David T. Mayeda, Ph.D. & David E. Ching, M.A., are authors of Fighting for Acceptance: Mixed Martial Artists and Violence in American Society, published by iUniverse, Inc., the leading provider of publishing technology solutions for authors.

Mayeda and Ching announced today the release of Fighting for Acceptance, the very first comprehensive scholarly book, which grapples with the critical socio-political issues surrounding America's most controversial and fastest growing sport - Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Fighting for Acceptance synthesizes hard-hitting research and opinions gathered from in-depth interviews with forty MMA athletes, including Randy "The Natural" Couture, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, "Dangerous" Dan Henderson (Pictures), Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Guy Mezger (Pictures), Travis Lutter (Pictures), Chris "The Crippler" Leben, Antonio McKee (Pictures), Frank Trigg (Pictures), and Chris and Mike Onzuka.

Specifically, Fighting for Acceptance dissects how MMA athletes got into the sport, safety concerns, and the glamorization of violence, while also addressing fighters' rights and the unfair ways mixed martial artists are stereotyped. Finally, Fighting for Acceptance pays special attention to how this sport can either increase or prevent street violence, depending on MMA's future trajectories.

Writes mixed martial artist, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, in the Forward, "...you will get to hear from some of the sport's biggest stars, many of whom have walked down the long and twisted road that is mixed martial arts, often stumbling, and at times crawling, but now standing tall and proud as a staple in mainstream American culture."

Author David Mayeda, who has an extensive athletic background, received his B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and his Ph.D. from the University of Hawai'i; Mayeda says of Fighting for Acceptance, "We hope our work stimulates constructive discussion between MMA's proponents and skeptics, and urges MMA organizations to take an active responsibility in promoting nonviolence."

Fighting for Acceptance (ISBN: 0-595-47891-3) is published by iUniverse, which offers a variety of publishing services to help individuals publish, market, and sell fiction, poetry and nonfiction books.

The company utilizes print-on-demand technology, and is one of the largest self-publishing companies in the United States, publishing more than 5,000 new titles each year. The iUniverse management team has extensive editorial and managerial experience with traditional publishers such as HarperCollins, Putnam, Simon & Schuster and Holtzbrinck.

iUniverse partners with industry leading author organizations, including the Authors Guild, the Harlem Writers Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) to bring innovative programs to their members. iUniverse has strategic alliances with Barnes & Noble, Inc. in the U.S. and Chapters Indigo in Canada and has offices in New York City, Shanghai and Lincoln, Neb. For more information, please visit www.iuniverse.com or call 1-800-AUTHORS.

Fighting for Acceptance is now available for purchase via the internet at iUniverse.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Amazon.com.