Bare-knuckle boxing: From car park scraps to championship titles
Billingham's Gary Fox has been fighting for most of his life.
From illegal street fights to settling arguments with violence, and boxing with and without gloves, the 39-year-old has travelled a long road to the professional ring.
Victories on the street used to lead to weeks of drink and drugs, often spiralling into violent situations. But he broke that cycle in 2019 after a spell in prison for driving offences.
He decided to turn his life around and in March he became Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship's (BKFC) UK featherweight title holder, beating Jonno Chipchase by technical knock out.
Fighting without gloves has a long, violent history, traditionally associated with "settling beefs" — and though it remains controversial it has increasingly found legitimacy as a regulated sport.
Critics point to the heightened risk of cuts, long-term injury and the legal grey areas that can still surround unsanctioned fights but for fighters like Fox, the sport offers structure, status and a way out of old patterns.
Video by Adam Clarkson and Alex Challies
