Every time he steps into the ring, Joe Carman endangers his marriage, risks losing custody of his kids and puts his mental and physical health on the line. Still, the 40-year-old pipefitter can’t stop himself. Joe works all day, trains every night until he collapses, cares for his four adoring daughters (from two marriages) and, after his ailing wife goes to sleep, sneaks away to fight in mixed martial arts matches. Why does Joe do it? Even he doesn’t quite understand. Shot over three years, Unay’s gritty drama starts along a Rocky-like arc before veering into Grapes of Wrath territory, a contemporary tale of working-class desperation and determination. Unay strips any gloss from professional fighting—the battles between these small-time warriors are brutal, not glamorous—as he introduces us to a gentle, wounded soul, who searches for validation, and meaning, in dingy gyms.