
The BBC documentary, ‘Inside the Cage’ which follows the rise of female fighters within the sport, was a closely followed showing of the risks and hurdles that fighters face in one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
As a big fan of the sport, I loved the way each of the three female fighters were shown and how their different levels of experience were portrayed to the viewers. You have Molly McCann, the UFC star, there’s Cory McKenna who has recently made her UFC debut and then there is up and comer Shanelle Dyer. Three very different fighters with very similar goals.
The host of the documentary, Annie Price, does a terrific job at looking at these professional fighters in a way that, even those who are not quite as familiar of the sport, will still learn and enjoy what it is they are watching. The presentation of the show, sticks to your standard documentary layout, which I thought was good for a piece like this one. It’s a promotion piece, they are promoting the women of the sport.
In terms of the scripting, I would observe that the host, Price, seems to ask questions which show the commitment and the sacrifice needed to be the very best. Her questions look at what they are giving up to perform within the sport but also goes back to their passion and love of it.
All three fighters are shown as humble, at times humorous and just downright likeable. Having watched both McCann and McKenna fight before watching the documentary, I would say my personal admiration for them has only gone up and I will continue to watch them both fight in the UFC.
I was also impressed with the use of sound. This insight is ultimately into women beating other people up for a living and so including the live sounds from their fights and all the grunts and moans really helped show the effort and energy needed to get a win.
I wasn’t aware of Dyer before watching the documentary but I am sure that I, and everyone else who watched, will be following her career with a good deal of excitement. It truly did ‘hype up’ each of these fighters to those who were not already aware of their career prospects.
You can watch the documentary on BBC iPlayer.
































