Inside the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing: Brutal pictures show battered and bruised British fighters going head-to-head in 'illegal' bouts
- Photos taken at the Ultimate Bare-Knuckle Boxing (UBKB) event in Manchester on Saturday
- Organisers of the sport insist it is legal, but the British Boxing Board of Control said it operates in 'grey area'
- Bare-knuckle events usually consist of two three-minute rounds that often finish before time
Brutal photos reveal the bloodthirsty world of British bare-knuckle boxing where fighters trade punches to the face without any gloves or headgear.
The incredible shots, taken at the Ultimate Bare-Knuckle Boxing (UBKB) event in Manchester on Saturday, shed light on a sport in which fights often end in knockouts.
Fighters are often left with serious facial injuries including broken noses and gaping cuts, but organisers insist the fights are legal.
Brutal photos reveal the bloodthirsty world of British bare-knuckle boxing where fighters trade punches to the face without any gloves or headgear. Above: Fighters face-off at the Ultimate Bare-Knuckle boxing (UBKB) event at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester on Saturday
Fighters are often left with serious facial injuries including broken noses and gaping cuts, but organisers insist the fights are legal. Above: Bloodied fighter Lucas Marshall at the event after winning his fight. Organisers insist bare-knuckle fighting is legal as long as permission has been given by the local authority and safety measures are in place
UBKB is owned and run by Amanda and Shaun Smith who has been dubbed the UK's 'Scariest Debt Collector'. Above: A medic examines Lucas Marshall after winning his fight
Right hook: Boxers trade blows at the event in Manchester, which consisted of three two-minute rounds. The British Boxing Board of Control, which regulates licensed boxing, said the fights operate in a grey area
Fighter Chris Wheeldon (right) fights Seamus Devlin. There were boxers at the event who were fighting for the first time, while others were bare-knuckle veterans
Competitors can only punch and bouts are often stopped by the fighters' own team, or the referee seeing it as an unfair contest. Above: Chris Wheeldon celebrates victory, despite a nasty-looking injury to his right eye
Another boxer celebrates winning their fight. Of the sport's legality, the general secretary of the British Boxing board of control said: 'It is a cloudy area, but I do believe it is illegal. Police deal with it as a public order matter and stop it'
However, the British Boxing Board of Control, which regulates licensed boxing, said the fights operate in a grey area.
Rob Smith, the board's general secretary, previously said: 'It is a cloudy area, but I do believe it is illegal.
'Police deal with it as a public order matter and stop it.
'It is crazy, there is an inherent risk in licensed boxing and we work very hard to ensure it is as safe as possible.'
Those involved in the sport say it is legal as long as permission has been given by the local authority and safety measures are in place.
Events usually consist of two three-minute rounds that often finish before time.
A tattooed Chris Wheeldon, who won his fight, is shown above entering the arena at the UBKB event
Competitors can only punch and bouts are often stopped by the fighters' own team, or the referee seeing it as an unfair contest.
At the UBKB event in Manchester, returning fighters Joe Clarke, John Spencer and Will Cairns all won their respective title battles and walked away with belts.
Cairs beat Duane 'The Wrecking Machine' Keen in the main fight to retain his crown.
UBKB is owned and run by Amanda and Shaun Smith who has been dubbed the UK's 'Scariest Debt Collector'.
The sport also made a comeback in the US last year after previously being forced underground for 150 years.
Chris Wheeldon enters the arena in Manchester. Returning fighters Joe Clarke, John Spencer and Will Cairns all won their respective title battles and walked away with belts
Champion: A fighter looks pleased with himself after winning his contest. The sport made a comeback in the US last year after previously being forced underground for 150 years
Supporters hope that a move into more established venues will help to shake off the sport's 'underground' image. Above: Chris Wheeldon throws a punch at Seamus Devlin
On the floor: A boxer regains his composure after being floored by his opponent at the event in Manchester. Fighters can earn up to £50,000 a bout in the sport, which became popular in Britain near the end of the 17th century
Fighter Chris Wheeldon takes a break between rounds at the UBKB event. He went on to win his fight
Supporters hope that a move into more established venues will help to shake off the sport's 'underground' image.
Fighters can earn up to £50,000 a bout in the sport, which became popular in Britain near the end of the 17th century.
However, the introduction of the Queensbury rules in 1867 - which are the basis for modern boxing and dictate that fighters wear gloves - pushed it underground.
Bare-knuckle fighting, UK law and regulating boxing
Though it is legal in the UK, bare-knuckle boxing has no official regulator and is not governed by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC).
Last year London's O2 Arena hosted 14 fights to an audience of more than 2,000 spectators.
It was the first time ever the venue had staged the sport. Fans of the sport talked up its popularity, speculating that it will soon be governed by a regulator.
But at the time the BBBC stated that it saw no reason to become involved in gloveless fighting.
Boxing was originally performed without gloves in the UK, but in 1892 gloves were introduced to create the sport most are familiar with today.
Since then, bare-knuckle fights have remained legal, but nobody has founded a regulator to bring groups the groups performing it in line.
Consequently, clubs are allowed to operate without licences - because they don't exist - unless the government intervenes.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
What's your view?
Be the first to comment...