Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller (2020) s03e10 Episode Script
Fight Clubs
1
♪
ANNOUNCER:
Johnson pressing forward,
landing short punches.
MARIANA VAN ZELLER:
The allure of fighting
is nothing new.
Have you ever been hurt ♪
COMMENTATOR:
And he goes down.
Goes in on him now.
Hurt me away ♪
MARIANA:
Over the last century,
boxing, wrestling, and MMA
have all made
billions of dollars
through live events
and TV deals.
Hollywood too
knows what we like.
Rivals spilling blood
is irresistible,
no matter how mismatched
or otherworldly.
But my beat has
always been the underground.
And we could just hear gunshots.
And, recently,
a more savage
brand of fighting
has been gaining steam.
Professional
bare-knuckle fighting
is only legal
in less than half of US States.
Punches are being thrown
every day and night
in backyards, and parking lots,
and homemade rings
from coast to coast.
♪
Oh, wow.
I actually see a ring here.
This is the story of how
a forbidden brand of combat
Oh, my God.
is trying to find its way
out of the shadows.
MAN:
MARIANA:
And a young American fighter
who's banking his future on it.
MAN: It's a big risk, but
it's a risk I'm willing to take.
The opportunity is massive.
I just can't pass it up.
♪
(man speaking Thai)
MARIANA: I guess this is where
the fight is happening tonight.
Somewhere on this street.
They told us to knock
when we see a big gate.
Like, knock on the door
and, uh, the fight promoter,
the underground fight
promoter guy called Jonathan
will be waiting for us.
This looks like a big gate.
(knocking)
-Hello?
-MAN: Hello?
MARIANA: Hi. I'm Mariana.
MAN:
Mariana? Oh, okay, okay.
-MARIANA: Can I come in?
-MAN (off screen): Okay. Okay.
MARIANA: Jonathan?
Jonathan?
JONATHAN: Hi, Mariana.
-MARIANA: How are you?
-JONATHAN: How are you?
MARIANA:
Nice to meet you. Can I come in?
JONATHAN:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come inside.
-MARIANA: Amazing space.
-JONATHAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MARIANA (off screen):
So this is where the fight
is happening tonight?
JONATHAN:
MARIANA: Wow.
JONATHAN:
MARIANA:
Thailand has long been a mecca
for fighters and fans
of martial arts.
But it's taken me months
to get access
to illegal fights
like this one,
organized by a man
we'll call Jonathan.
JONATHAN:
MARIANA:
Great. Thank you.
So, yeah,
so it's about to start.
JUDGE (in Thai):
JONATHAN (in Thai):
JUDGE (in English): Fight!
♪
(spectators clamoring)
MARIANA: Oh, my goodness.
(spectators cheering)
MARIANA: This is
the first bare-knuckle bout
that I've ever witnessed,
and it's even more brutal
than I imagined.
(spectators cheering)
But it's not new.
Back in the 19th century,
as the sport of boxing
became more formalized,
there were two camps:
one pushing for bare-knuckle
and the other for gloves.
Ultimately, gloves,
which were thought
to attract
a better class of patron,
became the standard,
and the bloodier bare-knuckle
was banned.
(Trip Gong dings)
If busted, Jonathan
could face a year in jail
or a hefty fine.
He tells me that in the past,
they've also paid off cops
or just ran away.
But he doesn't seem
too concerned.
If the police came here,
what would happen?
If the police come?
JONATHAN:
MARIANA: So you would say
that you're filming
-a movie basically?
-JONATHAN: Yeah.
MARIANA:
The fights are lined up
one after another
after another.
It's ruthless,
and that's part of the appeal.
Here, you have the two guys
that, uh, were hurt.
They're both being treated.
Spectators are lured in
with the promise of blood.
But not everyone here
is just a spectator,
and that's the real reason
I've come,
to meet this guy.
(spectators cheering)
I saw you giving money
to some of the fighters.
What was that about?
MAN:
When you see a kid like that,
he gets up three times
after getting knocked down
with a bare fist,
I just feel like
I wanna do something
to show him my appreciation.
The heart that kid had
was worth paying him
a little bit of money for.
MARIANA: So, tell me,
what do you do exactly?
MAN: I'm the CEO
of Bare Knuckle Fighting
in Thailand.
MAN:
I put these bones
to domes, baby!
MARIANA: BKFC
is actually an American company
with global ambitions.
It's hoping
to follow in the footsteps
of the Ultimate Fighting
Championship,
which recognized
the growing appeal
of mixed martial arts
and packaged it
into a multi-billion-dollar
juggernaut.
CONOR MCGREGOR:
They're all trying
to talk like me.
They all wanna be me.
Everyone in the game
wants this fight.
MARIANA:
Unlike the fights
I just watched,
BKFC is legal in Thailand.
That means it follows
guidelines for fighter safety,
including pre-fight physicals
and the presence
of medical staff
during the bouts.
What do you do
when you come to these fights,
these underground fights?
MAN: Honestly,
I'm looking for talent.
Like, I'm scouting to see guys
that I can potentially
give an opportunity to.
I tell you, when
you come down to this level,
this is where
the real tough guys are,
the real hard nuts,
and that's what I'm looking for.
I found one here
that I wanna sign now.
That guy there.
I liked his demeanor.
He's mean-looking.
He looks the part.
But when he went fighting,
he was calm, he was powerful.
I I want that guy on my show.
I can pay him good money.
MARIANA: Fights like this
are happening all over Thailand
every week, every night?
MAN: All the time.
MARIANA: It was insane.
You could feel it in your body.
-The crowd was yelling.
-MAN: Yeah.
MARIANA (off screen):
And you could hear the punches.
You actually hear them.
It felt like every time
they were punching me.
-I was going like this.
-MAN: It was brilliant.
Uh, I just love
to see these guys showing heart.
(both speaking Thai)
MARIANA:
If BKFC is trying to become
the next UFC,
it needs fighters.
Lots of fighters.
And since bare-knuckle fighting
isn't a recognized sport
in many places
around the world,
including the majority
of the US,
one major source
of new bare-knuckle talent
is in illegal fight clubs
like this one.
MAN: Human beings have
always loved fighting, you know,
like, from the gladiator days.
It's in us. It's in our nature.
If I see someone
in the underground scene
that has potential,
absolutely I'll recruit them,
you know?
If I can take 'em away
from that, it's a win-win.
I get a guy that can fight
and loves what he does,
and he gets
a new career chance, so.
I think most people love
to see a good fight,
especially when
it's bare-knuckle
and there's gonna be blood
and someone's gonna
get knocked out.
That's what people wanna see.
MARIANA:
So BKFC is
an American organization
-started by an American man?
-MAN: Yeah.
MARIANA: Why Thailand?
Why is BKFC in Thailand?
MAN:
So when I come to Thailand,
I realize that most people
in Thai society
have this
deep-rooted appreciation
for the striking arts,
and it's so ingrained in
their history and their culture.
It'd become apparent to me
that there's this massive
underground thing going on.
MARIANA:
Nick saw an opportunity
and reached out to BKFC
to sell them the idea
of opening shop in Thailand.
NICK:
I started looking
at social media.
This guy's got like
millions of followers.
And then I went on YouTube,
and I could see these fights
that were happening.
I kinda got in touch with
the guys that run these events,
and that's how it happened
from there, really.
MARIANA:
Bare-knuckle or not,
this thirst for brawling
isn't just a Thailand thing.
MAN (off screen): Go! Go! Go!
(bleep)
MARIANA:
If you jump down
the rabbit hole
of fight clubs online,
the search will take you
all over the world
and into some
murky legal waters.
♪
To know if any of these fights
is 100% legal,
you'd have to know
a litany of specifics
that differ by country
and states.
These can include:
Is the fight on tribal land?
Are they selling tickets?
Is there gambling?
Are there medics?
Are the fighters paid?
Are they in good health?
Are they wearing gloves?
In most cases,
these regulations exist
to try and protect
the safety of the fighters.
But that doesn't stop promoters
and participants
from breaking the law.
(siren wailing)
I want to find my way inside
the American fight club scene
and eventually
to the bare-knuckle bouts
where I'm told
the BKFC is recruiting.
We just arrived in Detroit.
We hear that there
is a lot of illegal activities
that happen
surrounding the fights,
such as illegal betting.
And we've been trying
to get access to people
who will tell us
and show us how it's being done.
And we finally
got the green light
to go meet with
a couple of people
who we believe are involved
in some of these
illegal activities.
We don't know a lot about
what we're gonna walk into,
but we've been trying to get
this access for some time,
so I'm excited
and nervous, as always.
(tense music playing)
(knock on door)
That's him.
Hi. Taliban?
TALIBAN (off screen):
MARIANA:
Taliban, tell me where are we?
Uh, what is this place?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA: What do you stash?
TALIBAN:
-MARIANA: Oh, is this heroin?
-TALIBAN: Yes.
-MARIANA: Can I see it?
-TALIBAN: Yes.
MARIANA:
Where do you get
your heroin from?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA: Oh, so Cash,
he's the one carrying
the gun, usually?
Ooh. (chuckles)
Don't point it at me or at him.
Can I see it?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA: It's loaded?
Holy (bleep).
So definitely
be very careful with it.
So, Taliban,
we connected
because we have a friend
in common, right?
They know that
I've been trying to get access
into one of these
underground fight clubs.
And he told me
that you actually knew
a thing or two
about these fights.
TALIBAN:
MARIANA:
And so you go there to bet?
So there's gambling
in these fights?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA:
Do you think that we'd be able
to go to one of these fights?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA:
You know people
that could let us in?
TALIBAN:
♪
MARIANA:
My source connected me
to an underground fight
at a location
northwest of downtown.
(knocking on door)
Hi. How are you?
Is this
I'm Mariana, by the way.
SECURITY:
MARIANA: Is that okay?
Can I go in? Thank you.
Thanks.
♪
MAN 1: I got your boy
from the red corner.
Anybody wanna bet?
Bro, beat his ass, bro.
MAN 2: We got a hundred on blue.
MARIANA: I'm told that by day,
this place is a soup kitchen
for the homeless.
But at night, it turns into
a secret fight club
and gambling ring.
♪
-MAN 1: Goes to the red corner.
-(all cheering)
MARIANA:
I'm truly shocked about how
open all of this, the betting,
which is obviously illegal.
There's what is considered
as unsanctioned fight.
In Michigan,
an event like this, clearly
staged for an audience,
would need a license
to operate legally.
That license
requires the promoter
to follow a host
of safety measures,
like giving medicals
and HIV tests for fighters,
and having an ambulance
and two paramedics on site,
none of which we spotted.
FIGHTER:
You're gonna see more of me.
MARIANA:
Are you hoping to be noticed
in one of these fights
-by someone
from the big leagues?
-FIGHTER: Definitely.
MARIANA: Is that why a lot
of people come and fight here?
FIGHTER: Yes. Yes.
MARIANA:
The dream of hopping
from obscurity to the big time
may sound improbable,
but it's happened before.
(spectators clamoring)
(bleep)
MAN (off screen):
There's the champ.
MARIANA: In the early 2000s,
Kimbo Slice
became a viral sensation
as fans passed
around online clips
of his street fights.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
Kimbo Slice!
MARIANA:
That led to a much-hyped
jump to the UFC,
where he earned up to
half a million dollars per bout
and garnered the kind of glory
that most backyard fighters
can only dream about.
KIMBO SLICE: I started out,
you know, as a street fighter.
We went from the streets,
from the backstreets
to the front streets,
from the front streets
to the main streets.
And it's a big opportunity for
myself and for all the fighters.
MARIANA:
That's the same dream
that BKFC is selling to the
hungry bare-knuckle fighters.
♪
But bare-knuckle rings
are much harder to find.
The stigma has forged
an insular culture.
So it took me a bit of time
to find the invite
I was looking for.
I actually see a ring here.
See that ring?
-MARIANA: Hi.
-MAN: Hey. Yes.
MARIANA:
How are you? Mariana.
-MAN: Nice to meet you.
-MARIANA: Nice to meet you.
Thanks, uh, thanks for having
So this is it?
MAN (off screen):
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
This is it.
♪
MARIANA: This fight club,
called American Prize Ring,
draws fighters and fans
from all over the Southeast.
It's not an easy scene
to break into,
but after weeks
of back and forth,
the promoter
finally allowed us to film.
MAN:
Hey, who's fighting over here?
Who wants to fight over here?
FIGHTER 1: I'm I'm up,
if you if you need it.
FIGHTER 2:
Yeah, I'll fight if
you all got a fighter.
MAN: Y'all good
with fighting each other?
MARIANA: It can be argued
that mutual combat laws
protect an event like this,
which is why this fight
appears to be legal,
assuming there's
no gambling involved
and that no fighters
are being paid to fight.
Why do you think
it's illegal in so many parts?
Why is it not allowed?
Why is it underground?
MAN: It's crazy
how many people do MMA
but say, like,
(bleep) that to bare-knuckle.
Like, I can kick
another man in the head
with no shin guard, that's fine.
I can knee him in the head,
a-okay.
But if I am gonna
hit somebody with bare-knuckle,
people are like, "Whoa!"
People just
automatically assume,
like, bare-knuckle fighting
is just,
like, illegal, uh,
dudes gambling
and doing all sorts of things,
which, of course, that goes on.
MARIANA (off screen):
How much of that do you think
we'll be able to see?
MAN:
I don't know. Can't answer that.
MARIANA:
I It's my job to ask you.
MAN: Yeah. Yeah.
No, no, it's perfectly fine.
I don't know.
I just ref the fights.
♪
(indistinct chatter)
MARIANA:
Looks like we're minutes away
from the fight starting.
Uh, it's, uh, Keaton over there
with the red shorts.
He's fighting Tyler.
MAN: Fighters! Corners!
MARIANA (off screen):
Okay. It's starting.
MAN: All right? All right.
Ready?
Fight.
-WOMAN (off screen): Tyler!
-MAN (off screen): Come on, Ty!
MARIANA:
When gloves come off,
there's no leeway.
You have to strike
at exactly the right angle
to avoid shattering your hand.
Oh, my God!
MAN (off screen):
All right. Down.
Get to your corner.
Get to your corner.
MARIANA (off screen):
This hurts me.
MAN: Ten seconds,
get to your scratch line.
All right, boys, you ready?
Fight.
♪
MAN:
All right. Get to your corner.
Get to your corner.
Get to your corner.
Hey, that's bare-knuckle.
(spectators cheering)
Winner by knockdown default,
Tyler Sammis.
(spectators cheering)
Okay.
WOMAN (off screen): It happens.
Good job, boys!
-MAN: Boom!
-MARIANA: That was amazing.
You're really good.
-TYLER SAMMIS: Thank you.
-MARIANA: How did you feel?
SAMMIS: I feel great.
I feel like I can do it again.
MARIANA:
It looked like you were ready.
You wanted to fight more, right?
You weren't ready
for it to be over.
SAMMIS: Yeah. I enjoy doing it.
I just wanna keep going.
MARIANA:
What's the next step for you?
What do you think?
SAMMIS:
Do it professionally, you know?
-MARIANA: Yeah?
-SAMMIS: Yeah.
MARIANA:
There aren't many
legal ways to get paid
to fight bare-knuckle
in the US,
and only one has the platform
to make you a star, BKFC.
ANNOUNCER:
Live, worldwide!
It is time to knuckle up!
MARIANA: But the rise of BKFC
has been anything but smooth.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
From the United States
of America,
Justin Thornton!
MARIANA:
It's a controversial path.
And the tragic death
of BKFC fighter Justin Thornton
in Mississippi, in late 2021,
brought the promotion
under even more scrutiny.
DANA WHITE: First of all,
is anybody shocked?
I mean, in
in bare-knuckle fighting,
I I get, I guess
I would call it, concerned
when I see some of our people
when they leave here
and go there and it's like,
"Oh, my God."
MARIANA: Matching a fighter
with an opponent
of the same skill level
is a crucial part
of any combat sport.
An uneven match can put
a fighter's life in jeopardy.
BKFC faced criticism from
fighters and regulators alike
for allowing Justin Thorton,
a fighter with
five straight losses,
in the ring
with Dillon Cleckler,
who had won
his debut BKFC fight
as well as 11
of his last 12 MMA matches.
MAN: Fighters know
when they get in the cage
or or in the ring
that this could be an outcome.
And that's where
the ABC comes in to make sure
that's a fair fight.
MARIANA:
Mike Mazzulli is the president
of the Association
of Boxing Commissions.
It's his job to set
regulatory standards
for combat sports.
The nonprofit organization was
so alarmed by Thornton's death,
that they issued
a "proceed with caution"
warning
to states considering
hosting bare-knuckle events.
MIKE MAZZULLI:
Each state has their own
minimum medical requirements
set by the the government.
In Mississippi,
I think they require
a physical and blood,
and that's it.
BKFC go to Mississippi
because of that reason
'cause it's easier?
That's debatable.
Did they go to Wyoming
because there's less medicals?
Did they go to Montana
because there's no regulation?
ANNOUNCER:
was tagged
when he's backing up.
MARIANA (off screen):
How did you feel that day?
MAN: It was death.
It was it was hard for me.
It was really hard because
I've been in this my whole life.
And to see that happen
under our watch
was It was It was awful.
MARIANA:
This is Dave Feldman,
the founder and president
of BKFC.
DAVE FELDMAN:
When you're hitting
someone in the head
with a bare fist
or a gloved fist, it's not safe.
But bare-knuckle,
it's no more dangerous
than any other combat sport
on the planet.
We have the data that backs up
that we are no more dangerous.
We have less injuries than
boxing or mixed martial arts.
MARIANA: I found the data
that Feldman was referencing.
It's a study that was
led by a ringside physician
who now works for BKFC.
Its conclusion suggests
that bare-knuckle fights
lead to more lacerations
but fewer concussion symptoms.
♪
But that doesn't make me
any less nervous
for 18-year-old Tyler Sammis,
the fighter I met in Florida.
Fighters like Tyler
are essentially
breaking new ground.
I can see people who think
that what you do is crazy
because it's so risky
and dangerous and
Why would you wanna do this?
SAMMIS: It's a very risky sport.
One punch
can hinder my entire career.
MARIANA:
Do you have health insurance
right now?
SAMMIS: No.
MARIANA:
Your parents think you're crazy
for doing this
with no insurance?
SAMMIS: They don't know
I don't have insurance.
MARIANA:
Tyler was invited
to try out for BKFC
after a recruiter saw footage
of one of
his underground fights.
MAN (off screen):
Stay on him, Jackson!
-SAMMIS: It's a big step,
for sure.
-MARIANA: Yeah.
SAMMIS:
Now I've got the opportunity
to go pro
for something massive.
It's It's very surreal.
MARIANA: Nervous?
SAMMIS:
Yeah. It's pretty fair to say.
MARIANA: Yeah, what
does this moment mean for you?
SAMMIS: I wanna say
it means the world to me,
but, um, you know,
I've got another meaning
to that now.
Um, I have a little son
on the way,
so, you know, that's
that's that's my world now.
-MARIANA:
Your girlfriend is pregnant?
-SAMMIS: Yes.
-MARIANA: Wow. How far along?
-SAMMIS: I think 18 weeks.
MARIANA:
Does that change
anything for you
in terms of what's
about to happen?
SAMMIS: Yeah.
It
Oh, my God.
(sniffling)
It's It's an eye-opener.
I was bullied from kindergarten
all the way to seventh grade.
I was really small always,
and I had a really
high-pitched voice.
I was just picked on
and bullied a lot.
I'm just gonna use it
to push harder.
(line ringing)
Hey! Well, how'd
the appointment go?
WOMAN: It was good.
SAMMIS:
Said he was all healthy and all?
WOMAN: Yup, healthy
and curled up
in there like a pretzel.
MARIANA: And your girlfriend,
how does she feel about it?
SAMMIS:
Doesn't like
watching me get hit,
but she's as supportive
as can be.
As supportive as I can ask for.
She's my rock.
She's what motivates me,
and now my son.
They both motivate me
to push it harder than ever.
WOMAN: I would say good luck,
but you don't need it.
You got this.
♪
♪
-MARIANA: Huh, weird.
-MAN: Can you hear me?
MARIANA: I can,
but for some reason,
you're now like this.
Yeah. Huh.
Oh, there you go. Perfect.
I see that you're surrounded
by some, uh, champion belts?
JOSH MAYO:
MARIANA:
Josh Mayo is an amateur
who has fought in sanctioned
MMA and boxing matches,
as well as illegal
bare-knuckle bouts.
He has plans to go pro.
MAYO:
MARIANA:
Because BKFC isn't legal
in most US states,
Josh relies
on underground circuits
to get his name out there.
MAYO:
MARIANA:
Oh! Are you serious? Forever?
MAYO:
MARIANA: At what point
do you, sort of, draw the line
and realize, "You know,
I can really hurt this person"?
MAYO:
MARIANA:
Fighters who compete
in the underground
are well aware of the risks.
MAN 1:
So the bare-knuckle's tough
because it only takes
one fight, you know?
And you have a head injury,
and then you're
a disposable hero.
MAN 2: But I hated it
because they encourage you
to smash people
after they're KO'd,
which is so disgusting to me.
MAN 3:
I think bare-knuckle is more
brutal because it's bloody.
I mean, as soon as you get hit,
boom, your eye's exploding.
MARIANA:
But for many
with dreams of going pro,
the danger
of bare-knuckle fighting
is part of the allure.
It's almost a badge of honor.
SHAD SMITH:
My finger got ripped backwards.
There was
The bone was exposed,
and I still kept fighting
the whole time.
MAYO:
♪
MARIANA:
I've come to this gym outside
of New Orleans to meet Tyler
on one of the most
important days of his life,
his pro tryout
with Bare Knuckle
Fighting Championship.
MAN (off screen):
Y'all ready? Two minutes.
Ready? Begin.
♪
Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds.
MARIANA:
So what's happening is, uh,
you see these guys
are all basically trying out.
They're punching, and Nate,
he's over there in the red shirt
he's basically looking at them
and seeing which
are good fighters,
who he likes,
who can possibly then join BKFC.
How many people do you
think will get a contract today?
NATE: So today, we had
about 70 people register,
but only 24 made it out.
We'll sit down
and we'll interview.
And from there, we'll probably
pick two to three of 'em.
But the guys
that came down here
really are impressing us.
MARIANA (off screen):
We've been filming with Tyler.
What do you think
are his chances today?
NATE:
He's young. He's 18 years old.
I saw some of his videos,
and he looks impressive.
So I'm eager
to see what he can do as well.
MAN (off screen):
He goes, "Swing, Jack, swing."
NATE: Time!
Time. Clear the floor.
Next group.
-MARIANA:
Tyler. Hi. How are you?
-SAMMIS: How's it going?
-MARIANA: How do you feel?
-SAMMIS: I'm sweaty. I'm great.
MARIANA: You are sweaty.
Scott, how are you? Mariana.
-SCOTT: Nice to meet you.
-MARIANA: Nice to meet you too.
-You're his manager, right?
-SCOTT: Yes.
NATE: Begin.
MARIANA: How do you think,
uh, Tyler is gonna do today?
SCOTT:
I think he's gonna do great.
You know,
he's just an awesome kid.
And I think that's the big thing
that BKFC is gonna push,
is that he's the youngest.
The average age in BKFC
is 36 years old.
So I said, "Well, I got a kid
that's 18 that wants to do it,"
you know?
"So let's promote that."
SAMMIS:
So my name is Tyler Sammis.
I see myself in two years
fighting for a title in BKFC.
That's what
my long-term goal is.
So, uh, in two years,
title, for sure.
MARIANA:
If Tyler makes the cut,
he'll be the youngest fighter
on the BKFC roster,
but he won't leave here
with an answer.
He'll have to wait in suspense
for BKFC's call.
SAMMIS: Hello.
MAN (over speaker phone):
Hello, is this Tyler?
SAMMIS (off screen): Yes, sir.
♪
♪
MARIANA:
The day has finally come
when Tyler finds out
if he's made the cut.
With no job,
no health insurance,
and a baby on the way,
there is a lot riding on this.
-They're going
to call you today?
-SAMMIS: Yeah, yeah.
MARIANA: Kayla, how do you feel?
-KAYLA: I'm excited for him.
-MARIANA: Yeah?
KAYLA: He's doing big things.
So I'm excited to be by his side
while he does it all, so.
MARIANA:
And, wait, we've got the belly.
KAYLA (off screen): Yes.
-MARIANA: Is it okay?
-KAYLA: Of course, yeah.
MARIANA: It's the best
when they start kicking, right?
-KAYLA: Yes.
-MARIANA: You can feel it.
-(phone ringing)
-Oh, is that him?
-SAMMIS: Must be Nate.
-MARIANA: Yeah.
-Can you put it
on speaker for us?
-SAMMIS: Yeah.
Hello?
MAN (over phone):
Hello, is this Tyler?
SAMMIS: Yes, sir.
NATE SHOOK: Hey, buddy.
Nate Shook with BKFC.
- How you doing?
-SAMMIS: Not too bad.
SHOOK: Hey, I'll I'll
just cut to the chase here.
We were really excited
when we saw you
come out to the tryouts.
You did really well.
You impressed everybody.
So, you know,
I want to extend an offer,
you know, and offer you
a multi-fight deal with BKFC.
SAMMIS: Mmm! Hm.
(chuckling)
KAYLA:
You gotta answer him.
(chuckling)
SAMMIS: Yes. Yes.
SHOOK:
All right, buddy.
I'll talk to you soon.
SAMMIS:
All right. Thank you so much.
MARIANA: Wow. Amazing.
KAYLA: Good job!
SAMMIS: It's
It's so much
to take in right now.
I just I'm extremely excited
and and blessed
to be able
to have an opportunity
to support my little one
and my growing family.
MARIANA:
Tyler, you're getting emotional.
SAMMIS: Trying not to. Um
MARIANA:
I'm getting emotional.
♪
Despite the risks, I can't
help but feel excited for him.
A contract like this could
bring in much-needed winnings.
(all laughing)
SAMMIS:
I got the phone call, uh,
and I now have
a multi-fight contract
with BKFC.
(all cheering)
WOMAN (off screen):
That's awesome, Tyler.
Protect the knuckles.
Protect the knuckles.
Aw, congratulations.
I'm nervous.
TYLER'S MOM (off screen):
He's gonna bleed.
I mean, that's gonna happen.
He's gonna bleed.
Mom's gonna have a fit
trying to watch the fight.
GRANDMOTHER:
MARIANA: You don't like
to see your grandkids get hurt,
I know.
The fact that he is now
going to fight for the BKFC,
make you guys feel better
about the fact that
he doesn't have to go
into those other
more underground fights?
ERIC SAMMIS: Yeah. They're
They're better organized
and they got better safety,
obviously,
protocols built in place.
But I don't really know about
the longevity of a BKFC fighter,
18 years of age.
You can tell, the MMA guys
that have
weathered the storm,
they may get three, four fights,
and they're gonna call it.
Like,
"I've had a career. I'm done."
This is new ground, you know?
MARIANA:
Fighting isn't a lifelong gig.
There's only so much
punishment your head
and, in bare-knuckle,
your hands can take.
BKFC may be safer
than backyard brawling,
but at this point,
there's no telling how long
Tyler's career will last,
or what long-term impact
it will have
on his growing family.
(indistinct chatter)
♪
Most pros only
last a few years,
and during that time,
only fight
two or three times per year.
For the BKFC,
that becomes a numbers problem.
If they're hoping
to mimic UFC's success
and hold 40-plus events a year,
each showcasing
a dozen or more fighters,
they'll need to find
dozens of Tylers every year.
♪
BKFC bouts are fast and brutal.
Many fighters believe
that the shorter rounds
and the fact that
you can't punch as hard
with a bare hand
as you can
with a protective glove,
actually makes it safer
than most combat sports.
But others are not convinced.
MAZZULLI:
You're getting hit in the head
every single round
of your whole career,
and they're looking for
the big knockout.
And the bigger the knockout,
the more money
they'll make next time.
♪
MARIANA:
Tyler has only six weeks
to prep for his BKFC debut.
♪
SCOTT:
Get those elbows up,
forearms up.
You don't wanna
take those punches
on your wrist.
Don't get caught up
in thinking you're a rock star.
You know,
you're there to do a job.
This is the hurt game.
When you get there,
and you're in person,
and you can smell blood,
and you see teeth on the mat,
and you see people
laying in the back
moaning or throwing up,
it's different.
So you just gotta
prepare for that now.
Good.
MARIANA:
As Tyler prepares
for his BKFC debut,
half a world away,
the first generation
of BKFC fighters in Thailand
(crowd exclaiming)
prepare for theirs.
♪
MARIANA: It's the day
before the BKFC Thailand event
and Nick Chapman invited me
to see the weigh-ins.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
60 kilograms.
66.5 kilograms.
73.9 kilograms!
MARIANA: One match
is particularly heated.
(crowd exclaiming)
Oh, my God!
These two young men,
Naeem and Maseng,
are from rival
illegal fight clubs.
This footage is from
a prior head-to-head bout
which went viral on YouTube.
Nick saw the potential
for a rematch and signed them.
He says it's one of the
most highly-anticipated fights
on their title card.
That was intense.
There's real sort
of rivalry and hate
between these guys.
They can't wait to fight.
You couldn't even
get them together.
They immediately started
punching each other.
It's super intense.
If they win, fighters can
make over a thousand dollars
which, in Thailand,
can go a long way.
But the real winner is BKFC.
They've cherry-picked
an existing rivalry,
complete
with built-in fan bases,
from the illegal
fight club scene.
It's a smart business model,
but it could encourage
other fighters
to put themselves
into risky situations
without proper medical support
with the hopes
that BKFC might come knocking.
NICK CHAPMAN:
The reason BKFC is so popular
is because of how popular
underground fighting is.
MARIANA: It's interesting
because, in in a way,
they're sort of
feeding off each other, right?
Because BKFC is giving
the underground guys
a a dream
and a goal for the future
and BKFC is using
the underground for recruitment.
CHAPMAN:
You gotta think these guys
are fighting for free.
They're in the street.
All of a sudden,
they're in the limelight.
They're on a global stage.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to BKFC Thailand!
-CHAPMAN: Here we go!
-MARIANA: Oh, my God.
CHAPMAN:
I get less nervous
when I'm fighting!
MARIANA:
The next night,
I'm ringside with Nick.
COMMENTATOR:
Two superstars from Thailand's
underground
street fighting circuit.
Round number one!
Big right hand lands
from Naeem!
MARIANA:
Sitting this close
to the action,
it's sometimes hard to watch,
but at the same time,
it's hard to look away.
COMMENTATOR:
There's that entry left hook.
Lands big from Naeem.
Another left hook!
MARIANA: The drama
of the fight is that compelling
and that's what BKFC
is counting on.
COMMENTATOR:
Naeem running into the pocket.
Damage to the eye.
FELDMAN:
We have BKFC Thailand,
BKFC Russia, BKFC Mexico.
We're in the process
of launching a big
worldwide tournament
called the Bare Knuckle Fighting
Championship World Grand Prix.
All the winners are gonna get
a million dollars.
ANNOUNCER:
Maseng Sornchai!
MARIANA: A lot of the people
that started fighting in BKFC
came sort of from
the underground world.
Can you talk
a little bit about that?
FELDMAN: I think that
all different combat sports,
boxing, mixed martial arts,
kickboxing,
it all started
from the underground.
That's the roots of it.
But I would say 99%
of the fighters that I sign
have professional
combat sports experience.
It's very rare that
we'll sign a guy strictly
from the underground
MARIANA:
But Tyler was in this case.
FELDMAN:
Tyler was. Tyler was good.
MARIANA:
We saw him actually fighting
in some of these
unsanctioned fights.
I think one of the criticisms
that exists out there
is that you are incentivizing
these underground fights.
Fighters know
that if they're seen there,
there's a chance
for them to join BKFC.
FELDMAN:
As the sport grows, right?
And as it gets bigger and bigger
and more and more
people watch it,
then more and more people
wanna be involved with it.
And if that's them doing
underground bare-knuckle fights,
then I guess you could say,
in that way,
we would encourage them
to do those kinda fights.
WOMAN (off screen):
Let's go, Tyler!
MARIANA:
Where do you think
Tyler is gonna go?
FELDMAN: Look,
if he's got that star power,
we'll match him right
and we'll make sure
that he, you know,
can can climb that ladder.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
we are set
for the next fight of the night.
Scheduled
for five two-minute rounds
in the featherweight division.
(spectators cheering)
(tense music playing)
SAMMIS:
She told me
that he can hear now.
So I started talking to him
a little bit before bed.
I told him I'm
I'm gonna make it big.
I'm gonna do this so I can
support you all, you know?
This is what I'm gonna do.
This is what I wanna do.
And, uh, I'll make it happen.
COMMENTATOR:
18-year-old Tyler Sammis.
This is his BKFC as well as
pro-combat sports' debut.
A full 19 years younger
than his opponent, Phil Ramer.
MARIANA:
After six weeks
of intense training,
Tyler's pro bare-knuckle debut
has arrived.
COMMENTATOR:
This is the BKFC debut
for Phil Ramer.
MARIANA:
It's also the first time
that his opponent,
ex-MMA fighter Phil Ramer,
has stepped into the BKFC ring.
COMMENTATOR: Phil Ramer said,
"I think Tyler Sammis
is going to try to stay long,
work off of the jab."
Round number one!
MAN (off screen):
Come on, Tyler!
COMMENTATOR:
White trunks for Tyler Sammis.
Black trunks for Phil Ramer.
Big shots! Impressive stuff
from the 18-year-old
Tyler Sammis.
Counter shot.
Big left hand and a right hand!
Now circles out Ramer.
Twenty seconds gone
in round number one.
Huge right-hand
and down goes Phil Ramer.
Sammis is fired up.
He's waving him on.
"Get up," he says.
MARIANA:
Ramer was an MMA fighter
in the early 2000s,
but he had a poor record.
This is only
his third professional fight
in the last 16 years.
COMMENTATOR: Ramer with
a right and a left hand,
eluded by Sammis.
1:05 remaining in a ferocious
and furious round number one.
Another big right-hand.
We might be done!
And we are! Game, set, match!
Welcome to BKFC,
18-year-old Tyler Sammis.
And Ramer's been
knocked out on his feet.
You can see that right there.
He's pushed into the ropes,
knocked out.
He made his pro-combat
sports' debut
with a first-round finish
in Bare Knuckle
Fighting Championship.
Shawn, you don't see
a knockout like that very often
where you hit a guy
and he's on his feet
and he's paused,
you know, most of the way.
What a knockout! What a debut!
Sometimes your reaction time
is not quite there
but you continue
to throw punches like that,
you're opening yourself up and
that's exactly what happened.
Tyler Sammis saw that,
waited for the right time,
continued waiting
for that opening
and he landed the big punch.
ANNOUNCER:
At one minute
of round number one,
for your winner by KO,
Tyler "Cat-5" Sammis.
TYLER'S MOM (off screen):
Yeah! That's my boy!
He did it. He did it.
He did it. He did it!
KAYLA: Oh, my gosh.
MARIANA: Would you say
that you, you sort of have
a little pact with the devil?
You are dipping your toes in
the unsanctioned illegal world
so that you could then make it
legal and book the BKFC.
FELDMAN: I mean,
in life, everything
is risk/reward, right?
We took a risk, I mean,
I bet the livelihood
of everything
in my life on this thing.
MARIANA:
But I think what the critics
would say was that,
yes, you risked a lot
but you risked
your investment, um, your money
but the biggest risk came
at the expense
of the actual fighters.
What do you say to that?
FELDMAN:
I would say that generally,
that's probably the truth.
But when I have a guy that
his coach or his manager says,
"This kid is the real deal,"
then I'm gonna give him a shot.
-MARIANA (off screen): Got it.
-FELDMAN: They were calculated.
TYLER'S MOM: That's my boy!
(clapping)
TYLER'S BROTHER:
Good job, buddy.
SAMMIS:
KAYLA: Hi, baby.
Babe!
SAMMIS (off screen):
I love you.
Will you marry me?
KAYLA:
SAMMIS: Can't open this.
KAYLA: You can't open it?
SAMMIS:
KAYLA: What is wrong with you?
(people laughing, cheering)
MARIANA:
There's no doubt that BKFC
is helping Tyler's dreams
come true.
But I wonder
about the young kids
watching these
BKFC events at home.
In most places in the world,
there's only one option for the
wannabe bare-knuckle fighter
and that's to step
into an underground ring.
♪
ANNOUNCER:
Johnson pressing forward,
landing short punches.
MARIANA VAN ZELLER:
The allure of fighting
is nothing new.
Have you ever been hurt ♪
COMMENTATOR:
And he goes down.
Goes in on him now.
Hurt me away ♪
MARIANA:
Over the last century,
boxing, wrestling, and MMA
have all made
billions of dollars
through live events
and TV deals.
Hollywood too
knows what we like.
Rivals spilling blood
is irresistible,
no matter how mismatched
or otherworldly.
But my beat has
always been the underground.
And we could just hear gunshots.
And, recently,
a more savage
brand of fighting
has been gaining steam.
Professional
bare-knuckle fighting
is only legal
in less than half of US States.
Punches are being thrown
every day and night
in backyards, and parking lots,
and homemade rings
from coast to coast.
♪
Oh, wow.
I actually see a ring here.
This is the story of how
a forbidden brand of combat
Oh, my God.
is trying to find its way
out of the shadows.
MAN:
MARIANA:
And a young American fighter
who's banking his future on it.
MAN: It's a big risk, but
it's a risk I'm willing to take.
The opportunity is massive.
I just can't pass it up.
♪
(man speaking Thai)
MARIANA: I guess this is where
the fight is happening tonight.
Somewhere on this street.
They told us to knock
when we see a big gate.
Like, knock on the door
and, uh, the fight promoter,
the underground fight
promoter guy called Jonathan
will be waiting for us.
This looks like a big gate.
(knocking)
-Hello?
-MAN: Hello?
MARIANA: Hi. I'm Mariana.
MAN:
Mariana? Oh, okay, okay.
-MARIANA: Can I come in?
-MAN (off screen): Okay. Okay.
MARIANA: Jonathan?
Jonathan?
JONATHAN: Hi, Mariana.
-MARIANA: How are you?
-JONATHAN: How are you?
MARIANA:
Nice to meet you. Can I come in?
JONATHAN:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come inside.
-MARIANA: Amazing space.
-JONATHAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
MARIANA (off screen):
So this is where the fight
is happening tonight?
JONATHAN:
MARIANA: Wow.
JONATHAN:
MARIANA:
Thailand has long been a mecca
for fighters and fans
of martial arts.
But it's taken me months
to get access
to illegal fights
like this one,
organized by a man
we'll call Jonathan.
JONATHAN:
MARIANA:
Great. Thank you.
So, yeah,
so it's about to start.
JUDGE (in Thai):
JONATHAN (in Thai):
JUDGE (in English): Fight!
♪
(spectators clamoring)
MARIANA: Oh, my goodness.
(spectators cheering)
MARIANA: This is
the first bare-knuckle bout
that I've ever witnessed,
and it's even more brutal
than I imagined.
(spectators cheering)
But it's not new.
Back in the 19th century,
as the sport of boxing
became more formalized,
there were two camps:
one pushing for bare-knuckle
and the other for gloves.
Ultimately, gloves,
which were thought
to attract
a better class of patron,
became the standard,
and the bloodier bare-knuckle
was banned.
(Trip Gong dings)
If busted, Jonathan
could face a year in jail
or a hefty fine.
He tells me that in the past,
they've also paid off cops
or just ran away.
But he doesn't seem
too concerned.
If the police came here,
what would happen?
If the police come?
JONATHAN:
MARIANA: So you would say
that you're filming
-a movie basically?
-JONATHAN: Yeah.
MARIANA:
The fights are lined up
one after another
after another.
It's ruthless,
and that's part of the appeal.
Here, you have the two guys
that, uh, were hurt.
They're both being treated.
Spectators are lured in
with the promise of blood.
But not everyone here
is just a spectator,
and that's the real reason
I've come,
to meet this guy.
(spectators cheering)
I saw you giving money
to some of the fighters.
What was that about?
MAN:
When you see a kid like that,
he gets up three times
after getting knocked down
with a bare fist,
I just feel like
I wanna do something
to show him my appreciation.
The heart that kid had
was worth paying him
a little bit of money for.
MARIANA: So, tell me,
what do you do exactly?
MAN: I'm the CEO
of Bare Knuckle Fighting
in Thailand.
MAN:
I put these bones
to domes, baby!
MARIANA: BKFC
is actually an American company
with global ambitions.
It's hoping
to follow in the footsteps
of the Ultimate Fighting
Championship,
which recognized
the growing appeal
of mixed martial arts
and packaged it
into a multi-billion-dollar
juggernaut.
CONOR MCGREGOR:
They're all trying
to talk like me.
They all wanna be me.
Everyone in the game
wants this fight.
MARIANA:
Unlike the fights
I just watched,
BKFC is legal in Thailand.
That means it follows
guidelines for fighter safety,
including pre-fight physicals
and the presence
of medical staff
during the bouts.
What do you do
when you come to these fights,
these underground fights?
MAN: Honestly,
I'm looking for talent.
Like, I'm scouting to see guys
that I can potentially
give an opportunity to.
I tell you, when
you come down to this level,
this is where
the real tough guys are,
the real hard nuts,
and that's what I'm looking for.
I found one here
that I wanna sign now.
That guy there.
I liked his demeanor.
He's mean-looking.
He looks the part.
But when he went fighting,
he was calm, he was powerful.
I I want that guy on my show.
I can pay him good money.
MARIANA: Fights like this
are happening all over Thailand
every week, every night?
MAN: All the time.
MARIANA: It was insane.
You could feel it in your body.
-The crowd was yelling.
-MAN: Yeah.
MARIANA (off screen):
And you could hear the punches.
You actually hear them.
It felt like every time
they were punching me.
-I was going like this.
-MAN: It was brilliant.
Uh, I just love
to see these guys showing heart.
(both speaking Thai)
MARIANA:
If BKFC is trying to become
the next UFC,
it needs fighters.
Lots of fighters.
And since bare-knuckle fighting
isn't a recognized sport
in many places
around the world,
including the majority
of the US,
one major source
of new bare-knuckle talent
is in illegal fight clubs
like this one.
MAN: Human beings have
always loved fighting, you know,
like, from the gladiator days.
It's in us. It's in our nature.
If I see someone
in the underground scene
that has potential,
absolutely I'll recruit them,
you know?
If I can take 'em away
from that, it's a win-win.
I get a guy that can fight
and loves what he does,
and he gets
a new career chance, so.
I think most people love
to see a good fight,
especially when
it's bare-knuckle
and there's gonna be blood
and someone's gonna
get knocked out.
That's what people wanna see.
MARIANA:
So BKFC is
an American organization
-started by an American man?
-MAN: Yeah.
MARIANA: Why Thailand?
Why is BKFC in Thailand?
MAN:
So when I come to Thailand,
I realize that most people
in Thai society
have this
deep-rooted appreciation
for the striking arts,
and it's so ingrained in
their history and their culture.
It'd become apparent to me
that there's this massive
underground thing going on.
MARIANA:
Nick saw an opportunity
and reached out to BKFC
to sell them the idea
of opening shop in Thailand.
NICK:
I started looking
at social media.
This guy's got like
millions of followers.
And then I went on YouTube,
and I could see these fights
that were happening.
I kinda got in touch with
the guys that run these events,
and that's how it happened
from there, really.
MARIANA:
Bare-knuckle or not,
this thirst for brawling
isn't just a Thailand thing.
MAN (off screen): Go! Go! Go!
(bleep)
MARIANA:
If you jump down
the rabbit hole
of fight clubs online,
the search will take you
all over the world
and into some
murky legal waters.
♪
To know if any of these fights
is 100% legal,
you'd have to know
a litany of specifics
that differ by country
and states.
These can include:
Is the fight on tribal land?
Are they selling tickets?
Is there gambling?
Are there medics?
Are the fighters paid?
Are they in good health?
Are they wearing gloves?
In most cases,
these regulations exist
to try and protect
the safety of the fighters.
But that doesn't stop promoters
and participants
from breaking the law.
(siren wailing)
I want to find my way inside
the American fight club scene
and eventually
to the bare-knuckle bouts
where I'm told
the BKFC is recruiting.
We just arrived in Detroit.
We hear that there
is a lot of illegal activities
that happen
surrounding the fights,
such as illegal betting.
And we've been trying
to get access to people
who will tell us
and show us how it's being done.
And we finally
got the green light
to go meet with
a couple of people
who we believe are involved
in some of these
illegal activities.
We don't know a lot about
what we're gonna walk into,
but we've been trying to get
this access for some time,
so I'm excited
and nervous, as always.
(tense music playing)
(knock on door)
That's him.
Hi. Taliban?
TALIBAN (off screen):
MARIANA:
Taliban, tell me where are we?
Uh, what is this place?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA: What do you stash?
TALIBAN:
-MARIANA: Oh, is this heroin?
-TALIBAN: Yes.
-MARIANA: Can I see it?
-TALIBAN: Yes.
MARIANA:
Where do you get
your heroin from?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA: Oh, so Cash,
he's the one carrying
the gun, usually?
Ooh. (chuckles)
Don't point it at me or at him.
Can I see it?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA: It's loaded?
Holy (bleep).
So definitely
be very careful with it.
So, Taliban,
we connected
because we have a friend
in common, right?
They know that
I've been trying to get access
into one of these
underground fight clubs.
And he told me
that you actually knew
a thing or two
about these fights.
TALIBAN:
MARIANA:
And so you go there to bet?
So there's gambling
in these fights?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA:
Do you think that we'd be able
to go to one of these fights?
TALIBAN:
MARIANA:
You know people
that could let us in?
TALIBAN:
♪
MARIANA:
My source connected me
to an underground fight
at a location
northwest of downtown.
(knocking on door)
Hi. How are you?
Is this
I'm Mariana, by the way.
SECURITY:
MARIANA: Is that okay?
Can I go in? Thank you.
Thanks.
♪
MAN 1: I got your boy
from the red corner.
Anybody wanna bet?
Bro, beat his ass, bro.
MAN 2: We got a hundred on blue.
MARIANA: I'm told that by day,
this place is a soup kitchen
for the homeless.
But at night, it turns into
a secret fight club
and gambling ring.
♪
-MAN 1: Goes to the red corner.
-(all cheering)
MARIANA:
I'm truly shocked about how
open all of this, the betting,
which is obviously illegal.
There's what is considered
as unsanctioned fight.
In Michigan,
an event like this, clearly
staged for an audience,
would need a license
to operate legally.
That license
requires the promoter
to follow a host
of safety measures,
like giving medicals
and HIV tests for fighters,
and having an ambulance
and two paramedics on site,
none of which we spotted.
FIGHTER:
You're gonna see more of me.
MARIANA:
Are you hoping to be noticed
in one of these fights
-by someone
from the big leagues?
-FIGHTER: Definitely.
MARIANA: Is that why a lot
of people come and fight here?
FIGHTER: Yes. Yes.
MARIANA:
The dream of hopping
from obscurity to the big time
may sound improbable,
but it's happened before.
(spectators clamoring)
(bleep)
MAN (off screen):
There's the champ.
MARIANA: In the early 2000s,
Kimbo Slice
became a viral sensation
as fans passed
around online clips
of his street fights.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
Kimbo Slice!
MARIANA:
That led to a much-hyped
jump to the UFC,
where he earned up to
half a million dollars per bout
and garnered the kind of glory
that most backyard fighters
can only dream about.
KIMBO SLICE: I started out,
you know, as a street fighter.
We went from the streets,
from the backstreets
to the front streets,
from the front streets
to the main streets.
And it's a big opportunity for
myself and for all the fighters.
MARIANA:
That's the same dream
that BKFC is selling to the
hungry bare-knuckle fighters.
♪
But bare-knuckle rings
are much harder to find.
The stigma has forged
an insular culture.
So it took me a bit of time
to find the invite
I was looking for.
I actually see a ring here.
See that ring?
-MARIANA: Hi.
-MAN: Hey. Yes.
MARIANA:
How are you? Mariana.
-MAN: Nice to meet you.
-MARIANA: Nice to meet you.
Thanks, uh, thanks for having
So this is it?
MAN (off screen):
Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.
This is it.
♪
MARIANA: This fight club,
called American Prize Ring,
draws fighters and fans
from all over the Southeast.
It's not an easy scene
to break into,
but after weeks
of back and forth,
the promoter
finally allowed us to film.
MAN:
Hey, who's fighting over here?
Who wants to fight over here?
FIGHTER 1: I'm I'm up,
if you if you need it.
FIGHTER 2:
Yeah, I'll fight if
you all got a fighter.
MAN: Y'all good
with fighting each other?
MARIANA: It can be argued
that mutual combat laws
protect an event like this,
which is why this fight
appears to be legal,
assuming there's
no gambling involved
and that no fighters
are being paid to fight.
Why do you think
it's illegal in so many parts?
Why is it not allowed?
Why is it underground?
MAN: It's crazy
how many people do MMA
but say, like,
(bleep) that to bare-knuckle.
Like, I can kick
another man in the head
with no shin guard, that's fine.
I can knee him in the head,
a-okay.
But if I am gonna
hit somebody with bare-knuckle,
people are like, "Whoa!"
People just
automatically assume,
like, bare-knuckle fighting
is just,
like, illegal, uh,
dudes gambling
and doing all sorts of things,
which, of course, that goes on.
MARIANA (off screen):
How much of that do you think
we'll be able to see?
MAN:
I don't know. Can't answer that.
MARIANA:
I It's my job to ask you.
MAN: Yeah. Yeah.
No, no, it's perfectly fine.
I don't know.
I just ref the fights.
♪
(indistinct chatter)
MARIANA:
Looks like we're minutes away
from the fight starting.
Uh, it's, uh, Keaton over there
with the red shorts.
He's fighting Tyler.
MAN: Fighters! Corners!
MARIANA (off screen):
Okay. It's starting.
MAN: All right? All right.
Ready?
Fight.
-WOMAN (off screen): Tyler!
-MAN (off screen): Come on, Ty!
MARIANA:
When gloves come off,
there's no leeway.
You have to strike
at exactly the right angle
to avoid shattering your hand.
Oh, my God!
MAN (off screen):
All right. Down.
Get to your corner.
Get to your corner.
MARIANA (off screen):
This hurts me.
MAN: Ten seconds,
get to your scratch line.
All right, boys, you ready?
Fight.
♪
MAN:
All right. Get to your corner.
Get to your corner.
Get to your corner.
Hey, that's bare-knuckle.
(spectators cheering)
Winner by knockdown default,
Tyler Sammis.
(spectators cheering)
Okay.
WOMAN (off screen): It happens.
Good job, boys!
-MAN: Boom!
-MARIANA: That was amazing.
You're really good.
-TYLER SAMMIS: Thank you.
-MARIANA: How did you feel?
SAMMIS: I feel great.
I feel like I can do it again.
MARIANA:
It looked like you were ready.
You wanted to fight more, right?
You weren't ready
for it to be over.
SAMMIS: Yeah. I enjoy doing it.
I just wanna keep going.
MARIANA:
What's the next step for you?
What do you think?
SAMMIS:
Do it professionally, you know?
-MARIANA: Yeah?
-SAMMIS: Yeah.
MARIANA:
There aren't many
legal ways to get paid
to fight bare-knuckle
in the US,
and only one has the platform
to make you a star, BKFC.
ANNOUNCER:
Live, worldwide!
It is time to knuckle up!
MARIANA: But the rise of BKFC
has been anything but smooth.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
From the United States
of America,
Justin Thornton!
MARIANA:
It's a controversial path.
And the tragic death
of BKFC fighter Justin Thornton
in Mississippi, in late 2021,
brought the promotion
under even more scrutiny.
DANA WHITE: First of all,
is anybody shocked?
I mean, in
in bare-knuckle fighting,
I I get, I guess
I would call it, concerned
when I see some of our people
when they leave here
and go there and it's like,
"Oh, my God."
MARIANA: Matching a fighter
with an opponent
of the same skill level
is a crucial part
of any combat sport.
An uneven match can put
a fighter's life in jeopardy.
BKFC faced criticism from
fighters and regulators alike
for allowing Justin Thorton,
a fighter with
five straight losses,
in the ring
with Dillon Cleckler,
who had won
his debut BKFC fight
as well as 11
of his last 12 MMA matches.
MAN: Fighters know
when they get in the cage
or or in the ring
that this could be an outcome.
And that's where
the ABC comes in to make sure
that's a fair fight.
MARIANA:
Mike Mazzulli is the president
of the Association
of Boxing Commissions.
It's his job to set
regulatory standards
for combat sports.
The nonprofit organization was
so alarmed by Thornton's death,
that they issued
a "proceed with caution"
warning
to states considering
hosting bare-knuckle events.
MIKE MAZZULLI:
Each state has their own
minimum medical requirements
set by the the government.
In Mississippi,
I think they require
a physical and blood,
and that's it.
BKFC go to Mississippi
because of that reason
'cause it's easier?
That's debatable.
Did they go to Wyoming
because there's less medicals?
Did they go to Montana
because there's no regulation?
ANNOUNCER:
was tagged
when he's backing up.
MARIANA (off screen):
How did you feel that day?
MAN: It was death.
It was it was hard for me.
It was really hard because
I've been in this my whole life.
And to see that happen
under our watch
was It was It was awful.
MARIANA:
This is Dave Feldman,
the founder and president
of BKFC.
DAVE FELDMAN:
When you're hitting
someone in the head
with a bare fist
or a gloved fist, it's not safe.
But bare-knuckle,
it's no more dangerous
than any other combat sport
on the planet.
We have the data that backs up
that we are no more dangerous.
We have less injuries than
boxing or mixed martial arts.
MARIANA: I found the data
that Feldman was referencing.
It's a study that was
led by a ringside physician
who now works for BKFC.
Its conclusion suggests
that bare-knuckle fights
lead to more lacerations
but fewer concussion symptoms.
♪
But that doesn't make me
any less nervous
for 18-year-old Tyler Sammis,
the fighter I met in Florida.
Fighters like Tyler
are essentially
breaking new ground.
I can see people who think
that what you do is crazy
because it's so risky
and dangerous and
Why would you wanna do this?
SAMMIS: It's a very risky sport.
One punch
can hinder my entire career.
MARIANA:
Do you have health insurance
right now?
SAMMIS: No.
MARIANA:
Your parents think you're crazy
for doing this
with no insurance?
SAMMIS: They don't know
I don't have insurance.
MARIANA:
Tyler was invited
to try out for BKFC
after a recruiter saw footage
of one of
his underground fights.
MAN (off screen):
Stay on him, Jackson!
-SAMMIS: It's a big step,
for sure.
-MARIANA: Yeah.
SAMMIS:
Now I've got the opportunity
to go pro
for something massive.
It's It's very surreal.
MARIANA: Nervous?
SAMMIS:
Yeah. It's pretty fair to say.
MARIANA: Yeah, what
does this moment mean for you?
SAMMIS: I wanna say
it means the world to me,
but, um, you know,
I've got another meaning
to that now.
Um, I have a little son
on the way,
so, you know, that's
that's that's my world now.
-MARIANA:
Your girlfriend is pregnant?
-SAMMIS: Yes.
-MARIANA: Wow. How far along?
-SAMMIS: I think 18 weeks.
MARIANA:
Does that change
anything for you
in terms of what's
about to happen?
SAMMIS: Yeah.
It
Oh, my God.
(sniffling)
It's It's an eye-opener.
I was bullied from kindergarten
all the way to seventh grade.
I was really small always,
and I had a really
high-pitched voice.
I was just picked on
and bullied a lot.
I'm just gonna use it
to push harder.
(line ringing)
Hey! Well, how'd
the appointment go?
WOMAN: It was good.
SAMMIS:
Said he was all healthy and all?
WOMAN: Yup, healthy
and curled up
in there like a pretzel.
MARIANA: And your girlfriend,
how does she feel about it?
SAMMIS:
Doesn't like
watching me get hit,
but she's as supportive
as can be.
As supportive as I can ask for.
She's my rock.
She's what motivates me,
and now my son.
They both motivate me
to push it harder than ever.
WOMAN: I would say good luck,
but you don't need it.
You got this.
♪
♪
-MARIANA: Huh, weird.
-MAN: Can you hear me?
MARIANA: I can,
but for some reason,
you're now like this.
Yeah. Huh.
Oh, there you go. Perfect.
I see that you're surrounded
by some, uh, champion belts?
JOSH MAYO:
MARIANA:
Josh Mayo is an amateur
who has fought in sanctioned
MMA and boxing matches,
as well as illegal
bare-knuckle bouts.
He has plans to go pro.
MAYO:
MARIANA:
Because BKFC isn't legal
in most US states,
Josh relies
on underground circuits
to get his name out there.
MAYO:
MARIANA:
Oh! Are you serious? Forever?
MAYO:
MARIANA: At what point
do you, sort of, draw the line
and realize, "You know,
I can really hurt this person"?
MAYO:
MARIANA:
Fighters who compete
in the underground
are well aware of the risks.
MAN 1:
So the bare-knuckle's tough
because it only takes
one fight, you know?
And you have a head injury,
and then you're
a disposable hero.
MAN 2: But I hated it
because they encourage you
to smash people
after they're KO'd,
which is so disgusting to me.
MAN 3:
I think bare-knuckle is more
brutal because it's bloody.
I mean, as soon as you get hit,
boom, your eye's exploding.
MARIANA:
But for many
with dreams of going pro,
the danger
of bare-knuckle fighting
is part of the allure.
It's almost a badge of honor.
SHAD SMITH:
My finger got ripped backwards.
There was
The bone was exposed,
and I still kept fighting
the whole time.
MAYO:
♪
MARIANA:
I've come to this gym outside
of New Orleans to meet Tyler
on one of the most
important days of his life,
his pro tryout
with Bare Knuckle
Fighting Championship.
MAN (off screen):
Y'all ready? Two minutes.
Ready? Begin.
♪
Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds.
MARIANA:
So what's happening is, uh,
you see these guys
are all basically trying out.
They're punching, and Nate,
he's over there in the red shirt
he's basically looking at them
and seeing which
are good fighters,
who he likes,
who can possibly then join BKFC.
How many people do you
think will get a contract today?
NATE: So today, we had
about 70 people register,
but only 24 made it out.
We'll sit down
and we'll interview.
And from there, we'll probably
pick two to three of 'em.
But the guys
that came down here
really are impressing us.
MARIANA (off screen):
We've been filming with Tyler.
What do you think
are his chances today?
NATE:
He's young. He's 18 years old.
I saw some of his videos,
and he looks impressive.
So I'm eager
to see what he can do as well.
MAN (off screen):
He goes, "Swing, Jack, swing."
NATE: Time!
Time. Clear the floor.
Next group.
-MARIANA:
Tyler. Hi. How are you?
-SAMMIS: How's it going?
-MARIANA: How do you feel?
-SAMMIS: I'm sweaty. I'm great.
MARIANA: You are sweaty.
Scott, how are you? Mariana.
-SCOTT: Nice to meet you.
-MARIANA: Nice to meet you too.
-You're his manager, right?
-SCOTT: Yes.
NATE: Begin.
MARIANA: How do you think,
uh, Tyler is gonna do today?
SCOTT:
I think he's gonna do great.
You know,
he's just an awesome kid.
And I think that's the big thing
that BKFC is gonna push,
is that he's the youngest.
The average age in BKFC
is 36 years old.
So I said, "Well, I got a kid
that's 18 that wants to do it,"
you know?
"So let's promote that."
SAMMIS:
So my name is Tyler Sammis.
I see myself in two years
fighting for a title in BKFC.
That's what
my long-term goal is.
So, uh, in two years,
title, for sure.
MARIANA:
If Tyler makes the cut,
he'll be the youngest fighter
on the BKFC roster,
but he won't leave here
with an answer.
He'll have to wait in suspense
for BKFC's call.
SAMMIS: Hello.
MAN (over speaker phone):
Hello, is this Tyler?
SAMMIS (off screen): Yes, sir.
♪
♪
MARIANA:
The day has finally come
when Tyler finds out
if he's made the cut.
With no job,
no health insurance,
and a baby on the way,
there is a lot riding on this.
-They're going
to call you today?
-SAMMIS: Yeah, yeah.
MARIANA: Kayla, how do you feel?
-KAYLA: I'm excited for him.
-MARIANA: Yeah?
KAYLA: He's doing big things.
So I'm excited to be by his side
while he does it all, so.
MARIANA:
And, wait, we've got the belly.
KAYLA (off screen): Yes.
-MARIANA: Is it okay?
-KAYLA: Of course, yeah.
MARIANA: It's the best
when they start kicking, right?
-KAYLA: Yes.
-MARIANA: You can feel it.
-(phone ringing)
-Oh, is that him?
-SAMMIS: Must be Nate.
-MARIANA: Yeah.
-Can you put it
on speaker for us?
-SAMMIS: Yeah.
Hello?
MAN (over phone):
Hello, is this Tyler?
SAMMIS: Yes, sir.
NATE SHOOK: Hey, buddy.
Nate Shook with BKFC.
- How you doing?
-SAMMIS: Not too bad.
SHOOK: Hey, I'll I'll
just cut to the chase here.
We were really excited
when we saw you
come out to the tryouts.
You did really well.
You impressed everybody.
So, you know,
I want to extend an offer,
you know, and offer you
a multi-fight deal with BKFC.
SAMMIS: Mmm! Hm.
(chuckling)
KAYLA:
You gotta answer him.
(chuckling)
SAMMIS: Yes. Yes.
SHOOK:
All right, buddy.
I'll talk to you soon.
SAMMIS:
All right. Thank you so much.
MARIANA: Wow. Amazing.
KAYLA: Good job!
SAMMIS: It's
It's so much
to take in right now.
I just I'm extremely excited
and and blessed
to be able
to have an opportunity
to support my little one
and my growing family.
MARIANA:
Tyler, you're getting emotional.
SAMMIS: Trying not to. Um
MARIANA:
I'm getting emotional.
♪
Despite the risks, I can't
help but feel excited for him.
A contract like this could
bring in much-needed winnings.
(all laughing)
SAMMIS:
I got the phone call, uh,
and I now have
a multi-fight contract
with BKFC.
(all cheering)
WOMAN (off screen):
That's awesome, Tyler.
Protect the knuckles.
Protect the knuckles.
Aw, congratulations.
I'm nervous.
TYLER'S MOM (off screen):
He's gonna bleed.
I mean, that's gonna happen.
He's gonna bleed.
Mom's gonna have a fit
trying to watch the fight.
GRANDMOTHER:
MARIANA: You don't like
to see your grandkids get hurt,
I know.
The fact that he is now
going to fight for the BKFC,
make you guys feel better
about the fact that
he doesn't have to go
into those other
more underground fights?
ERIC SAMMIS: Yeah. They're
They're better organized
and they got better safety,
obviously,
protocols built in place.
But I don't really know about
the longevity of a BKFC fighter,
18 years of age.
You can tell, the MMA guys
that have
weathered the storm,
they may get three, four fights,
and they're gonna call it.
Like,
"I've had a career. I'm done."
This is new ground, you know?
MARIANA:
Fighting isn't a lifelong gig.
There's only so much
punishment your head
and, in bare-knuckle,
your hands can take.
BKFC may be safer
than backyard brawling,
but at this point,
there's no telling how long
Tyler's career will last,
or what long-term impact
it will have
on his growing family.
(indistinct chatter)
♪
Most pros only
last a few years,
and during that time,
only fight
two or three times per year.
For the BKFC,
that becomes a numbers problem.
If they're hoping
to mimic UFC's success
and hold 40-plus events a year,
each showcasing
a dozen or more fighters,
they'll need to find
dozens of Tylers every year.
♪
BKFC bouts are fast and brutal.
Many fighters believe
that the shorter rounds
and the fact that
you can't punch as hard
with a bare hand
as you can
with a protective glove,
actually makes it safer
than most combat sports.
But others are not convinced.
MAZZULLI:
You're getting hit in the head
every single round
of your whole career,
and they're looking for
the big knockout.
And the bigger the knockout,
the more money
they'll make next time.
♪
MARIANA:
Tyler has only six weeks
to prep for his BKFC debut.
♪
SCOTT:
Get those elbows up,
forearms up.
You don't wanna
take those punches
on your wrist.
Don't get caught up
in thinking you're a rock star.
You know,
you're there to do a job.
This is the hurt game.
When you get there,
and you're in person,
and you can smell blood,
and you see teeth on the mat,
and you see people
laying in the back
moaning or throwing up,
it's different.
So you just gotta
prepare for that now.
Good.
MARIANA:
As Tyler prepares
for his BKFC debut,
half a world away,
the first generation
of BKFC fighters in Thailand
(crowd exclaiming)
prepare for theirs.
♪
MARIANA: It's the day
before the BKFC Thailand event
and Nick Chapman invited me
to see the weigh-ins.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
60 kilograms.
66.5 kilograms.
73.9 kilograms!
MARIANA: One match
is particularly heated.
(crowd exclaiming)
Oh, my God!
These two young men,
Naeem and Maseng,
are from rival
illegal fight clubs.
This footage is from
a prior head-to-head bout
which went viral on YouTube.
Nick saw the potential
for a rematch and signed them.
He says it's one of the
most highly-anticipated fights
on their title card.
That was intense.
There's real sort
of rivalry and hate
between these guys.
They can't wait to fight.
You couldn't even
get them together.
They immediately started
punching each other.
It's super intense.
If they win, fighters can
make over a thousand dollars
which, in Thailand,
can go a long way.
But the real winner is BKFC.
They've cherry-picked
an existing rivalry,
complete
with built-in fan bases,
from the illegal
fight club scene.
It's a smart business model,
but it could encourage
other fighters
to put themselves
into risky situations
without proper medical support
with the hopes
that BKFC might come knocking.
NICK CHAPMAN:
The reason BKFC is so popular
is because of how popular
underground fighting is.
MARIANA: It's interesting
because, in in a way,
they're sort of
feeding off each other, right?
Because BKFC is giving
the underground guys
a a dream
and a goal for the future
and BKFC is using
the underground for recruitment.
CHAPMAN:
You gotta think these guys
are fighting for free.
They're in the street.
All of a sudden,
they're in the limelight.
They're on a global stage.
ANNOUNCER (off screen):
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to BKFC Thailand!
-CHAPMAN: Here we go!
-MARIANA: Oh, my God.
CHAPMAN:
I get less nervous
when I'm fighting!
MARIANA:
The next night,
I'm ringside with Nick.
COMMENTATOR:
Two superstars from Thailand's
underground
street fighting circuit.
Round number one!
Big right hand lands
from Naeem!
MARIANA:
Sitting this close
to the action,
it's sometimes hard to watch,
but at the same time,
it's hard to look away.
COMMENTATOR:
There's that entry left hook.
Lands big from Naeem.
Another left hook!
MARIANA: The drama
of the fight is that compelling
and that's what BKFC
is counting on.
COMMENTATOR:
Naeem running into the pocket.
Damage to the eye.
FELDMAN:
We have BKFC Thailand,
BKFC Russia, BKFC Mexico.
We're in the process
of launching a big
worldwide tournament
called the Bare Knuckle Fighting
Championship World Grand Prix.
All the winners are gonna get
a million dollars.
ANNOUNCER:
Maseng Sornchai!
MARIANA: A lot of the people
that started fighting in BKFC
came sort of from
the underground world.
Can you talk
a little bit about that?
FELDMAN: I think that
all different combat sports,
boxing, mixed martial arts,
kickboxing,
it all started
from the underground.
That's the roots of it.
But I would say 99%
of the fighters that I sign
have professional
combat sports experience.
It's very rare that
we'll sign a guy strictly
from the underground
MARIANA:
But Tyler was in this case.
FELDMAN:
Tyler was. Tyler was good.
MARIANA:
We saw him actually fighting
in some of these
unsanctioned fights.
I think one of the criticisms
that exists out there
is that you are incentivizing
these underground fights.
Fighters know
that if they're seen there,
there's a chance
for them to join BKFC.
FELDMAN:
As the sport grows, right?
And as it gets bigger and bigger
and more and more
people watch it,
then more and more people
wanna be involved with it.
And if that's them doing
underground bare-knuckle fights,
then I guess you could say,
in that way,
we would encourage them
to do those kinda fights.
WOMAN (off screen):
Let's go, Tyler!
MARIANA:
Where do you think
Tyler is gonna go?
FELDMAN: Look,
if he's got that star power,
we'll match him right
and we'll make sure
that he, you know,
can can climb that ladder.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
we are set
for the next fight of the night.
Scheduled
for five two-minute rounds
in the featherweight division.
(spectators cheering)
(tense music playing)
SAMMIS:
She told me
that he can hear now.
So I started talking to him
a little bit before bed.
I told him I'm
I'm gonna make it big.
I'm gonna do this so I can
support you all, you know?
This is what I'm gonna do.
This is what I wanna do.
And, uh, I'll make it happen.
COMMENTATOR:
18-year-old Tyler Sammis.
This is his BKFC as well as
pro-combat sports' debut.
A full 19 years younger
than his opponent, Phil Ramer.
MARIANA:
After six weeks
of intense training,
Tyler's pro bare-knuckle debut
has arrived.
COMMENTATOR:
This is the BKFC debut
for Phil Ramer.
MARIANA:
It's also the first time
that his opponent,
ex-MMA fighter Phil Ramer,
has stepped into the BKFC ring.
COMMENTATOR: Phil Ramer said,
"I think Tyler Sammis
is going to try to stay long,
work off of the jab."
Round number one!
MAN (off screen):
Come on, Tyler!
COMMENTATOR:
White trunks for Tyler Sammis.
Black trunks for Phil Ramer.
Big shots! Impressive stuff
from the 18-year-old
Tyler Sammis.
Counter shot.
Big left hand and a right hand!
Now circles out Ramer.
Twenty seconds gone
in round number one.
Huge right-hand
and down goes Phil Ramer.
Sammis is fired up.
He's waving him on.
"Get up," he says.
MARIANA:
Ramer was an MMA fighter
in the early 2000s,
but he had a poor record.
This is only
his third professional fight
in the last 16 years.
COMMENTATOR: Ramer with
a right and a left hand,
eluded by Sammis.
1:05 remaining in a ferocious
and furious round number one.
Another big right-hand.
We might be done!
And we are! Game, set, match!
Welcome to BKFC,
18-year-old Tyler Sammis.
And Ramer's been
knocked out on his feet.
You can see that right there.
He's pushed into the ropes,
knocked out.
He made his pro-combat
sports' debut
with a first-round finish
in Bare Knuckle
Fighting Championship.
Shawn, you don't see
a knockout like that very often
where you hit a guy
and he's on his feet
and he's paused,
you know, most of the way.
What a knockout! What a debut!
Sometimes your reaction time
is not quite there
but you continue
to throw punches like that,
you're opening yourself up and
that's exactly what happened.
Tyler Sammis saw that,
waited for the right time,
continued waiting
for that opening
and he landed the big punch.
ANNOUNCER:
At one minute
of round number one,
for your winner by KO,
Tyler "Cat-5" Sammis.
TYLER'S MOM (off screen):
Yeah! That's my boy!
He did it. He did it.
He did it. He did it!
KAYLA: Oh, my gosh.
MARIANA: Would you say
that you, you sort of have
a little pact with the devil?
You are dipping your toes in
the unsanctioned illegal world
so that you could then make it
legal and book the BKFC.
FELDMAN: I mean,
in life, everything
is risk/reward, right?
We took a risk, I mean,
I bet the livelihood
of everything
in my life on this thing.
MARIANA:
But I think what the critics
would say was that,
yes, you risked a lot
but you risked
your investment, um, your money
but the biggest risk came
at the expense
of the actual fighters.
What do you say to that?
FELDMAN:
I would say that generally,
that's probably the truth.
But when I have a guy that
his coach or his manager says,
"This kid is the real deal,"
then I'm gonna give him a shot.
-MARIANA (off screen): Got it.
-FELDMAN: They were calculated.
TYLER'S MOM: That's my boy!
(clapping)
TYLER'S BROTHER:
Good job, buddy.
SAMMIS:
KAYLA: Hi, baby.
Babe!
SAMMIS (off screen):
I love you.
Will you marry me?
KAYLA:
SAMMIS: Can't open this.
KAYLA: You can't open it?
SAMMIS:
KAYLA: What is wrong with you?
(people laughing, cheering)
MARIANA:
There's no doubt that BKFC
is helping Tyler's dreams
come true.
But I wonder
about the young kids
watching these
BKFC events at home.
In most places in the world,
there's only one option for the
wannabe bare-knuckle fighter
and that's to step
into an underground ring.