

But once you get past the characters both men put on you can see there are real people behind there. A documentary about the Diaz brothers would give fans a look at just how Nick and Nate think.

Nick has plenty of stories throughout his career that would be interesting to tell, such as the hospital fight with Joe Riggs and intense rivalries, for example. Nate could also tell about fighting in the shadow of his older brother and his rise to title contention.

The censors may have to work overtime on a very raw documentary of the Diaz brothers, but their story could definitely entertain an audience for an hour.

A Beautiful Mind

It's no secret that one of the best MMA camps in the entire world is in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Greg Jackson's MMA. The man behind some of MMA's most dominant fighters is Greg Jackson.

Although we eventually see Jackson's work play out before our very eyes when his fighters step into the cage, we very rarely get to see Jackson actually at work.

A look at the camp at Jackson's MMA would be like fans being able to watch the Los Angeles Lakers or Miami Heat behind the scenes, as so many superstars under one roof has to create compelling television.

The story of Jackson's coaching career would be interesting to watch, as fighters like Georges St-Pierre, Diego Sanchez and Rashad Evans helped the gym grow while Jon Jones and Carlos Condit have taken it to new heights.

The Man of Mystery from Stary Oskol

Perhaps the most debated superstar in MMA is Fedor Emelianenko. While the Russian fighter was atop the heavyweight rankings his career achievements were being heavily argued by MMA fans.

Emelianenko became a legend while competing in Pride and defeating such names as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko "Cro Cop."

Besides hearing him discuss his career in the ring, it would be interesting to look at how Emelianenko is outside of the fight game. He doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve and when being interviewed he is typically short with his comments.

A look at Emelianenko's side of the story concerning the UFC negotiations could be very interesting as well.

A Featherweight Sized Burden

It's not easy being the lone superstar on a major sports team. It's even harder when you're the quintessential face of an entire fight promotion.

That was the case for Urijah Faber for years as he competed inside the WEC cage. Faber was the guy prior to WEC closing its doors and there's no denying he helped bring the promotion to where it was before the Zuffa buyout.

Faber also helped put the featherweight division on the map by being the most dominant champion prior to Jose Aldo's reign.

Besides having a heralded career, the weight of carrying an entire promotion on your shoulders must've been tough as keeping focused on a fight is hard enough in itself. A documentary could also shed light on Faber's best moments as a fighter, since many of those occurred before MMA fans really started to watch the WEC.

Lightning in a Bottle

Lee Murray seemed to be destined for stardom as began his MMA career given his fighting style. Murray had some quick hands with heavy power. He was the stereotypical street fighter only instead of being the brunt of a joke in the MMA world, Murray could perform like a true MMA fighter.

Murray's MMA career may seem pretty straight forward but it's the side story of Murray's personal life that would entertain MMA fans. The numerous incidents that include everything from broken hands to stab wounds would be a great story to tell along with Murray's MMA bouts.

In particular the altercation with Tito Ortiz is one such event where the British middleweight claims to have KO'd the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion while both were at a London nightclub in 2002.

Besides his MMA career the story of Murray's involvement in the Securitas Bank Robbery could easily make this a two part episode.

The Man Who Makes It All Work

One of the men who do the most work during UFC events is Burt Watson. There's a reason Joe Rogan refers to him being the "babysitter of the stars" when introducing Watson at UFC weigh-ins.

Watson handles everything that are small matters, but could easily sidetrack a fighter so they can remain focused on the task at hand.

It would be interesting to see just how much Watson has to work, as he not only works with the big stars, but also helps out the lesser known guys as well. There's guys like Watson on every sports team in America, guys who put in a lot of work but receive little recognition.

The man behind "We Rollin'!" would make for an interesting look at how UFC events work behind the scenes.

A Family Tradition

For most people, family traditions revolve around a friendly game of football or visiting a favorite restaurant. For the Gracie family it involves the use of martial arts and everything from self defense to the use of a deadly offensive weapon.

Just as other sports have their historic families, the most historic family in MMA has to be the Gracies. From "The Gracie Challenge" to Royce Gracie shocking the world at UFC 1 and beyond, the Gracies have revolutionized the world of MMA.

A documentary of the family would give MMA fans a look at how Gracie jiu-jitsu became what it is today and how members of the family contribute to the fighting game on a daily basis like Renzo Gracie.