Watch Part One of Our Brutal New Series, ‘Spartan Bare Knuckle’

Spartan Bare Knuckle Fight Club is the UK’s only licensed 8x8ft bare-knuckle pit fighting syndicate. A kind of rolling mobile punch-up that draws baying crowds across the north of England, Spartan bouts are short, bloody, and brutal, and often end in knockouts.

Yet beneath the violence, the club aims to be a lifeline in difficult times. It was initially set up to try to decrease levels of knife crime, allowing disputes to be settled before they escalate, with one condition: you shake hands and the argument is left in the pit.

However, over seven years, Spartan’s scope has grown wider, and it’s become a form of community and therapy for men battling ill mental health and addiction as well as the lures of crime. In a new VICE series, Spartan Bare Knuckle, we followed the club and some of its key fighters in the build up to its main summer event, Fight Fest.

As a valued subscriber, you have exclusive early access to watch all three parts of Spartan Bare Knuckle right now—find part one below, and follow the links for parts two and three.