As dark, frosty mornings settle in and final essay deadlines loom, one of Glasgow’s most anticipated nights in the student calendar returned last week as a much-needed spark: Fight Night. Despite being a fourth year, I’d never been before — and honestly, I was buzzing to finally see what the hype was about.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar, here’s the gist: 42 Glasgow students — with zero prior fighting experience — trained for nine weeks before stepping into the ring on Tuesday night for six intense minutes in front of hundreds of friends, flatmates, partners, and extremely proud parents. I’m no boxing expert (please do not ask me what a technical knockout actually is), but these fighters were seriously impressive. Tell me they were professionals and I might have believed you.
The dress code was black-tie optional, meaning I ditched my usual November uniform of leggings, Uggs and a giant hoodie for heels and my best dress. Before the first bout, we managed to chat to three of the fighters — Iona Kennedy, Caitlin Gaffney, and Anna Freeborn.
When asked how they were feeling, Iona said she was “excited but nervous”, with Caitlin agreeing that she was “most nervous about the walk-out.”
Anna described the nine weeks of training as “the hardest conditioning I’ve ever done,” with Iona and Caitlin calling it “grilling” and “more brutal than I thought.”
We also wanted to know whether things ever get awkward between opponents. Thankfully, Iona told The Glasgow Tab: “We’re all friends. Everyone’s been so lovely and supportive.” And throughout the night, the sportsmanship proved her right — every handshake, hug and cheer from the sidelines confirmed how tight-knit the group had become.
Before the first fight, the Strathclyde Warriors Cheerleading squad delivered a flawless performance in the ring — huge shoutout to them. Then, the bouts began. One thing I loved was the alternating male and female match-ups, rather than splitting the night by gender.
Walk-out songs are always a highlight, and Tuesday didn’t disappoint. Some standouts: Von Dutch, The Chain, Je Ne Regrette Rien, Skyfall, NoBrokeBoys and Breaking Dishes. If nothing else, the fighters have excellent taste.
Crowds showed up with everything from handmade banners to chants, and the atmosphere was electric. Out of 21 fights, 20 ended with a clear winner, with one draw. The blue corner seemed to have a lucky streak — so if you’re superstitious and thinking of signing up, you’ve been warned.
But the most unexpected — and frankly iconic — moment of the night had nothing to do with punches. Scotland’s going to the WORLD CUP BABY!! Scotland’s football team did the impossible on Tuesday 18th November night and beat Denmark 4-2. Every single person in the room went wild and stopped for a quick Yes Sir, I Can Boogie dance break.
Fight Night organisers said later on their Instagram that this was “hands down the best Fight Night we’ve had since we started in January 2019,” and I’d say the win definitely added to the atmosphere.
Fight Night runs twice a year, and after seeing it for myself, I’d absolutely recommend going. The bouts were intense but brilliant to watch, and every fighter should be unbelievably proud — there were literal blood, sweat and tears, and I witnessed all three.
The next event takes place Thursday 19th March, with training starting Monday 12th January. If you’re thinking of stepping into the ring, you can sign up via the link in their Instagram bio.
