State Pulls Plug On Use Of Armory For Brawl Card

A legal brawl was under way Wednesday after the state withdrew its approval for a no-holds-barred, pay-per-view “Extreme Fighting” competition scheduled for this weekend in an armory.

A two-paragraph letter from the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs informed Battlecade Inc. that its bare-knuckled bouts would need a new home. The state also returned an uncashed $8,000 check for Saturday’s use of the armory.

Not so fast, said Battlecade lawyer Sid Davidoff, who asked a judge on Wednesday to enforce the lease. The company, which has already spent more than $1 million promoting the nine-bout extravaganza, said it’s too late to find another venue.

“Whatever It Takes To Win,” reads the ad for the event - the first in the city. The ultraviolent competitions have been banned in Kansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

No biting or eye-gouging are the only rules in the matches. Two fighters use a combination of boxing, martial arts and wrestling to knock each other out. There are no rounds and no decisions; the winner is the one left standing. The prize is money.