A shocking video that shows children as young as eight fighting in a cage in front of baying crowds has gone viral on the Internet.
The fight, which lasts ten minutes and features a scantily-clad girl parading around the ring between rounds, was part of a packed ticket-only fight night in the UK town of Preston.
Critics argue that cage-fighting encourages violence among young children, especially with an audience of adults to egg them on
The children are not wearing protective head gear or padding and one appears to be crying. At one point, medics were brought into the ring to assess the children but critics including the British Medical Association have slammed the event as dangerous.
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| Children as young as eight fight in a cage in front of a baying crowd |
In video footage, one of the boys who is bare-chested, stands over another child who is on the floor of the cage.
A man in the front row can be seen urging one of the children to keep his chin up, as another man raises his arms in the air. The smaller child has his arm twisted during the bout.
The crowd shout encouragement as the two children wrestle each other in headlocks on the floor of the cage, while others can be heard cheering their names.
Steven Nightingale, professional cage fighter who organised the fight for Greenlands Labour Club, told The Sun newspaper it was an "extremely good event".
He said the sport was safe and increasing in popularity.
"Competitions start from the age of five, it is definitely a big up-and-coming sport."
Club manager Michelle Anderson said the children "loved it" and were never in danger.
Nick Hartley, father of an eight-year-old fighter featured in an online video, told theBBC his son was perfectly safe.
"He loves the sport. It's not one bit dangerous, it's a controlled sport," he said.
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"Until he gets a bit older and he starts doing physical contact, kicking and punching, then maybe, but at his age it's wrestling, like a grappling."
But critics argue that cage-fighting encourages violence among young children, especially with an audience of adults to egg them on.
The British Medical Association has condemned the event.
Sports such as boxing and cage-fighting are sometimes promoted as an outlet for children to manage their aggression using discipline, a BMA spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said sports such as swimming and judo "require discipline but do not pose the same threat of brain injury."
Watch the video here.
