The name Gary Goodridge brings a smile to the faces of many Mixed Martial Arts fans and fighters alike. Goodridge was a name synonymous with early MMA. From the time he appeared in a black gi at UFC 8 in 1996 to his last grand stage hurrah against Gegard Mousasi in 2009, Goodridge exhibited poise, fierce determination, and a never-say-die attitude en route to victories over many of MMA's early pioneers. He was the first Canadian MMA fighter to achieve success with PRIDE Fighting Championships, and over the course of a fifteen year career Goodridge never ceased to bring the crowd to his feet.

Now two weeks past his 46th birthday, Goodridge has penned his memoirs in a look back at his storied career, and with the help of ECW Press has released his autobiography Gatekeeper: The Fighting Life of Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge, a colorful collection of stories from the man fans affectionately knew as "Big Daddy" in the ring, as well as a look at the pressured life of a husband, father, and company man struggling his way through his fighting years.

Released today (February 1 2012), Goodridge traces his life from his birth in Trinidad and Tobago to his family's move to Barrie, Ontario, Canada, where he grew up and still calls home. Following a strict upbringing, Goodridge found success as a world ranked arm wrestler before leaving a steady job to become an MMA fighter in his last 20s. With his thirteen second knockout of Paul Herrera at UFC 8, the groundwork was laid for a career spanning some fourteen years and nearly 100 professional fights (split amongst MMA and K-1) in nearly a dozen countries.

Told to the reader from a fairly casual vantage point, Gatekeeper goes from a typical fact-spitting autobiography to 189 page journey into the very foundation of a man whose dedication to his craft and need to provide (for his family/fans) made him the guardian waiting at the front gates of a company ready to challenge the next heavyweight hopefully looking to take the next step. This "gatekeeper" role (one he embraced fully) made him, in a way, MMA's answer to an Earnie Shavers or Louis Monaco and was one he held for more than half a decade in PRIDE before trying his luck fulltime in K-1 at the beckoning call of contractual agreements between both those companies.

Always affable, Goodridge describes wins and losses in his career in vivid detail, stopping to tell a few funny stories along the way such as choosing between steel and plastic jock cups (he suggests metal after an unfortunate incident in the PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix), the motivation behind his landmark taunts during his fight with Amir Rahnavardi, and some of backstage antics of fighters on the road. This was some of the makeup of the life of "Big Daddy," a man who stood through the rise of MMA in Japan, and fought in front of the some of the largest record crowds in history. Unlike many autobiographies that only celebrate in-career successes, Goodridge spends as much, if not more time in his book describing his losses. Never one to discredit those who bested him, Goodridge almost always has something positive to say about everybody (with a couple of exceptions), a reflection of his friendly and outgoing personality. Goodridge treated his fighting life like his business and career; his foes later became his friends.

Throughout the book, however, Goodridge occasionally peels back his "Big Daddy" persona to reveal a man struggling with his many flaws in life. From marriages failed due to his infidelity to the custody battles for his daughters (which would eventually lead him to retire, albeit temporarily) to struggles with his many injuries and his experiences with corruption in combat sports around him. The book is unlike any other in the young history of MMA thus far. Goodridge unapologetically affirms subjects otherwise taboo in the world of mixed martial arts from performance enhancing drugs and the ways fighters would take advantage of the lack of standardized testing in Japan to successful and failed attempts at match fixing (Goodridge discusses offers in length, but admits he never participated in match fixing.)

Perhaps the greatest chapter in Goodridge's life is the story he will live in for the rest of his life. Goodridge discusses the permanent physical pain he lives in, and more importantly the brain damage incurred from his years in fighting. He talks his trouble with basic cognitive functions as well as changes to his personality, speech patterns, and short term memory recognition. He is one of the first MMA fighters to chronicle these struggles publicly, reminiscing on the fact that he should have retired when the saw the first signs of trouble. These troubles have (at his own admittance) left him unable to take many jobs, and he enters his life after fighting even more unsure of his future than the first time he stepped into the Octagon.

Overall, "Gatekeeper" is an intriguing look at the Herculean personality and heart of a man who put a stamp on the passport of early Mixed Martial Arts. Always thankful for what he was given in life no matter the outcome, Goodridge has published a book full of his thoughts and reflections of the two decades to share with his fanbase. It's a personal glimpse into the life of a charismatic individual who won fans with his tenacity and perseverance. From Jordan Breen's thought-provoking foreward to Goodridge's final thank you, it is a book that does its best to remind you of the successes, and haunt you of the dangers associated with the life of professional fighting.

"Gatekeeper: The Fighting Life of Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge" is available now at all major print and online retailers. The book is available in both print and electronic format.

We will soon be discussing Gatekeeper and a celebrated career in fighting with  Goodridge himself in the near future. Please keep your eyes peeled for this series of interviews coming soon.