Checkmate (Picture: WCBA/London Chessboxing)

A UKIP MEP has been punched to the ground in an epic grudge match with a Lib Dem activist – days after Article 50 was triggered.

Billed as the main event of a chessboxing match covered by Metro.co.uk, the MEP for the North East of England was floored pretty early on.

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The rules of chessboxing are three minutes of chess, then three minutes of boxing until a winner emerges. Fighters can either win by knockout, check mate or their opponent’s clock running out.

Originally from Sheffield, Jonathan Arnott was once a leadership contender for UKIP.


But now he will be remembered for his contribution to dubious bouts of engaging with the electorate.



Days after formal Brexit negotiations were triggered by Article 50’s declaration, he took part in a Pity The Fool event.

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Happening on April 1 it was no April Fool’s joke when Lib Dem activist Toby White took to the ring.

While the UKIP MEP was competent at chess, ironically he’d started the chess match with the French defence (a common chess strategy).

But in the boxing, he was struggling.

‘Saying that you’ve trained to box is not actually the same as training to box,’ Toby told Metro.co.uk.

While the Kipper might be a club-level chess player he has no boxing experience.

Unlike White, who boasts two previous chessboxing matches to his name.

https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/videos/1383385598363391/?pnref=story

Other competitors in the ring, or on the chessboard, included the 6′ 7″ Cameron ‘the Hurt Locker’ Little.

The sport has ‘established a loyal cult following over the last six years winning rave reviews from all corners of the media for its totally bonkers mash-up of brains, brawn and pure entertainment’.

The event was held for Ally Cadence Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. White wrote: ‘It takes a huge amount of courage to step into a boxing ring. Even more so to fight an opponent you have never met, never sized up and know almost nothing about. Even more again when for your first fight.’

MORE: Steven Woolfe speaks for first time after being punched during UKIP meeting

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