Country music and cowboy boots were replaced by martial arts fighters at :08 on Saturday night when Florida Fight Nights took over the dance floor.
Twenty fighters competed in 10, three-round fights in both Muay Thai and kickboxing.
About 850 onlookers crowded around the boxing ring in the middle of the dance floor at the club or watched from a balcony as the figh’s participants showcased their skills and tactics, according to Matt Wideman, the fight night event’s coordinator.
Muay Thai is an aggressive fighting style in which fighters can lock limbs and elbow and knee their opponents below the shoulders.
The fight’s participants wear headgear, mouth guards and gloves, according to ikfkickboxing.com.
In kickboxing, fighters are allowed to kick below the waist, and they can kick or hit each other on the head.
They are not permitted to use their knees, and headgear is optional, according to ikfkickboxing.com.
Wideman said the fight night featured continuous music and TVs showing the UFC countdown. One TV also showed footage of Florida Fight Nights.
Participants came from Gainesville, Clearwater, Orlando and Georgia to participate in the fights, which were sanctioned by the International Kickboxing Foundation and regulated by the Florida State Boxing Commission, he said.
Members of the Gainesville Dojo, which not only offers training in boxing and kickboxing but karate and kung fu as well, participated in the fights.
Standard admission tickets cost $15, and VIP passes, which included free drinks, a view of the fight from the balcony and free pool tables, cost $45.
The money was used to pay for the event, which included insurance, a medical staff, bringing all of the fighters to Gainesville and putting them in hotels around the city.
But Wideman pointed out that it is not about the money.
“It’s more about promoting Muay Thai and martial arts,” he said.
He said there are not many venues that provide an opportunity for amateur fighters to get their names out to the public, and this was just a stepping stone for them to take it to the next level.
He plans on holding fight nights at least three times a semester next year.
