Real-life fight club: The models, marines and hipsters who illegally do battle on New York's underground fighting circuit
- The photo series called 'Old One Two' is by photographer Devin Yalkin who captures the raw fight scenes
- Each illegal fight takes place in random venues across New York city among strangers who step in the ring
- It's reminiscent of the 1999 Hollywood movie called 'Fight Club' starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton
These gritty photographs show the real-life fight club where models, marines, and hipsters pummel each other during matches in New York's underground fighting circuit.
The photo series called 'Old One Two' by photographer Devin Yalkin captures the raw and unfiltered nature of the illegal fight clubs which take place in venues across New York city.
Reminiscent of the 1999 Hollywood movie called 'Fight Club' starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton there is a no-holds bar attitude among strangers who step into the ring ready to draw blood on their opponent.
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Brutal: Anthony, right, and a rival boxer connect their punches as they indulge in the Friday night experience which is watched by lively crowds who enjoy the adrenaline rush of seeing the hardcore fights
Round two: Sharkie Staxx gets his mouthpiece put in for round two of fighting in a venue located near the Manhattan bridge, Chinese Restaurant
Aggression: Fighter Fischer unleashes several punches on his opponent as a crowd yells and shouts as both men fight it out
The fights take place in random venues dotted across New York City, where a baying crowd watches as fighters go head-to-head in the ring.
The violent event is completely unsanctioned but still draws in fighters who range from male models to millionaires.
Yalkin uses his lens to capture the striking, raw, enigmatic and intoxicating fights that are as far from mainstream boxing events as can be.
The images have a savage quality to them which convey just what it might be like to attend the sporadic fights thrown on Friday nights.
Yalkin told Featureshoot.com that he wanted to give the viewer a front row seat at the event, one which would pull you in and allow you to experience the loud, noisy and aggressive nature of the fight clubs.
He said: 'My relationship to my camera, my subjects, how in or out of focus the picture is as well as the framing, all depend on my levels of intimacy, fervency and comfort with the situation.'
See the full video here
Strategic: Charlie doubles up before striking Staxx during Friday night throw down near the Manhattan bridge, Chinese Restaurant
Motion: Charlie takes on Sharkie in a grueling match that pushes their bodies to their limits and captures their quick reflexes
Crowd: An excited crowd consisting of a large number of Charlie's friends celebrate as Charlie wins his match
Spectator: A young patron fights for his window to catch the action where he can watch the fight take place
Bloody: Max Deezy shows off his bloody nose and teeth post fight as his skin glistens with sweat and his black hair frames his face
Yalkin says he first heard about the event through friends.
He was eager to check it out and arrived at a giant building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2010, where he was joined by a huge crowd who climbed a staircase and entered the fight room.
He told Time: 'The scene was rampant. The music was shaking the walls as if there was a subway going through the floor below us.'
He says he was 'drawn to the spectacle of the fights' which egged him on to capture it on film. He began shooting his series in November 2010.
He reveals that his adrenaline would pump every time he watched a fight, and this, he believes is why so many enjoy attending the events.
Preparation: Two fighters go through the motions before they step into the ring showing just how they'll throw their punches
Fan girls: One of the boxer's girlfriends, left, poses for a photo at the Old Fire House in Soho in September, 2012, while two other girls hang out in the back room waiting to talk to a few of the boxers at the same venue
Ring girl: A Ring girl entertains the crowd while wearing lacy panties and a bra as the crowd gets restless in-between rounds
Haze: A picture captures two fighters in the middle of a match which took place on the lower East Side loft space in November, 2011
Yalkin, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, graduated from New York's School of Visual Arts in 2010.
He is a first generation Turkish-Armenian-American and uses photography as a vehicle to capture the grittiness of a host of events.
This series was also published in The New York Times in April 2012 as well as TIME Magazine's LightBox in 2011.
To see more of his work visit: http://www.devinyalkin.com/
Hyped: In between rounds, Staxx gets the crowd riled up during a match near the Manhattan bridge, Chinese Restaurant
Downtime: This image shows two boxers post match having a breather at the Old Fire House Soho in February, 2012
Fighters: Two boxers stand side-by-side before their match which will see them pummel each other with punches to see who reigns supreme
Bruised: A boxer hoists his arms in his air and looks worst for wears after a fight at the Old Fire House in Soho in February, 2012. Right: A fighter gets a pep talk in the corner of the ring as sweat pours down his back during a fight in New York
Pre-match: Joey Lopez stretches his legs before fight at the Old Fire House in Soho, ensuring he's limber when he steps in the ring
Ring: The bloody mess left by the fight club has to be cleaned up afterwards and wiped clean before it stages another fight
- The Old One Two: Underground Boxing in New York - TIME
- FRIDAY NIGHT THROWDOWN - YouTube
- Brooklyn Intelligence - Video Production - HOME
- From Veteran Marines to Male Models, Photographer Captures Illegal Fight Nights in NYC - Feature Shoot
- From Veteran Marines to Male Models, Photographer Captures Illegal Fight Nights in NYC - Feature Shoot
- Devin Yalkin
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He has broken the first rule of fight club.
by MrsLovetrain 274