Mundine Plans Australia’s First Major Bare-Knuckle Event Brisbane September

Anthony Mundine, a former boxing world champion, is launching World Bare Knuckle Fighting in Brisbane this September, promoting it as the "purest form of fighting" and an entertaining spectacle that will bring new talent and excitement to the sport. Mundine argues that bare-knuckle boxing has lower brain trauma risks than traditional boxing due to fewer repeated blows to the head, despite the fights being bloodier and more visually intense. His promotion has faced regulatory challenges in other Australian states, with Western Australia canceling a similar event and New South Wales still reviewing Mundine's application, leading him to choose Queensland where no combat sports authority currently regulates the sport. However, medical professionals and the Australian Medical Association have strongly criticized the sport as "brutal, outdated and dangerous," disputing claims of its relative safety and likening it to human dog fighting. Despite the controversy, Mundine plans to have a full medical team at the event and has sought to pioneer a new entertainment format within combat sports in Australia.