Uncaged : combat sports in Singapore

Abstract

A Wee Kim Wee journalism feature about combat sports in Singapore.

Underneath Singapore’s sterile facade bubbles a rowdy, passionate community jostling for acceptance and official recognition. Made up of mostly youths and young working adults, the combat sport circle is expanding at an explosive rate in Singapore and making the move from niche to mainstream.

Not many sports are able to gather 10,000 paying spectators at the Singapore Indoor Stadium—but mixed martial arts is one of them. The Singapore fight circuit is seeing multiple upward trends: more practitioners, more combat gyms, more competitions, more rising homegrown stars, and more global fight organisations setting up shop here.

But along with the dizzying growth also comes uncharted waters which the fight community must navigate. Concerns over safety, health and injury are growing as inexperienced weekend warriors jump on the fight bandwagon without understanding how to protect themselves.

Some combat sports also wrestle for official support, an uphill task due to Singapore’s focus on performance and the sports’ seemingly violent nature.

Uncaged delves into the adrenaline-filled world of combat sports to uncover the revitalisation of traditional disciplines, the shattering of gender norms, the journey of elite Singapore fighters, the dangers of crash weight losses, the flourishing of related businesses, and the intricate planning that goes into organising fight extravaganzas.