UNDERGROUND FIGHTING: THE COMPLETE A-Z ENCYCLOPEDIA

Underground Fighting: The Complete A-Z Encyclopedia

This is the single most comprehensive reference on underground fighting ever assembled. From backyard brawls to bare knuckle promotions, every major organization, fighter, term, and event is cataloged here in alphabetical order. Bookmark this page and return whenever you need a quick answer.

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A

Entry	Type	Description
A-Train (Chris Wilmore)	Fighter/Founder	Founder and commissioner of Streetbeefs. Virginia-based combat veteran who started the org in 2008 to settle disputes without guns.
AWFC (Australian Warfare Fighting Championship)	Organization	Australian underground MMA promotion featuring backyard-style fights. Active since 2018.
Athletic Commission	Term	State or national regulatory body overseeing combat sports. Most underground orgs operate outside commission jurisdiction.

B

Entry	Type	Description
Backyard Fighting	Term	Informal combat conducted outdoors, typically in residential yards. The broadest category of unsanctioned fighting.
Backyard Squabbles	Organization	Florida-based backyard MMA promotion. Known for high production value and social media reach.
Bare Knuckle	Term	Fighting without gloves. May or may not include hand wraps.
Bare Knuckle Kombat	Organization	Mysterious promotion with limited public information. See full guide.
BKB (Bare Knuckle Boxing)	Organization	UK-based bare knuckle boxing promotion founded in 2012 by Joe Fournier. Operates under British regulations.
BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship)	Organization	Largest sanctioned bare knuckle promotion globally. Founded 2018 by David Feldman. Licensed in multiple US states.
BKFC UK	Organization	British division of BKFC. See BKFC UK guide.
BKMMA (Bare Knuckle MMA)	Term	Mixed martial arts fought without gloves. Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA is the leading promotion.
Blood4Blood	Term	Underground fighting format where the fight continues until one fighter bleeds.
BTTB (Brawl at the Beach)	Organization	Beach-based underground fighting events.

C

Entry	Type	Description
Calcio Storico	Event/Sport	Historic Florentine sport dating to the 16th century. Teams of 27 compete in violent matches in Santa Croce square. See what is Calcio Storico.
Catchweight	Term	A fight contested at a non-standard weight, agreed upon by both fighters.
Code of Honor	Term	Unwritten rules governing underground fighting: no weapons, respect the tap, no fighting after a KO.
Concrete Fighting	Term	Fighting on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt, common in street-level events.
Corner Stoppage	Term	When a fighter's corner throws in the towel or verbally stops the fight.
CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy)	Medical	Degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma. Major concern across all combat sports.

D

Entry	Type	Description
Dada 5000 (Dhafir Harris)	Fighter	Miami-based backyard fighting legend. Featured in Dawg Fight documentary. Fought Kimbo Slice in Bellator.
Dambe	Sport	West African martial art originating in Nigeria. One fist wrapped in cloth (the "spear"), the other used for defense.
Dawg Fight	Documentary	2015 documentary directed by Billy Corben about backyard fighting in Perrine, Florida. Available on streaming platforms.

E

Entry	Type	Description
East Bay Rats	Organization	Oakland, California motorcycle club that hosts underground boxing events. Active since early 2000s.
Exhibition	Term	A fight held for entertainment or training, where the outcome does not count on official records.

F

Entry	Type	Description
Felony Fights	Organization (Defunct)	Notorious early 2000s underground fighting series featuring ex-convicts. Shut down due to legal issues. See what happened to Felony Fights.
Feldman, David	Person	Founder and president of BKFC. Former boxing promoter who launched bare knuckle fighting into the mainstream.
First Blood	Term	Rule variation where the fight ends when one competitor begins to bleed visibly.
FPVS (Fight Pro Ville Show)	Organization	European underground fighting promotion.

G

Entry	Type	Description
Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA	Organization	Founded by Jorge Masvidal. Combines MMA with bare knuckle rules. See complete guide.
Glima	Sport	Traditional Viking/Icelandic wrestling. See complete guide.
Guns Down Gloves Up	Motto	Streetbeefs' founding philosophy: resolve conflicts through fighting rather than gun violence.

H

Entry	Type	Description
Hay Bale Ring	Term	Fighting enclosure made from stacked hay bales, popularized by Streetbeefs.
Holmgang	Event	Norse-themed underground fighting event inspired by Viking dueling traditions.
Hooligan Fighting	Term	Organized fights between football (soccer) hooligan firms, prevalent in Eastern Europe and the UK.

I

Entry	Type	Description
IBA (International Bareknuckle Alliance)	Organization	Attempted regulatory body for bare knuckle fighting. Limited success in establishing unified rules.
Irish Traveller Boxing	Tradition	Bare knuckle fighting tradition among Irish Traveller communities, often used to settle family disputes. See full article.

K

Entry	Type	Description
Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson)	Fighter	Miami street fighter who became a global phenomenon via YouTube in the mid-2000s. Transitioned to MMA and boxing. Died June 6, 2016.
King of the Ring (KOTR)	Organization	New Zealand-based underground boxing promotion. Events held in pubs and community halls.
King of the Streets (KOTS)	Organization	UK-based bareknuckle promotion. Events held in undisclosed locations. See how to join.

L

Entry	Type	Description
Laamb Wrestling	Sport	Traditional Senegalese wrestling with cultural and spiritual significance. Fighters use both striking and grappling.
Lethwei	Sport	Burmese bare knuckle martial art allowing headbutts. Known as "The Art of Nine Limbs." See complete guide.
Lethwei FC	Organization	Professional Lethwei promotion based in Myanmar. See guide.
London Prize Ring Rules	Rules	Codified bare knuckle boxing rules established in 1838. Predecessor to Marquess of Queensberry Rules.

M

Entry	Type	Description
Mahatch FC	Organization	Ukrainian underground fighting promotion featuring multi-man formats. See guide.
Marquess of Queensberry Rules	Rules	1867 boxing rules that introduced gloves, three-minute rounds, and the ten-count. Ended the bare knuckle era in sanctioned boxing.
Mufflers	Term	Historical term for early boxing gloves, used in training during the bare knuckle era.
Musangwe	Sport	South African traditional fighting practiced by the Venda people. Annual tournaments near Tshifudi village.
Mutual Combat Laws	Legal	Laws in certain US states (Washington, Texas, Oregon) that allow consensual fighting between adults. See mutual combat laws.

N

Entry	Type	Description
No Rules Fighting	Term	Fights with minimal or no restrictions on techniques. Extremely rare in organized settings. See what is no rules fighting.

O

Entry	Type	Description
Overhand	Technique	A looping punch thrown over the opponent's guard. High-power, high-risk technique common in bare knuckle bouts.

P

Entry	Type	Description
Pehlwani (Kushti)	Sport	Traditional Indian wrestling practiced in akharas (training pits). See guide.
Power Slap	Organization	Dana White's slap fighting promotion. Licensed by Nevada State Athletic Commission. See what is Power Slap.
Purse	Term	The guaranteed payment a fighter receives for competing, regardless of the fight outcome.

R

Entry	Type	Description
Rough N' Rowdy	Organization	Barstool Sports-affiliated amateur boxing promotion. White-collar and blue-collar fighters compete in short bouts.

S

Entry	Type	Description
Sanctioned vs. Unsanctioned	Term	Sanctioned fights are regulated by athletic commissions; unsanctioned fights operate outside formal regulation. See glossary entry.
Scrapyard Fight Club	Organization	Gig Harbor, Washington-based fight club. See complete guide.
Spartan Bareknuckle	Organization	Bare knuckle promotion operating in the UK and Europe.
Streetbeefs	Organization	Virginia-based backyard fighting promotion founded by A-Train in 2008. Largest YouTube-based fight channel. See what is Streetbeefs.
StreetBeefz UK	Organization	British expansion of the Streetbeefs concept, operating independently. See complete guide.
Strelka	Organization	Russian underground fighting promotion. 3-minute rounds, minimal rules. See what is Strelka.

T

Entry	Type	Description
Tap Out	Term	Submitting by physically tapping the opponent or the mat, signaling you concede the fight.
The Yard	Term	Common name for the fighting area in backyard promotions, especially Streetbeefs.
Tinku	Sport	Bolivian festival fighting ritual. Annual event in Macha where communities settle disputes through combat.
Top Dog FC	Organization	Russian bare knuckle promotion. High production value, YouTube-based distribution. See what is Top Dog.

U

Entry	Type	Description
UBKB (Ultimate Bare Knuckle Boxing)	Organization	UK-based bare knuckle promotion.
Underground Fighting	Term	Broad term for combat sports conducted outside mainstream sanctioned frameworks. Includes backyard fighting, street fighting promotions, and unlicensed events.
UUF (Ultimate Underground Fighting)	Organization	Underground MMA promotion operating via social media distribution.

V

Entry	Type	Description
Vale Tudo	Sport/Term	Portuguese for "anything goes." Brazilian no-holds-barred fighting tradition that preceded modern MMA. See complete guide.
Valor Bare Knuckle	Organization	Regional US bare knuckle promotion.

W

Entry	Type	Description
Waiver	Legal	Legal document signed by fighters releasing the promotion from liability for injuries. See do waivers hold up.
Walkout	Term	The fighter's entrance to the ring or fighting area, often accompanied by music.
Weigh-In	Term	Pre-fight weight check to confirm fighters meet the agreed weight class.

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Quick Stats

Metric	Count
Organizations cataloged	40+
Fighters referenced	100+
Countries represented	25+
Terms defined	200+
Active promotions (2026)	30+

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How to Use This Encyclopedia

• Looking for an organization? Find it alphabetically above, then follow the link to its dedicated guide.
• Need a term defined? Check the entry here or visit the full glossary.
• Want statistics? See the 2026 statistics page.
• Interested in history? Read the complete timeline.

This encyclopedia is updated regularly as new organizations emerge and the underground fighting landscape evolves.