UK Minister slams ‘barbaric’ child cage fighting video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4rTB0zhsNs

A UK government minister has described recently released footage of a child cage fighting match as "very barbaric".

The fight, featured above, featured two children aged 8 and 9 engaging in an MMA-style bout, albeit without punches or kicks being thrown and sparked a firestorm of controversy after appearing online yesterday evening.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said of the fight: “Getting more young people doing sport is great but I do ask myself whether it really does have to be in a cage.

“It just feels to me, it feels very barbaric and I know there are concerns about children that young doing a sport like that.

“I think if adults choose to do it, that’s one thing ... I suppose I do share some of the shock that I think many of your viewers will feel.”

Lancashire Police have confirmed that they will take no action over the fight, which took place in front of a paying audience of around 250 people at the Greenlands Labour Club in Preston.

The club's owner Michelle Anderson defended the event by saying: ""We hold boxing events here and kids fight then and nobody's complained about that.

"It's just the name 'cage fighting' that people are getting annoyed at or they don't know anything about it so they criticise it because they know nothing about it."

However, the British Cage Fighting Association have described parents that allow their children to take part in such events as "morons".