The newest hybrid combat sport made its world premiere on Saturday night, and like all new combat sporting events, it had close ties to the world of MMA.
Just like how MMA fighters were involved with the resurgence of bare-knuckle boxing years back, the launch of Karate Combat, and the late-2010s to early 2020s wave of “influencer” boxing, many recognizable names to viewers of the sport appeared at the first numbered “Dirty Boxing” card this weekend from The Hangar in Miami, Florida, USA.
The new promotion—which has been launched in collaboration with ex-UFC fighter Mike Perry and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones—looks to mix in different combat sports rulesets to form a new style of competition.
Dirty Boxing matchups take place inside a boxing ring under three-minute rounds, although there are many parts of the ruleset that make the battles come closer to competitions like MMA or Muay Thai. Competitors battle in four-ounce gloves, are allowed to strike in the clinch and throw elbows, and are also able to briefly land ground and pound shots.
The rules are quite similar to an event entertainment company Triller tested in 2021 titled “Triad Combat,” which aimed to create a ruleset that would allow boxers and MMA fighters to face off. The idea was abandoned after its debut event at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The biggest star of the night was Yoel Romero, a former UFC title challenger who was one of the few returning for their second-ever Dirty Boxing card. The 47-year-old made headlines when he scored a lightning-quick knockout win against Duane Crespo at an untelevised pilot event from the promotion last November.
While the main event against former Bellator talent “Rasquatch The Jamaican Shamrock” Ras Hylton saw both heavyweights work at a somewhat cautious and slow pace for the first two rounds, Romero eventually provided the stoppage that many hoped he would deliver sooner than later in the final stanza.
A hard right hand caused the towering Hylton to go crashing to the mat in the third round, bringing the fight to a sudden end.
A free Youtube livestream of the event reached 10,000 concurrent viewers during the main event of the night.
45-fight UFC veteran Andrei Arlovski returned in the co-main event of the night, beating relatively unsuccessful regional MMA fighter Terrance Hodges in the second round with a gnarly elbow to the head, opening a massive cut. The fight was 46-year-old Arlovski’s first non-UFC appearance since 2013.
Mike Breeden had a quick night at the office in his first post-UFC appearance, putting together a long flurry of punches on CFFC alum Keith Speed until the referee stepped in and stopped the bout in the first round. Breeden had an unsuccessful UFC run from 2021 to 2023, but surprisingly departed the promotion following a win in his last appearance for them.
“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 30 finalist Zac Pauga came up short against fellow MMA fighter Robinson Perez, not getting the scorecard nod after a three-round battle described by commentators as a “slugfest” where he was stunned on multiple occasions. The result continues middling results for Pauga since leaving the UFC roster last year, winning in one of his three combat sports appearances since then.
In the first of many matchups on Saturday that included notable MMA names, former UFC fighter Maurice Greene lost in 40 seconds to PFL alum Rakim Cleveland. Greene got put out from ground and pound shots during an early exchange, ending in an awkward matter that made some onlookers wonder if an injury of some sort had him pre-occupied during the exchange.
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