Vivian Yao

2 months ago | 34st.com | Vivian Yao |Norah Rami

“Weeeeelcome to Philly, the best blue collar fighting city in the world,” the announcer’s voice echoes across Wells Fargo Center. We were just two of the 17,762 fans in attendance on Jan. 25 for Knucklemania V, Pennsylvania’s first ever state–sanctioned Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The crowd’s attention was fixed on the square circle at the end of a catwalk—where 24 fighters would soon emerge and take their turns performing dances of violence in front of spectators thirsty for blood.