MMA Trailblazer Gets a Biopic

An MMA fighter who made history is getting her own biopic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mark Gordon Pictures is set to produce a film about Fallon Fox, the first openly transgender MMA fighter. T Cooper and Allison Flock-Cooper are writing the script for the biopic, and Fox will serve as a consultant.

"Fallon Fox is a remarkable woman and athlete who has withstood and achieved so much in her life and whose story is far too little known. She is a universal, living icon of strength and persistence. It is a true honor to work with her and the indomitable writing team of T and Allison Cooper, to bring her experiences more to light and to share her with the world," producer Bonnie-Chance Roberts said in a statement.

Fox, 45, announced she is a transgender woman in an Outsports and Sports Illustrated article in 2013. It led to backlash from the media and the MMA, debating whether a woman who was a male at birth should compete in women's MMA divisions. When talking about the film, Fox said in a statement: "I've had a great time so far working with the producers and writers bringing this story to life, and I hope this film sheds some light on the topic of trans athletes in sports. This story needs to be told now more than ever."

Fox competed in six MMA matches and finished with a 5-1 record. Her last fight was in 2014, beating Tamikk Brents via TKO. The fight lasted just over two minutes, and Brents received seven staples to her head, suffered a concussion and the orbital bone inside her skull was fractured.

"I've fought a lot of women and have never felt the strength that I felt in a fight as I did that night, Brents told Whoa TV at the time. "I can't answer whether it's because she was born a man or not because I'm not a doctor. I can only say, I've never felt so overpowered ever in my life and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right." Fox previously appeared in the 2015 documentary Game Face, which follows her during her coming out process. Fox first hid her transgender identity when competing but was threaten by a journalist to reveal her identity to the world.