RULES
Complete rule sets for every underground and bare knuckle fighting organization. From no-rules to sanctioned bouts, every regulation explained.
THE ABC UNIFIED RULES FOR BARE KNUCKLE BOXING (EXPLAINED)
In 2024, the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) formally approved unified rules for bare knuckle boxing — a landmark moment for the sport. These...
AGE REQUIREMENTS ACROSS ALL FIGHTING ORGANIZATIONS
How old do you have to be to fight? In nearly every sanctioned or organized promotion the minimum age is 18 — that includes the UFC, BKFC,...
BARE KNUCKLE VS. GLOVED BOXING: RULES COMPARED
Bare-knuckle boxing and gloved boxing share common ancestry but have evolved into distinctly different sports. The presence or absence of gloves...
BKFC RULES: HOW BARE KNUCKLE BOXING WORKS UNDER STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION REGULATION
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the world's largest bare-knuckle fighting promotion and the only one that operates under the full oversight of...
CALCIO STORICO RULES: 27 PLAYERS, SAND PITCH, AND 500 YEARS OF CONTROLLED VIOLENCE
Calcio Storico Fiorentino -- literally "historic football of Florence" -- is the oldest organized fighting competition on this site and arguably the...
DAMBE RULES EXPLAINED: THE SPEAR, SHIELD & THREE ROUNDS
Dambe has a rule set unlike any other combat sport. The asymmetric hand designation, the absence of judges' scorecards, and the "kill" system create...
DRUG TESTING IN UNDERGROUND FIGHTING: DOES IT EXIST?
The short answer is: barely. While the UFC spends millions on its USADA anti-doping program and professional boxing commissions require pre-fight...
HOW FIGHTER RECORDS WORK IN UNSANCTIONED FIGHTING
In professional boxing, every punch thrown in a sanctioned bout contributes to a permanent record tracked by BoxRec. In the UFC, Sherdog and Tapology...
GAMEBRED BKMMA RULES: MMA WITHOUT GLOVES EXPLAINED
Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA operates under a modified version of unified MMA rules with the critical difference being the absence of gloves. This...
HOW UNDERGROUND FIGHTS ARE SCORED
One of the biggest differences between sanctioned and underground fighting is how a winner is determined when nobody gets knocked out or submitted....
KING OF THE RING (KOTR) RULES: MANCHESTER'S GRASSROOTS BOXING FORMAT
King of the Ring is the UK's fastest-growing grassroots fighting brand, operating out of Manchester under the motto "Put Down the Knife, Use Your...
KOTS RULES EXPLAINED: WHAT 'NO RULES' ACTUALLY MEANS
King of the Streets bills itself as a "no rules" fighting organization. That phrase has made it the most controversial combat sports platform in the...
LETHWEI RULES: HEADBUTTS, NO GLOVES & NO DECISIONS
Lethwei has the most distinctive rule set in combat sports. The combination of bare-knuckle striking, legal headbutts, and a traditional format that...
MAHATCH FC RULES: BARE KNUCKLE FIGHTING IN THE SANDBAG RING
Mahatch Fighting Championship is Ukraine's entry into the bare-knuckle fighting world, combining the stripped-down brutality of ungloved combat with...
NO-RULES FIGHTING VS. MMA: A COMPLETE COMPARISON
The phrase "no rules" gets thrown around loosely in fighting circles, but truly ruleless fighting does exist, and it looks nothing like what you see...
POWER SLAP RULES EXPLAINED: HOW SLAP FIGHTING WORKS
Power Slap operates under a regulated ruleset sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. While the concept appears simple—take turns...
THE REFEREE'S ROLE IN UNDERGROUND FIGHTING
In sanctioned combat sports, the referee is the most important person in the ring. They enforce the rules, protect the fighters, and carry the...
ROUGH N ROWDY RULES: AMATEUR BOXING, NO HEADGEAR, BARSTOOL SPORTS FORMAT
Rough N Rowdy occupies a unique position in the fighting landscape: it is fully sanctioned by a state athletic commission, operates under real boxing...
UNDERGROUND FIGHTING RULES COMPARED: EVERY ORGANIZATION SIDE BY SIDE
Not all fights are created equal. The difference between a BKFC bout sanctioned by a state athletic commission and a King of the Streets fight on...
STREETBEEFS RULES: BOXING, KICKBOXING, JIU-JITSU, AND MMA FORMATS EXPLAINED
Streetbeefs is the largest grassroots fighting organization in the United States. Founded in 2008 by Christopher "Scarface" Wilmore in Harrisonburg,...
STRELKA RULES AND FORMAT: RUSSIA'S GRASSROOTS FIGHTING MACHINE
Strelka is the largest grassroots fighting organization in the world. Founded in St. Petersburg in 2011, it has hosted over 10,000 participants...
TOP DOG FC RULES: BARE KNUCKLE BOXING IN THE HAY BALE RING
Top Dog Fighting Championship is the first and largest bare-knuckle fighting promotion in Eastern Europe. Founded around 2019 in Moscow, it has grown...
UNDERGROUND MMA VS. UFC RULES: WHAT'S DIFFERENT?
The UFC operates under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, a comprehensive framework developed with athletic commissions to standardize the...
HOW WEIGHT CLASSES WORK ACROSS UNDERGROUND FIGHTING ORGANIZATIONS
Weight classes exist in combat sports for a simple reason: size matters. A 250-pound man punching a 150-pound man is not a competitive fight -- it is...
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE GETS HURT IN UNDERGROUND FIGHTING?
In sanctioned combat sports, an injured fighter triggers a well-rehearsed chain of medical response: the referee stops the action, a licensed...