Andrew Oliver’s new film Paperweight, which dropped September 5 on Prime Video, asks a simple yet fascinating question: what would happen if you took an average guy off the street and put him in the octagon?
Written by Oliver and Dan Johnson, the movie places the recording artist inside the world of professional MMA, pitting him against seasoned fighters in an experiment of endurance, work ethic, and raw determination.
The film draws inspiration from journalist George Plimpton’s bestselling 1966 book, Paper Lion, which explores the NFL training camp of the Detroit Lions by placing an average person into pro sports.
Paperweight trades football for fighting. With appearances from UFC names like Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and Westin Wilson, the film wastes no time immersing viewers in the punishing grind of combat sports. From brutal ice baths and acupuncture sessions to sprints and sparring, Oliver gives audiences the uncut reality: the fun, the danger, the frustration, and the fleeting moments of triumph as well as defeat.
What makes Paperweight stand out is how it showcases Oliver’s raw experiences. The journey proves inspiring — not because he expects to outperform seasonal pros, but because he shows that ordinary people have untapped potential in places they may never test. At its core, the film becomes a study of work ethic: what are you willing to endure if given the opportunity to push past your limits?
After six weeks of grueling training with Wilson, the film follows Oliver’s journey that culminates in a final showdown with Thompson.
Paperweight may not be polished in the traditional sense, but that’s its strength. The raw style makes the film feel less like a sports documentary and more like a personal reckoning with fear, ambition, and resilience. It’s an inspiring piece that blurs the line between performance and reality — proving that sometimes, the journey itself is the reward. More than just a story about MMA, Paperweight is a story about being human, and what happens when you dare to test your own limits.
