Kyle Maynard fulfills a dream

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Kyle Maynard fulfills a dream

Kyle Maynard, a congenital amputee and a Collins Hill grad, fulfills a dream to fight in an amateur Mixed Martial Arts match. A new documentary airing on ESPN2 chronicles his effort.

A new ESPN2 documentary tells the story of Gwinnett athlete Kyle Maynard, a congenital amputee who rose to become a successful wrestler. Here, he's shown in a weight-lifting competition at Stone Mountain in February 2010.

The documentary, "A Fighting Chance," shows Kyle Maynard's struggle to compete in the brutal, take-no-prisoners world of mixed martial arts. This photo from April 2009, shows him in a mixed martial arts match in Auburn, Ala., in April 2009.

The documentary was made on the cheap by Maynard and two friends with only a camera, a laptop and the faith they'd figure out how to make it work despite their lack of experience as filmmakers.

Maynard gets last minute instructions from trainers (from left) Paul Creighton, Isaac Eberle and Ben Davis. He tried to fight in Duluth two years ago but his license to fight was denied by the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission. He had to come to Alabama, where there is no commmision that governs mixed martial arts.

Maynard rests as he focuses before his first Amateur Mixed Martial Arts fight in 2009.

He has a considerable size disadvantage as he goes against Bryan Fry.

Maynard can't get a hold of Fry in the mixed martial arts match.

Maynard lost by unanimous decision in a three-round right. Maynard was unable to ever get a hold of Fry but fulfilled his lifelong dream to compete in a mixed martial arts match.

Maynard fends off a shot by Fry.

Kyle Maynard gets hit by Fry early in Maynard's first amateur mixed martial arts fight.

Maynard sits in center ring after the final bell sounded in the third and final round of his fight.

Maynard gets a lift from friend and trainer Davis as he leaves the ring after his loss.

Maynard gets a visit from his three sisters Amber, 21, Lindsay, 17, and MacKenzie, 13, all of Suwanee, at the Auburn Covered Arena on Saturday night.

Maynard gets a hug from his grandfather Norm Whisler, of Atlanta, as friends and family celebrate Maynard's achievement of fighting in his first amateur mixed martial arts fight.

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A new ESPN2 documentary tells the story of Gwinnett athlete Kyle Maynard, a congenital amputee who rose to become a successful wrestler. Here, he's shown in a weight-lifting competition at Stone Mountain in February 2010.

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