‘The human version of cockfighting’: Inside Sydney’s secret underground fight scene

To find Sydney’s underground bare-knuckle fighting ring, you have to wait for a text message sent just hours before the first fight.

It’s the only way organisers keep police from shutting down the illegal backyard events.

While Queensland allows regulated bare-knuckle bouts, the sport remains illegal in New South Wales.

Yet men continue to gather on Sydney’s outskirts to watch unpadded fists trade blows - with no referees, no judges, and no medical staff on hand.

The event organiser claims the off-grid fights provide a crucial outlet for men dealing with trauma and keeps them out of trouble with the law.

“Australians don’t need referees,” he said. “If you don’t make it legal, it’s going to happen anyway.”

One construction worker, who turned up for his third fight, says the ring is the only place he can release his past.

“I’ve got a lot of chaos up here. When I fight, that chaos is directed out through my body.”

But medical experts warn that the lack of doctors ringside poses a fatal risk.

Neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce described the prohibited fights as “a human version of cockfighting.”

“Death can occur within two minutes,” Pearce warned. “That’s not enough time for an ambulance to get there.”

Despite the severe medical risks and bans, organisers say they will keep running the secret events until authorities legalise the sport.

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