A Cumbrian man has bagged a British bare knuckle boxing title.
Zac Davenport, 38, of Cockermouth, was crowned British light heavyweight champion, in Spartan Ring Warz Night of Champions, at Box Arena in Carlisle.
Hosted by Spartan Bare Knuckle Fight Club, Zac went up against fellow Cumbrian fighter Jordan Cook and battled it out for two intense rounds to bag the title.
It’s an achievement Zac has reached after spending just 16 months in the sport.
Zac said: “I was nearly crying inside when I got my belt, I don’t really show it on the outside, but it was a bit emotional for me.
“I just have so much invested in Spartan and I’ve put my time into it. Everyone was saying I was deserving of it because I’ve been there since the start in Cumbria and they’ve loved seeing how I’ve grown.
“But I was on fourth from last, so it was a long night. I went down to the ring and I do not remember that ring walk, I was completely zoned in to what I was about to do.
“But they apply petroleum jelly to your face as soon as you get in the ring and that kind of switches you on.
“We shook hands and he gave me a very good fight 50/50 for two rounds, but it was stopped on cuts because he couldn’t come out for the third. He gave me quite a hell of a fight.”
Zac has won three fights in his career so far, one of which at Spartan Wars 20, held in Rochdale, Zac won while up against veteran Phil Hammond with a knock out in the first round.
The 38-year-old, like many in the sport, has dealt with everything from broken ribs, to a broken jaw, torn muscles and a broken hand and thumbs as a result of the fights he takes on.
But it’s also a sport that has become a major part of his life and one that helps him manage his mental health.
Zac said: “I got into bare knuckle because I was having a few mental health problems. I saw an advertisement one time wanting some fighters for an event in Mayfield in Yorkshire, and it was in an eight by eight square ring out in a field.
“It was for Spartan Fight Club, the company I fight for now, and I went and fought for a world title, unbeknowest to me, I lost in about 30 seconds, but it was an experience and I signed up for another one in the November.
“I then went to Spartan Wars 20 in Rochdale where I fought a fellow veteran there Phil Hammond and I beat him in first round.
“After that I got a good reputation, because I was willing to travel, because my friend takes us up and down the country to do it.
“In February this year, I did the first ever sanctioned bare knuckle fight in Carlisle, me and one of our organisers fought the first fight and I won on the second round.
“At the moment, I would say it’s an obsession, but a healthy one. It can be unhealthy at times, as it’s the only thing I go on about and my wife gets the brunt of it. But she knows its my thing.”
Zac said that when he fights he’s able to switch off from day to day life.
He added: “I’ve got ADHD, a personality disorder and I’m being assessed for autism, I’ve struggled all through my life but it only became prominent when I hit 32 or 33.
“Fighting is the only freedom I get really, It’s the only time I really switch off, it’s real freedom.
“But we’re called the one per cent club for a reason, because we’re the one per cent of the population that will get in there and do it and get an outlet from it.
“Bare knuckle is on the extreme end, people describe it as barbaric, it’s primal and pure, but that’s why people do it.”
Zac added that Spartan Fight Club and the people within it have also had a profound effect on his life.
He said: “It’s very much a family is spartan, we’re all for each other, I’ve fought people I’ll probably be friends with for the rest of my life.
“Christian Roberts is the boss, I’d call him more like family, he’s been in the game for a long time and he started off with bare knuckle when it was very niche and it was kind of frowned upon.
“But he’s been there since the start and he’s created a family for us bare knuckle lads and lasses, we’ve been through good times and bad.
“The loyalty, character and ethos of the club keep me going back, they are a really good company.”
Looking towards the future, Zac said he is making plans for his fighting career.
He added: “I used to just wing it, but now, because I’m a champion, I’m now planning the future.
“I gave myself two years at first, but that’s now coming up fast, so I’ll probably do it slightly longer and maybe be around 41 when I retire, but I’d love to stay involved.”
