Last Friday (sorry for the late post) was the one year anniversary of The Fight Network. I had never heard of the channel, not really being the "fighting" type (I'm more of a lover). To be truthful, I went for the food and the drinks, of which there was plenty. The party was catered by Pusateri's and the food was stereotypically masculine-- sausages, bits of grilled cheese with bacon, miniature burgers, and pizza. And the bar was stocked; Grey Goose and Belvedere were pouring freely and with enough Red Bull to start a small plane.

Now, I've never seen much ring fighting (except for maybe at the Steam Whistle industry party), but I have always wanted to photograph it. When I walked into this party (at The Fight Network's AMAZING office on Wellington) and saw the ring, I knew it was going to be my chance.

There were several matches. Mostly Mui Thai and mixed martial arts fights. Afterwards they had some women from the Pillow Fight League step into the ring for a number of very spirited matches. By the end I could almost see what the hype was about. Almost.

I know that violence is never the answer, but some of these fights were pretty exciting. I'm glad I got to see them, it made for an interesting night. I'm not sure if I'll be signing up for the Network anytime soon (I don't even have cable), but I have a little more understanding for someone who does.

See all the photos here