Bare-Knuckle Boxing

Fist-fighting without gloves — the original English prize ring, revived commercially by BKFC in 2018.

👥1 per team🌤indoor
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What is Bare-Knuckle Boxing?

Bare-knuckle boxing is the historical form of fist-fighting fought without gloves, governed by Broughton's (1743) and London Prize Ring (1838) rules. It was outlawed in favour of gloved Queensberry rules but revived commercially by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in 2018, which now holds regulated championships across the USA, UK and beyond.

Quick facts

Category

Combat Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Estimated origin

18th-century England (Broughton's Rules 1743, London Prize Ring 1838)

Olympic

No

Popularity

major

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified