A brutal video posted online shows two boys, one as young as 8, grappling in a cage fight in northwestern England, pushing and twisting each other's bodies into submission.

The boys — who aren't wearing headgear — wrestle as commentators describe the action, and a scantily clad ring girl prances around between rounds. Scores of people surround the cage, shouting and egging the boys on.

The Sept. 10 match in Lancashire between Kieran Mackinson and Luca Deeley was part of an event called Reps Retribution, organized by the Reps mixed martial arts club, and broadcast on ShareFight.com. It was posted on YouTube but has since been taken down.

Partway through the fight, one of the boys appears to start crying and a medic is brought in to check on him. Once the boy's given the okay, the match continues, tears and all.

Mixed martial arts is growing in popularity. The biggest MMA organization, the UFC, rakes in millions of dollars per match, and many cities have dozens of MMA clubs.

Yet it's rare to see an organized fight with such young participants.

Event organizer Steven Nightingale told The Daily Telegraph “competitions start from the age of 5.”

“The kids are not getting hit or anything at all when they are underage,” he said. “We do not let them strike — punch and kick — until the age of 14 or 15.”

When asked about the crying boy, Nightingale, a professional cage fighter, said: “The kid has never been beaten before. He is the one who wins the gold medals.”

A man named Adam who answered the phone at ShareFight.com and wouldn't give his last name told the Star Wednesday he filmed the fight for Nightingale.

Adam said there are strict rules to prevent the boys from actually hurting each other.

“The whole scene is vilified because it's a cage fight,” he said. “I don't think it is as brutal as the media makes it out (to be).”

Richard Hustwick, a spokesperson for the Ontario Athletics Commission, which regulates pro boxing, kick-boxing and MMA fights in the province, said fighters must be 18 or older to participate. Fighters must wear a mouth piece and groin protection. Physicians and paramedics attend every fight.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Joel Gerson, chief instructor and owner of Revolution Mixed Martial Arts, a GTA boxing and MMA club, said he was troubled by the video.

Gerson was concerned about whether the boys had adequate monitoring. An improper submission hold could easily injure one of the fighters, he told the Star.