How to Bet On Bare-Knuckle Fighting

We always think that in the modern world of martial arts, fighting can’t become more brutal, and we are always wrong. As the name suggests, bare-knuckle fighting or boxing is merely a battle of fists. However, martial arts have far more layers than learning defense and attack techniques. The history of boxing goes back to ancient times. There is nothing simpler than fighting with bare hands. Archeologists have found evidence from 6,000 years ago in present-day Ethiopia. Boxing was an essential part of the training of fighters and soldiers. Also, the development of necessary self-defense in case of losing their weapon. Bare-knuckle fighting, defense, and attack, of course, differed significantly from the boxing techniques today, but it was perfectly fit for its purpose. Nowadays, it’s a sport, hobby, stress release technique, etc. To each their own, but the common property is, that it’s a supervised competition and not a life or death situation. We will show you how to bet on bare-knuckle fighting.

Bare-knuckle Fighting or Boxing: Origins

Boxing is one of the oldest sports we know that has been around since ancient times. Both Sumerian, African and Egyptian portrayals show fights with fists and, in many cases, with gloves. The first boxing system we know of, is linked to the Olympics, BC, from 668. The sport was also very popular in Roman times and later came to Europe. Bare-knuckle fighting in these times did not make differences between weight classes, and in most cases, they did not divide matches into rounds. So the competitions were about endurance and stamina. They laid down the foundations of today’s boxing in early modern England. Although for a very long time, regulations were few and loose. Confrontations, aiming at the eye-balls, and biting were commonplace.

In addition, the bare-knuckled and gloved matches have coexisted for a long time, all requiring different approaches. In bare-handed combats, competitors are much more likely to aim at the body rather than the head. Fun fact: the longest boxing match with gloves in history took place in Louisiana on April 6, 1893. The fight lasted seven hours and 19 minutes, from nine in the evening until morning. It took 110 rounds to announce the winner. The stakes were the lightweight championship belt, as well as, the grand prize. The longest bare-knuckle box match took over six hours and 17 rounds back in 1855. Can you imagine six or seven hours of boxing? Those guys were TOUGH, with capital letters.

How to Bet On Bare-Knuckle Fighting – The New Trend

If we look at the UFC, the organization has been on the market for over two decades, and it has become truly recognized and loved. However, there has been a demand for something new in the air for a few years. It turned out to be bare-knuckled fighting.

They banned it in the US in 1889 and legalized it again a few years ago. Due to this decision, the illegal fights lessened. If we look at the historical evidence, the king of martial arts and combat sports is indeed professional boxing. Whether it’s bare-knuckle fighting or traditional boxing, boxers can earn millions of dollars over their careers.

The UFC is the only organization that wants to openly defeat boxing, or more precisely, wishes for its popularity. However, MMA is still too young to try to take the place of boxing, bare-knuckled or not. Though, the professional wrestling organization is constantly trying unsuccessfully. Boxing has a history. Even today’s best-known bare-knuckle organization, the BKFC, the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, has at least a hundred years of advantage on the UFC. Not to mention the couple hundred years of legal and illegal matches, and the primitive, unprofessional fights over the thousands of years. Check out both organizations’ upcoming tournaments at Bet365 Sportsbook.

How to Bet on Bare-Knuckle Fighting

The sports of the modern age bring not only more money, bigger spectacles, and a faster pace compared to the 20th century, but also more violence. Did you know that basketball players couldn’t even touch each other while playing? Because that’s how it started. Compared to that, the NBA matches are almost like rugby today. Water polo? During the games, we see nothing but splashes, thanks to the athletes wrestling underwater.

Handball is no longer just a ball game. Without a doubt, we can put the label – martial arts – on it. We also see a completely different game in soccer than we did decades ago and much more sports tradition took a harsher turn.

Even combat sports and martial arts are no exceptions. We used to stare with open mouths at the brutal fights of professional boxers like Mike Tyson or Wladimir Klitschko. Then that was no longer enough. The street and cage fight spread through the US. So far, most likely, the UFC has been the most brutal professional fighting series available to the public. Not to mention the incredible amount of money the organization, fighters, and gamblers pocket, according to online sportsbook sites in the US. At least until recently. 

In 2018 they organized the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. National channels broadcast the matches. You can’t kick, and there’s no fight on the ground, but it doesn’t take away from the brutality and the spectacle. How to bet on bare-knuckle fighting? Simple. Find the roughest guys who could knock you out with just a glare and bet on them at Bet365 Sportsbook. Bare-knuckle fighting is not for the wannabees or the uncommitted. Those guys are killing it. Figuratively and literally.

The First Official Victim of The Sport

Matches with bare hands, so without a barrier to protect the hands, were legalized again in 2018 in several states in the US. The first tragedy happened in 2021. At the 21st Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event, which took place on August 20. Justin Thornton, an American boxer, died six weeks after suffering a knockout. He was reportedly paralyzed due to the KO but died weeks later despite being hospitalized. Thornton, who competed in the heavyweight class, had a poor balance. He had 18 defeats in 6 wins. By the time his opponent, Dillon Cleckler, had 11 wins and only one defeat over his MMA career and two wins, 0 defeat bare-knuckle fighting record. 

Dillon Cleckler won the match between the two of them with KO once in 2018. In the 5×2-minute matches, boxers aim to deliver THE punch as soon as possible. It means that the organizers made a big mistake when they allowed two fighters of such opposite records to fight. After the brutal punch, Thornton lay in the ring for over five minutes before the ambulances took him to a hospital where he had fought for his life for a month and a half, but they could not save him. Boxing has always held a high risk, even if there are rules, it’s still fighting. Check out other tragic deaths in sports.

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