GKH RULES v1.0

11.08.2026

GODKINGHOOLIGAN, bareknuckle fighting.

These rules govern every GODKINGHOOLIGAN bout. Signing the bout agreement accepts them in full. No side-deals, no waivers on the night.

1. The bout

Format. Bareknuckle. Classical rules. Referee in the ring. No rounds.

Permitted. Closed-fist punches to the head and body, above the belt, to the front and sides.

Not permitted. Kicks, knees, elbows. Throws, takedowns, ground fighting. Strikes to the throat, back, back of the head or groin. Eye gouging, biting, hair pulling. Holding the ring.

The clinch. Broken on the referee's command. Refusing to break is a foul.

2. How it ends

A bout ends by:

  • Knockout. The fighter cannot come to the mark unaided.
  • Referee stoppage. The fighter is taking unanswered punishment or cannot defend himself.
  • Physician stoppage. The ringside doctor stops it.
  • Corner. The white towel. Honoured instantly.
  • Submission. The fighter raises his hand.

The knockdown count. The standing man goes to a neutral position. The downed fighter rests 30 seconds, then has 8 seconds to come unaided to the mark. If he does not, it is a knockout.

30s
Rest after a knockdown
8s
To come to the mark
3
Knockdowns end it

Three knockdowns end the bout. No exceptions.

No time limit. No rounds, no clock, no draws. It ends when it ends.

3. The fighters

Eligibility. Eighteen or older. Signed bout agreement. Medical clearance under Section 5. One bout per night.

Matching. By reputation and weight. Weight difference at the weigh-in is 5 kg at most. Bouts above 100 kg and declared grudge matches need the physician's written approval.

Weigh-in. At least twelve hours before the first bout, with an official and both corners present.

Hands. Wrist and thumb may be taped for support, ending at least 25 mm below the knuckles. No padding, no hardening, nothing on the hands. The referee inspects both fighters' hands before and after the bout, with the opposing corner present.

Appearance. No jewellery, no piercings, no footwear that can injure a downed man. Nails short. The physician may order it corrected before the bout.

4. Officials

Every bout is worked by:

  • One referee. Sole authority in the ring. Breaks, counts, enforces, stops.
  • One timekeeper. Counts knockdowns, records times.
  • One ringside physician. Seated ringside all night. May stop any bout at any moment.
  • Two cornermen per fighter, one of whom holds the towel and is named before the bout.

No bout starts without the referee and the physician in position. If either leaves, the card stops.

5. Medical

Nobody fights without all of the following on file.

Before, within 90 days of the bout.

  • Blood: HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
  • Eye examination
  • Neurological assessment
  • Written declaration of every knockout and concussion in the last 24 months

On the night.

  • Physician examination of both fighters before the bout
  • Physician and paramedics ringside, ambulance under contract on site
  • A clear stretcher route to the ambulance at all times

After.

  • Physician examination of both fighters immediately after the bout
  • Mandatory rest before the next bout, as below. Never shortened.
90d
Rest after a knockout
60d
After a stoppage
21d
After any bout

Medical records are held under the fighter's written consent, stored securely and destroyed on the schedule in the bout agreement.

The physician's decision is final and outranks everyone present, including the promoter.

6. Conduct and integrity

No performance-enhancing substances. Testing at any time before or after a bout. A positive result forfeits the purse and brings a ban of at least twelve months.

No fixed outcomes. Any arrangement over the result voids both purses and bars both fighters permanently.

Fouls. The referee may warn, deduct from the purse or disqualify. A deliberate foul that injures is immediate disqualification and forfeit of the purse.

7. Purse

Winner takes the prize. The amount is in the bout agreement, paid against the fighter's invoice. No cash at the venue.

No draws. A no-contest, a bout stopped by circumstance rather than by a fighter, pays both in full.

8. Authority

Issued and enforced by GODKINGHOOLIGAN. Amendments come as a new dated version. The version in force is the one published at the weigh-in.

Where these rules are silent, the referee decides and the decision is recorded. Where the physician disagrees with anyone, the physician decides.