It’s the new MMA sport dubbed as “boxing without the boring stuff”.

Aussie fight fans will get another taste of one of the newer MMA sports on Saturday when the International Brawling Championship (IBC) heads to the Gold Coast for its third edition.

Jay Cutler will fight Luke Modini for the light heavyweight title at the Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, while Issac Hardman will also be a main attraction after producing a brutal knockout at IBC 02, which you can watch above.

IBC 03: Cutler v Modini | SAT 7 MARCH 7PM AEDT | The World’s fastest growing combat sport is back, with Jay Cutler taking on Luke Modini for the Light Heavyweight Title. Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports

Speaking to news.com.au, entrepreneur and IBC founder Daniel Mac explained the sport’s rules state that no grappling is allowed and fighters are urged to simply throw hands in a smaller cage. Each fight goes for four two-minute rounds.

“It’s fists only, no ground and pound,” Mac described IBC, which is available to watch on Saturday via a pay-per-view on Kayo Sports.

“You can punch in the clinch. We’re fighting in a square cage. You can only score points either standing still or coming forward and throwing punches.

“There’s no backfoot punching. You can’t score off the back foot, as we call it. It’s just an intense, exciting experience. It’s two minutes of non-stop action.”

IBC’s first event was held last August with the aim of providing an action-packed MMA entertainment product where fighters spend more punching than clinching or grappling.

“I come up with the idea last March. I think the traditional combat sports are becoming tailor-made and quite boring,” Mac explained.

“MMA is becoming more about the cuddling rather than the fighting. Taking no credit away from them, they are still highly skilled individuals. But that’s not fighting. Fighting is standing up and having a crack.

“It’s getting to the point where they need to start providing pillows and blankets because they’re spending more time on the floor than they were standing up.

“The aim is that the difference with boxing is the fighters are just kind of going for it the whole time.

“Australian fans are really seeking for something that’s going to give us a little bit more action. Bare knuckle had the right idea in terms of trying to deliver the action but I think it was probably a little bit too much, a little bit too gruesome and confronting for the average punter.

“So I came up with the idea of basically an aggressive sport like bare knuckle but just introducing some safety rules.”

Mac said his dream fights would be a showdown between UFC greats Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway and an all-Aussie female clash between Ashleigh Sims and Shanell Dargan, who fought a boxing classic in 2022.

Australia has a large base of MMA fans and the appetite for big hits and knockouts has seen Run It Straight events attended by thousands, despite obvious safety concerns.

Mac said the demand IBC has balanced safety concerns and the demand for punches and knockout action.

“We’re probably the safest combat sports to date at the moment,” he said.

“I mean, they’re fighting less, they’ve got a longer break. We’ve got more doctors on site than any other promotion in Australia.

“We’re not kicking, we are not kneeling, we aren’t choking anyone out. There’s no ground and pound, it’s a gentleman’s rules where they’re stood up and they’re given an eight-count.

“There’s a lot less punches thrown to the head. I don’t want my fighters having CTE and having unnecessary sparring to the head in training camps. I think we’re setting the standard for safety.”

IBC is planning six shows in 2026 with plans to expand to events in Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand and Las Vegas.

Well known Australian boxer Issac Hardman, nicknamed the ‘Headsplitter’, is fighting a welterweight title eliminator this weekend and will be aiming to land another knockout win.

It’s a bumper weekend of action for MMA fans — Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira will face off at UFC 326 in Las Vegas, 11 years after their first encounter in the Octagon.

Originally published as ‘Boxing without the boring stuff’: Brawling KOs takes Australia by storm