A new film chronicling the against-all-odds life story of Nick Newell is set for release August 6, marking yet another inspirational achievement for the Bellator lightweight.
Notorious Nick will recount the rise of Newell — who was born with a congenital amputation on his left arm — from high school wrestler to professional MMA fighter. The film stars “Teen Wolf” actor Cody Christian as Newell, alongside Barry Livingston, Kevin Pollack and Elisabeth Rohm.
Newell has carved out an impressive MMA career since making his professional debut 12 years ago. In 2014, he fought Justin Gaethje for the World Series of Fighting (now Professional Fighter’s League) lightweight title, losing via TKO.
In 2018, “Notorious” fought on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he lost to Alex Munoz. A year later, Newell signed a four-year contract with Bellator, defeating Corey Browning on debut. His professional record currently stands at 16-4.
Nick Newell Hopes “Notorious Nick” Will Inspire Others
Newell’s achievements in the sport are truly unbelievable given the extreme odds he had to overcome. And the 35-year-old hopes that Notorious Nick will inspire others to achieve the impossible.
“I just hope that it’s something that people can relate to,” Newell told MMA Fighting in 2016 about the film. “I’m talking about any dream that you have. There’s always something that makes it more difficult for you than others to do things, and there’s a lot of people who are in situations similar to me. Maybe they have different goals, but they’re facing challenges and you can’t always see them. So I feel like it’s going to be something that a lot of people can relate to. I look at myself as being a normal person and just an everyday guy, who, there was nothing special about me. I just had a dream to be the best at what I loved, to be the best version of myself and see how far it could go. And it went pretty far.”
Notorious Nick will be streaming on demand from August 6. Check out the trailer below: