Director: Duane Crichton, Sunny Grewal
Cast: Marco Avolio, Jason Eisener, Evan Husney, Mike Schultz, Samara Truster
Dark Side of the Cage is a 2025 American sports documentary series directed by Duane Crichton and Sunny Grewal that pulls back the curtain on mixed martial arts, going far beyond highlight reels to tell the raw, unfiltered stories of the fighters who built the sport from the ground up.
What is Dark Side of the Cage about?
Behind every octagon battle lies a life shaped by sacrifice, poverty, injury, and an unrelenting drive to prove something. Dark Side of the Cage follows the personal journeys of MMA fighters whose paths into the sport were anything but glamorous. Each episode focuses on a different individual, uncovering the struggles, setbacks, and motivations that drove them into professional fighting. The series moves between training camps, family homes, and candid interviews to construct portraits of athletes who are rarely seen outside of fight night. It is a character study as much as a sports show, one that asks hard questions about what the cage demands of the human body and soul.
Cast & crew
The series is co-directed by Duane Crichton and Sunny Grewal, who bring a documentary filmmaking sensibility grounded in long-form character work. Contributors and interview subjects include figures connected to the MMA world such as Jason Eisener and Evan Husney, alongside athlete Marco Avolio, trainer Mike Schultz, and producer Samara Truster, whose combined perspectives give the series its multi-angle depth.
Context & significance
MMA has a sizable following among Iranian and Persian-speaking communities worldwide, with many diaspora viewers tracking both international cards and Iranian-heritage fighters who have competed at the highest levels of the sport. Dark Side of the Cage appeals to that audience by humanizing the athletes behind the highlight-reel knockouts — offering the kind of behind-the-scenes honesty rarely seen in mainstream sports coverage. For viewers who grew up watching combat sports in Iran or who follow the sport closely from abroad, this series offers context, empathy, and storytelling that goes well beyond statistics. It is available on K-Time with a Persian dub, making it fully accessible to Farsi-speaking viewers of all generations.
Where & how to watch
Dark Side of the Cage is available on K-Time with a Persian dub and Persian subtitles. You can watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN required, no geo-blocking, no extra download needed. Start anytime and cancel anytime.