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By: Brad Walker, MMATorch Columnist
After writing a recent column on the worst nicknames in MMA, I was contacted by BAFTA nominated actor and MMATorch reader Michael Placencia. It's always cool to hear from someone who has a famous stature, but it's even cooler when they give you the lowdown on a project they are working on in your field of expertise; in this case Michael, is in the fold on the first scripted MMA television show. The working title is MMA Undercover, and it centers around two brothers – one an army vet who has become a narcotics detective, the other a struggling MMA fighter trying to make his mark. Placencia himself will be playing a role on the show (and full disclosure he has asked me to work on it as well in a producer role). The biggest part of this whole equation is that MMA will finally be getting a television series that's not The Ultimate Fighter!
For too long MMA fans have had to wait for weeks or months at a time to get their MMA fix, but if MMA Undercover is able to pick up the necessary steam it could become everyone's weekly fix of mixed martial arts drama. Presently, aside from Placencia, Don Frye is attached to work on the show, as is Denzel Whitaker, a director and producer of movies such as Warrior, Abduction, and The Great Debaters. There are a number of MMA apparel companies who are interested in gaining some notoriety of their own via the show, which shows that although it is a scripted drama, the show will be following the blueprint for all MMA sponsorship. The image of the show will be a fine mixture of understanding what it's like for war veterans to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, while giving MMA a better image and many a better understanding of what it takes to become a professional. At present they are also open to making it into a feature film, perhaps in the mold of Warrior, but with a grittier and more expansive plotline.
This show has the ability to bring both sides of MMA to the forefront of television. In a market where shows are beginning to garner incredible fan bases for their storytelling and consistency, MMA Undercover has the ability to do what no other has even attempted. The sport of Mixed Martial Arts is unquestionably on the rise across the world, with athletes like Jon Jones and Anderson Silva being sponsored by massive companies like Nike and Burger King it is truly becoming the twilight time for the sport. Never before have we seen something with the ability to break into a niche market that has never been touched, perhaps the last show to attempt to reach such a particular audience is AMC's The Walking Dead, which has become one of the most watched shows in the country. The potential is infinite, and with great minds like Placencia and Whitaker at the helm there is no telling how fantastic this show can be, or what it will ultimately become to the MMA culture.
Placencia himself is an avid MMA fan who has trained for years in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu primarily under members of the Gracie Family, whereas Whitaker was the man calling the shots on the now infamous MMA movie Warrior. This is a recipe for success from any standpoint, as long as the right people view it and support it we could see it skyrocket into the atmosphere of fame. They are also still looking for a major male star to fill their lead role, and plan on featuring plenty of the biggest names from MMA's past and present on the show too. The premise is solid, the team putting it together is nothing short of fantastic, and the fans - which are the most important part of any television show - are going to eat this right up. I personally never imagined that we would see a show that was written, produced, and directed with a plot based around MMA, but I also can't tell you how much the idea excites me.
The show has recently been listed officially on IMDB with some of the other names attached to work on the show presently (CLICK HERE). There is also a Facebook page for those who want to be able to keep up to date with the development: http://www.facebook.com/MmaUndercover. I urge everyone to keep an eye on and support this project; I believe there is expected to be a finished product by late December at this point. Who hasn't wished for a TV show following in the footsteps of a movie as fantastic as Warrior? This could be an ever larger breakthrough for MMA and gain an incredible amount of extra saturation amongst the casual fans and those who don't know much about the sport. Perhaps it will be the platform for taking MMA to a new level in the coming months and years.
Follow me on Twitter @BradMMATorch And Michael Placencia @MikePlacencia11
Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think of this project and article!
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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