Hydro unlikely to host more bare-knuckle boxing after mass brawl, BBC understands

Glasgow's Ovo Hydro is unlikely to host further bare-knuckle boxing matches after a mass brawl broke out after an event at the weekend, the BBC understands.

About 9,000 people were at the venue on Saturday night for the first ever Scottish show by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Three police officers were hurt and two men were arrested during the large disturbance, which spilled onto the nearby Clyde Arc bridge.

The Hydro said the event had been carried out safely inside the venue itself, and that it would consider future shows by the promotion on merit, like any other event.

More than 20 police vehicles and a police helicopter converged on the area as the brawl unfolded. Police Scotland called the violence towards officers "disgraceful".

Social media footage showed dozens of men fighting and being chased by officers across the bridge.

A previous bare-knuckle event in 2025, held by a different promotion at East Kilbride's Gladiators Arena, was abandoned before the main event due to fighting breaking out between groups of fans.

BBC Scotland News has seen a letter from a member of the public to Glasgow City Council expressing concerns about the Hydro event - sent several weeks before it was held.

The letter cited fears that some of the fighters, who have previously spoken about being involved with football casuals, were attracting support along football or sectarian lines.

However the Ovo Hydro said "extensive planning" had gone into the show, and stressed there was no trouble inside the building itself during the show.

It said a review of the event would be carried out and this would inform whether more bare-knuckle fights are booked in the future - BBC Scotland understands the venue considers this unlikely.

The BBC has contacted Glasgow City Council for comment.

The main event on Saturday saw Sean Weir from Wishaw defeat Leigh Cohoon from Manchester when the referee stopped the fight in the first round.

Weir was originally slated to fight Irish fighter Conor Cooke.

However he pulled out of the card, with his management team citing "venue-related concerns surrounding ticket arrangements and the safety of travelling supporters."

It followed online advertising by BKFC picturing Cooke with the Irish tricolour, while Weir is a Rangers fan who previously admitted to being part of organised fights with a group of football casuals.

A spokesperson for the SEC said: "Saturday's event was attended by around 9,000 people and was delivered safely within the venue, following extensive planning with the promoter, Police Scotland and other relevant parties.

"We are aware of a number of incidents outside the venue after the event, which we strongly condemn, and we are supporting Police Scotland with their enquiries.

"We consider all events on merit and are carrying out a full review, as we do following every event. This will inform our thinking on hosting similar such events in the future."

There has been controversy over other bare-knuckle events in Scotland, with the Murrayfield Ice Arena in Edinburgh having its licence altered last year as a result of a fight card that left two fighters in hospital.

Events in Britain, such as the one in Glasgow on Saturday, come under the remit of the International Sport Karate and Kickboxing Association (ISKA) - the global body that regulates much of the mixed martial arts (MMA) events in Europe.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC), which oversees the gloved form of the sport, is not involved.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship formed in 2018 and counts former UFC fighter Conor McGregor as a minority owner. He was in attendance at the Glasgow show.

McGregor was found guilty of sexual assault in a civil case in 2024.

While many associate it with illegal fights, bare-knuckle boxing has deep roots in British sporting history.

Before the introduction of gloves, fighters competed with bare fists, and the sport was one of the country's most popular spectator attractions in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The rise of modern boxing and the adoption of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules gradually pushed bare-knuckle contests out of the mainstream.

However, the sport has enjoyed a revival in recent years through promotions such as BKFC, which launched in the United States in 2018 and has since expanded internationally.

Recent UK events have generally been held in smaller venues but last year Manchester's AO Arena hosted a fight between Darren Till and Yoel Romero that attracted an audience of over 15,000 people.

Some groups, like the brain injury charity Headway, have expressed concern over the sport's growing popularity.

"Boxing, MMA, whether bare-knuckle or not, carries unacceptable levels of risk and is going to lead to more people sustaining brain injuries or even death", says Luke Griggs, the charity's chief executive.

"It is irresponsible and the growing popularity is a concern, as is glamourising knockouts with social media clips."

Fighters themselves say the sport is safer than other combat sports and feel criticism is unfair.

Former UFC fighter Stevie Ray, who lost on Saturday, told the BBC's Scotcast programme last week that "it looks more brutal because there's maybe potentially more blood because it's bare-knuckle and it's easier to get cut".

He added: "But I'd still rather get punched bare-knuckle than kicked with a shin [like in UFC]."