Kyle Maynard hits the weights. (publicity photo)

About halfway through A Fighting Chance — a documentary about Kyle Maynard's life as a congenital quadruple amputee, and his goal to compete in MMA (mixed martial arts) — I stopped doubting his ability to accomplish whatever he wanted. Born with arms that end at the elbow, and legs at the knee, Maynard is shown swimming, bowling (victoriously), typing, driving and, most impressively, wrestling. As a junior high student in Suwanee, Georgia, he began his wrestling career with 35 straight losses. Consider that for a moment: a season and half without a single win, yet he didn't quit. Once he finally experienced victory, the wins began piling up, and by his senior year of high school he had become a dominant wrestler, winning 36 matches on the varsity squad.

But MMA? How could Maynard possibly defend himself, much less compete with any success, in a sport that's as much about punching and kicking as it is grappling? That's what the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission wondered, then decided not to approve his bid to compete. Rather than fight the commission, Maynard crossed state lines to Alabama, which has no such commission. Now the only challenge was finding someone willing to fight him. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by revealing that he arranged a match, eliciting intense criticism in the MMA world, but you'll have to watch the film tonight (ESPN Classic, 7 p.m.) to find out if he prevailed.

Maynard, 24, will be watching the film, too, with soldiers at the Walter Reed Hospital. He was at the hospital just two weeks ago for a special screening, which, unbeknownst to him, was being aired throughout the hospital grounds. After seeing the film, the residents of Mologne House, a long-term facility, had invited Maynard to a viewing party for tonight's premiere. He readily accepted.

"I could never possibly give back what they've given me," says Maynard, whose father was a military police officer at Fort Myer. "It's really started to define my sense of purpose and being."

Maynard has shelved his MMA career to focus on his speaking tour, but it's only a matter of time before he takes on a new challenge. He says he's interested in jiu-jitsu because "you don't have to worry about getting punched and kicked in the head. I would love to be able to compete in that internationally." Or maybe he'll try something else entirely. "Right now, I'm just about experiences in life, in relationships," he says. "If that's me climbing Mount Everest..."

Don't doubt for a second that he could pull it off.