There was always something attractive and mysterious in the primitivism and violence of illegal fight clubs. I mean, why people participate in these shows in the first place? Underground fighting will not give you any kind of media attention, medical insurance, money or security in life!
I guess we?re attracted by this rebellion attitude which represents everything opposite from what modern society considers normal. Plus, the danger and mystic behind it are what actually fascinates us all! The truth is, primitive violence is stamped into our genetic codes and admit it or not, watching the bare-knuckle crushing someone?s jaw is normal in some weird way!
As the famous movie ?Fight Club? suggests, the first rule of any fight club is: ?Don?t talk about it!? However, I don?t have the skills and guts to experience one, so I?ve to write about it. Let?s suppose I?ll at least enjoy the consequences!
We feel responsible to point out there is nothing fun and good in participating in illegal fighting! Often, behind these events lays the organized crime and if you?re thinking about joining one, please reconsider your actions!
This week, we?re digging deep into the modern legal and illegal fight clubs across the world. Brace yourself, we are about to see some violent ones!
Fight Club Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand, has always been representing the home of the brutal stadium Muay Thai fights. With the opportunity to step into the ring at almost every corner, you can also find a lot of illegal fighting occurring on basketball courts, under the bridges or parking lots.
Fight Club Thailand is one of many illegal clubs that focuses on bringing the Thai fights on the city streets. The rules are preventing punches on the back of the head and weight differences more than 5kg. Stepping into the improvised ring with MMA gloves and a lot of aggression, fighters are allowed to throw kicks, knees, and punches while wearing whatever they feel most comfortable in. As you may expect, the fights are very brutal and the injuries a fighter can sustain could be life-threatening! (Source)
However, the owner of this fight club Sophon Nartnukul firmly believes that this will reduce violence in the country:
?If youngsters, or people from all walks of life, need to do something wild, it?s best to have semi-controlled spaces where they can take on each other, and in the process, learn about combat arts?
So far, the organizers have been able to avoid legal issues of this form of entertainment. However, they?ve also managed to generate a massive amount of following all over the world. As a result, we may expect from Thai officials to take a closer look at these events in the future.
Rumble in the Bronx
The streets of the Bronx, New York, are largely recognized as violent and dangerous. Therefore, a group of fighting enthusiasts decided to capitalize on this social behavior by founding an underground boxing fight club called ?Rumble in the Bronx?
From what we know, each event has been held at a different location, and the audience receives the address only hours before the fighting kicks off. Inside the Ring, two parties can settle their beef and arguments by participating in a boxing match under a limited set of rules. Each night of fights sees 10 bouts and fighters must wear sixteen-ounce gloves. The illegal fights are three three-minutes round each and there are only three simple rules: No kicking, biting or punches below the belt.
East Bay Rats
Leather jackets, long hairs, a mixture of gas and beer in the air and an improvised boxing ring in the courtyard? Just a regular Motorcycle club!
Located in Oakland, US, East Bay Rats have been running underground fight nights for almost 20 years now. As said by President Trevor Latham, most of the participants are just regular people looking to let the frustration and aggression go somewhere. Courtyard events consist of mostly boxing fights. However, unlike from the other illegal fight clubs, gloves and mouthpieces are a must!
Monster Fight Club
As we all know, escaping from daily life frustrations is very important for the human mind. For most of us, training in the gym or long walks is everything we need to let things go. However, one particular group of people located in the UK has a quite different way of doing it!
Every Friday and Saturday night, ?Monster Fight Club? provides the opportunity to any stressed-out man to enter the 10-meter austere cage and participate in a pure bare-knuckle fight! This underground club welcomes everyone from city workers, students, bouncers, and even businessmen! In case of being victorious, a fighter can cash out an ?incredible? $53 prize! Now that?s what you call a deal! (Source)
Ronin Family Fight Club
It?s reasonable to say ?Ronin Family? is a Russian version of Britain?s ?Monster Fight club?. This illegal fight club was founded in 2008, and it represents a group of stressed-out businessmen and other socialites who are looking to let off the steam by participating in knife fighting, bare-knuckle slugfests, and other creative violent experiences.
The weekly fee of $900 will let any wealthy man forget about the economic crises and their company revenues declining. What?s more, this price includes a week of training in which they can ?enjoy? being continuously beaten and humiliated by professionals. As said by the owners themselves:
?Our ultimate mission is to transform the educated and urban people into the real man. We can achieve this by humiliating them and beating them down physically and psychologically.? (source)
Arrows Fight club
Arrows fight club is presumably one of the most popular on this list, and some of us are regularly watching it! I mean, how not?! When you spot some of their catchy titles like ?Truck Driver Destroys two professional MMA fighters?, you just have to check it out! Although it looks barbaric and primitive, there is something interesting in their concept and matchups. For sure, it?s not as violent as the others on this list.
Everything about them is simple. The events are usually held in a park or any other outside spot big enough for a ring decked with sand. Furthermore, anyone with or without fighting experience can come and put their bravery and fighting skills to the test!
A little warning: There are many upsets and the videos are very catchy! If you watch just one, we assure you?ll stay up all night exploring the fights between:
TV presenter vs. MMA fighter
Rugby player vs. Boxer
Shop Manager vs. TV presenter
Karate fighter vs. Muay Thai fighter
Russian Soldier vs. Mexican MMA fighter
B-Day Promotion
Yes, we know B-Day is a legal organization and it probably doesn?t deserve a spot on our list. However, it has all the elements of an underground fight club! Plus, for the majority of its history, their fight nights were illegal!
?It is a test of their own manhood, their destiny and where they want to go in life. It is just a challenge of being a man.? ? Source
The events usually take place out of the city zone, and fighters are willingly participating in a bare-knuckle boxing match inside the square of hay bales! Kicks, eye-pokes, and shots below the belt are strictly forbidden, and each event includes the referee and paramedics sitting beside. However, not much can be done in terms of safety as punching bare-knuckle usually causes serious cuts, bleedings, and broken jaws. (Source)
Despite the fact it?s a legalized combat sport, we can still see promoters matching an old man with the jacked young fighter and big differences in weight.
?It?s is the most gladiatorial form of combat that is still available for the normal person to go and see and I?m glad it?s a bit less underground now.? ? Source
Holmgang Hamburg: Extreme Weapon Sparring
?Holmgang? events are typically held in Germany but are also spread all across Europe. What makes this illegal fight club probably the most dangerous on our list is that participants actually use medieval weapons while wearing limited gear protection! Also, some videos are showing people swinging full power with sharp swords, all sorts of knives while wearing only shorts and T-shirts. It?s literally mind-blowing! As a result, taking part in one of these events could lead up to many serious injuries and brutal cuts. (Source)
Although ?Holmgang? videos are full of violent action, we can see some comic stuff as well. If you fast forward the video below to 1:00, you can see one of the contestants going through time by trying to set up the Kimura submission! Considering they fight under medival rules and the BJJ technique got developed many centuries later, we can?t escape but asking: is he a cheater?
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