“The authority will be taking compliance action against the organisers and all registered combatants that participated in the contest. The authority will continue to remain vigilant in its efforts to regulate the NSW combat sports industry to minimise harm to combatants and ensure the integrity of combat sport contests.”
A person who holds a combat sports contest without a permit in NSW can be fined up to $40,000 or jailed for a year, or both.
Hoodrich Hefner, whose real name is Caleb Valeri, with former UFC star Mark Hunt.Credit: Instagram
As well as concerns about safety, unlicensed fighting has also been linked to illegal gambling.
Boxing Australia, the national federation for amateur boxing, said it did not support any form of unsanctioned combat sport.
“BA prioritises the safety of athletes and the integrity of our events and processes above all else. It is of obvious concern to see unregulated fights being conducted without the correct medical and technical supervision that underpins all of our supported tournaments,” Boxing Australia chief executive Dinah Glykidis said.
“We would strongly encourage anyone who wants to participate in boxing to contact any of the accredited gyms and coaches we have all over Australia, not put their health at risk for the entertainment of others on social media.”
There was $5000 up for grabs for the winner and another $1000 for knockout or performance of the day.Credit: Instagram
Valeri previously made headlines for starting a relationship with female prison guard Melissa Goodwin at Silverwater Correctional Complex during a two-month stay at its maximum-security remand and reception facility.
An alleged former Rebels bikie associate, he told ex-bank robber Russell Manser’s podcast in 2023 that he’d turned his back on a life of crime and wanted to be a role model for youth.
Combatants wore mixed martial arts gloves in the Hood Contender, which was launched on June 7 and inspired by a backyard fight league in New Zealand, run by Kiwi UFC competitor Dan Hooker, that has become an online sensation. Professional fighters were not permitted to enter and organisers said there were other fight days planned.
Mundine’s proposed World Bare Knuckle Fighting series has warned that there could be further instances of off-the-books fights if a regulated form of hand-on-hand combat was not approved.
Anthony Mundine (right) launches World Bare Knuckle Fighting at Redfern Oval in February with (from left) boxer and ex-rugby league star Paul Gallen, business partner Gosh Daher and fellow former world boxing titleholder Billy Dib.
“It’s forcing it underground, and it’s only a matter of time until someone gets seriously injured,” said Oliver Joseski, one of Mundine’s business partners.
“You only have to look at TikTok, Instagram … they’re advertising it everywhere.”
The separate Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, in which McGregor is a part owner, has drawn large crowds in the United States, Britain and Spain since its founding in 2018, but this month it had an application for a first Australian show in Perth rejected by Western Australia’s Combat Sports Commission.
Mundine’s group has lobbied the Minns government and other states to give the green light to bare knuckle boxing, making a detailed submission in March to the Combat Sports Authority of NSW.
The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship was formed in 2018 and draws large crowds overseas.Credit: Wyoming Tribune Eagle via AP
It included concussion, medical and safety protocols, the establishment of a sanctioning body and constitution and an endorsement from retired Sydney GP Lou Lewis, a renowned ringside doctor.
Lewis said that despite the bloodiness and brutal perception of bare knuckle boxing, it carried less risk of brain trauma than regular boxing with gloves because bouts were shorter and there were fewer sustained blows to the head.
“With any combat sport there is going to be an element of danger,” Mundine said. “We’ve done all our research and studies on both arts, and it’s come up even safer.”
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The NSW government has a $16 million deal with the UFC for three events, the second of which took place in February, and Premier Chris Minns has embraced the global cage fighting powerhouse despite the controversy it attracts, saying not all Sydneysiders were interested in the arts scene and many liked mixed martial arts.
The Combat Sports Authority of NSW said it was weighing up the merits of bare-knuckle boxing.
“The authority is considering the application [from Mundine’s World Bare Knuckle Fighting] which includes obtaining advice from the authority’s medical advisory committee in respect to health and safety of combatants,” a spokesperson said.
“The authority has at present made no decision to approve bare knuckle boxing.”
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