'CNN Presents: Fighter Girls' documentary debuts Sunday on CNN
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 21, 2011 at 9:10 am ET
CNN "Fighter Girls" Preview
A preview of Amber Lyon's Report on Women in MMA airing Oct. 23 on CNN Presents.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/XxlcBZ9vUpI?rel=0[/youtube]
Women's MMA goes under the spotlight this weekend with the debut of "CNN Presents: Fighter Girls."
The latest installment of the CNN documentary series focuses on MMA and the growing segment devoted to female fighting.
The episode debuts this Sunday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT), and replays air at 11 p.m. ET and early Monday at 2 a.m. ET.
CNN correspondent Amber Lyon hosts the one-hour special.
The special focuses on various competitors, including notable Michelle Gutierrez, a former pro boxer who turned to MMA in 2009. The Las Vegas-based Wand Team Fight Team member recently snapped her three-fight win streak with a loss to Amanda LaVoy.
This isn't the first time a major TV news outlet has focused on MMA. CBS' "60 Minutes" aired a landmark segment in 2006, and CNBC's 2007 documentary "Ultimate Fighting: From Blood Sport to Big Time" was so successful that it prompted a follow-up program, "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars," in 2009.
This time, the focus is on the women, both the fighters and the fans. UFC officials recently said 40 percent of their fan base is comprised of females, and thanks to organizations such as Strikeforce and Bellator, female fighters are getting unprecedented exposure, at least in the U.S.
In addition to the fighting lifestyle and the growth of MMA, "CNN Presents" follows the training regiment of fighters, the growing number of young girls who have begun training, and the taboo of it all among large segments of the population.
Watch a preview clip of the special above. And for more on the "CNN Presents" series, go to cnn.com.
Click to expand...