No Rules on the Riviera

Summary

Away Days Podcast: "No Rules on the Riviera" – Detailed Summary

Episode Release Date: May 26, 2025

In this gripping episode of the Away Days Podcast, journalist Jake Hanrahan delves deep into the clandestine world of an underground no-rules fight club in the picturesque yet paradoxical city of Cannes, France. Known for its luxury yachts and narrow streets, Cannes hides a gritty underbelly where young men like Victor and Leon seek to reclaim their space amidst rampant gentrification and social inequality.

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1. Arrival in Cannes

At the outset ([00:00]–[08:58]), listeners are greeted with a series of advertisements and promotional segments. The narrative truly begins when Jake sets the scene for his journey into Cannes' hidden depths.

Key Points:

• Transport Challenges: Jake describes the difficulty of navigating Cannes' narrow streets with an oversized rental car, hinting at local tensions. "They really hate Brits here in the south of France," he comments at [07:45].
• Affluent Facade vs. Hidden Struggles: The glittering harbor with celebrity yachts contrasts sharply with the fenced-off wastelands, signaling a divide between the wealthy and the marginalized ([09:00]).

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2. Encounter with Victor and Leon

Upon arriving ([02:42]–[21:22]), Jake meets Victor and Leon, the charismatic founders of FPVS (No Rules Fight Club).

Notable Quotes:

• Victor on Reclaiming the City: "This is their way of taking back their city. Gentrification and movie stars might push them out, but they won't stop them turning up and taking over," ([10:20]).
• Leon’s Defiance: "It’s just a very straightforward fuck you to a society that’s happy to abandon them," ([17:35]).

Key Points:

• Motivation: Victor and Leon are driven by a desire to resist the socio-economic forces displacing them. They view the fight club as a form of protest and self-expression.
• Organization: Despite their young age, both exhibit remarkable organization and commitment, showing a blend of passion and rebellion.

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3. The Underground Fight Club Unveiled

Jake provides an in-depth look into how FPVS operates within Cannes' hidden landscape ([21:22]–[35:00]).

Key Points:

• Location and Setup: The fight takes place in abandoned buildings behind spiked fences, symbolizing the clash between opulence and decay.
• Socioeconomic Context: Jake draws parallels to his hometown in England, highlighting how rising property prices and neglect adversely affect lower-income residents.
• Fight Preparation: The meticulous setup by FPVS members ensures that each event, though illegal, runs smoothly and safely.

---

4. The Fight Night Experience

The heart of the episode ([35:00]–[38:30]) captures the raw intensity of the first organized fight between Louis and Warren.

Notable Quotes:

• Warren on Fighting: "No rules, no limitations. It’s pure expression," ([21:22]).
• Jake’s Reflection on Human Nature: "There's something unapologetically honest about human nature's connection to violence," ([35:00]).

Key Points:

• Fight Dynamics: Despite the apparent disparity in skill and physique, the fight is intense and short-lived, ending with mutual respect between the fighters.
• Post-Fight Camaraderie: The fighters embrace, showcasing a sense of brotherhood and honor even in defeat.
• Safety Measures: Although the fight is brutal, measures are in place to prevent serious injuries, reflecting the organizers' commitment to responsible conduct.

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5. Broader Implications and Connections

Jake explores the deeper societal implications and connects FPVS to larger underground movements ([38:30]–[41:01]).

Key Points:

• Connection to Football Hooliganism: FPVS draws inspiration from European football hooligan firms, emphasizing aggression, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging.
• Human Nature and Violence: The episode posits that underground fight clubs like FPVS reveal intrinsic human tendencies towards violence and the need for controlled outlets.
• Future of FPVS: Jake hints at upcoming events, including the first female no-rules fight in Germany, signaling the movement's growth and evolving inclusivity.

---

6. Conclusion and Reflections

Wrapping up the episode ([41:01]–[41:44]), Jake reflects on the complexities of consensual underground fighting and its place in modern society.

Notable Quotes:

• "No Rules fighting exposes human nature's undying connection to violence," ([38:30]).
• "Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's wrong," ([35:00]).

Key Points:

• Legal vs. Moral: The episode challenges listeners to consider the morality of consensual violent activities despite their legal status.
• Societal Reflection: FPVS serves as a mirror to societal issues like inequality, providing a canvas for marginalized individuals to assert their agency.

---

Notable Quotes Summary

• “This is their way of taking back their city.” — Victor [10:20]
• “It’s just a very straightforward fuck you to a society that’s happy to abandon them.” — Leon [17:35]
• “There's something unapologetically honest about human nature's connection to violence.” — Jake Hanrahan [35:00]
• “No Rules fighting exposes human nature's undying connection to violence.” — Jake Hanrahan [38:30]

---

Final Thoughts

In "No Rules on the Riviera," Jake Hanrahan masterfully exposes the juxtaposition of Cannes' affluent lifestyle against the backdrop of an underground fight culture. Through his immersive reporting, listeners gain insight into the motivations driving young men to embrace violence as a form of resistance and self-expression. The episode not only highlights the raw and unfiltered nature of such clandestine activities but also invites reflection on broader societal issues and the innate human connection to conflict.

For those intrigued by the unreported stories lurking on society's fringes, this episode serves as a compelling exploration of rebellion, identity, and the enduring allure of controlled chaos.

---

Transcript

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[Dan Flores]

Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[Host 1]

Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 2]

In 2020, a group of young women found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare.

[Host 1]

Someone was posting photos.

[Jake Hanrahan]

It was just me naked.

[Host 2]

Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope about the rise of deepfake pornography and the battle to stop it. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Corezone Media.

[Jake Hanrahan]

You're listening to the Away Days Podcast on the Ground Outside, reporting from the underbelly with me, Jake Hanrahan. To watch Away Days documentaries, go to YouTube.com waydaystv this is Part 1 no Rules is no Rules Episode 2 this podcast is a production of H11 Studio and calls our immediate I leave the hotel at 11pm and jump in the rental car that I've got. The guy at the desk said he'd upgraded me, giving me a much bigger car for Cannes. Turns out the streets in Cannes are very narrow and the likelihood of scratching a car increases significantly when said car is upgraded to being much bigger. Clearly he was looking to pocket the deposit. Let me just tell you, they really hate Brits here in the south of France. I take my time driving through the night, following the map to get to the destination this Victor fella sent me earlier. I drive up steep hills and I can see the sparkling lights of the harbor in the distance where celebrity yachts bob up and down. The roads here are dark. The few street lights that are installed on this steep incline illuminate only big gates with high walls. This is a compound type community for people that make huge profits. Even in the dark, the area seems quiet, discreet and affluent. After about 10 minutes I pulled to a stop at the location, a turning circle at the top of a hill surrounded by fenced off wasteland, uncharacteristic for the opulence of the rest of this area. I message, victor, I'm here. He's seen it. No reply, though I sit around waiting. This is surely a ruse. They're laughing now about how they tricked a nosy reporter me, into traveling to Cannes, into a rich gated community no less, to see a no rules fight on concrete. I'm sure of it. I get out the car and wander around. The street lights are dull here, but enough to illuminate the walled off housing compounds connected to the wasteland. It's the tail end of a wealthy street, but with a few strangely abandoned buildings on the wasteland, no doubt ready to be torn down by developers. My phone buzzes. Victor. Two minutes. I head back to the car and wait. Sure enough, a small black VW pulls up the hill, headlights and blurred faces inside. The car is full. It pulls to a stop near me and lads dressed in all black hop out. They look around. They seem paranoid. A few of them are wearing black face masks. One has sunglasses on. Past midnight, I exit my car wearily and greet them. They nod, say hi, and then two of them tell me their names. It's Victor and Leon. Thank God it's not a scam. I'm not allowed to record at this point, but in thick French accents they explain in English that They just wanted to meet me before the fight tomorrow. They seem more nervous than I am. But the fight is actually real. And it will be taking place in one of the abandoned buildings behind the spiked fence of the wasteland. Honestly, I can't think of a worse place to hold an illegal underground fight. But they explained that not everything in Cannes is Rolex and Hollywood. The palm trees, the yachts, the red carpets, that's all the rich folk turning Cannes into a playground for themselves. They say there's another side to the city though. That's where these guys are from. Lower income, drugs and inequality. Due to the ultra wealthy buying up the land and the luxury bricks and mortar of Cannes, property prices rise even for those living below the breadline. The richest 10% of people in France own nearly half of all the money and property in the country. As you can imagine, the beauty of the southern French coast is a huge magnet for this abundant wealth. And so Leon and Victor explained to me that there's a deeper reasoning for them to hold an illegal, violent, exit society type event inside the belly of the beast. They tell me that this is their way of taking back their city. Gentrification and movie stars might push them out of their own homes, but they won't stop them turning up and taking over one of their abandoned buildings for a no rules fight. There's some defiance to this. As they explain it, their focus isn't necessarily political. It's just a very straightforward fuck you to a society that's happy to abandon them. I'm not gonna lie, I quite like these lads already taking back something unavailable to them due to hyper plutocracy, even if just for a moment is quite appealing. I've seen my own town back in England become more and more expensive while conditions get worse and worse. Why? Because rich yuppies from London are able to buy nice but cheap houses near the train station and commute one hour into the city for work. Problem is, they spend next to no money in our town and simply use it as a place to sleep. We get all the negatives of a dying town and none of the questionable positives of gentrification. It's not exactly the yuppies fault, but it's nonetheless excruciating to see the council try to rebrand the shithole as a business hub while working families from the area get poorer and poorer. I like the idea of Leon and Victor's fight club. I agreed to head back in the morning, very early in the morning though. They said like in four hours. They want it to be low key before the rich folk wake up, I head back to my hotel and set about 10 alarms.

[Host 2]

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[Host 1]

I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

[Dan Flores]

Across the country, cops called this Taser the Revolution.

[Host 1]

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

[Dan Flores]

Cops believed everything that Taser told them.

[Host 1]

From Lava For Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated.

[Host 2]

I get right back there and it's bad.

[Host 1]

It's really, really really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good. Plus on Apple podcasts.

[Dan Flores]

The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here and I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.

[Dan Flores]

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[Host 1]

Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.

[Host 2]

Or wherever you get your podcasts. In 2020, a group of young women in a tidy suburb of New York City found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Someone was posting photos. It was just me naked.

[Host 2]

Well, not me, but me with someone.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Else'S body parts on my body. Parts that looked alien, exactly like my own. I wanted to throw up.

[Host 2]

I wanted to scream. It happened in Levittown, New York. But reporting the series took us through the darkest corners of the Internet and to the front lines of a global battle against deepfake pornography. This should be illegal, but what is this? This is a story about a technology that's moving faster than the law and about vigilantes trying to stem the tide. I'm Margie Murphy. And I'm Olivia Carville. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jake Hanrahan]

After a few hours of trying to sleep, my first alarm goes off. Great. I couldn't sleep. Honestly, I'm pretty buzzing to see my first properly organized no rules fight club. As opposed to just two lads meeting up like Joey and Bash did. I get ready first, down about a pint of coffee and drive up to the gated community where the fight will take place. As the sun rises, the beauty of the coast is visible from every corner of the winding roads up to the fight area. The view alone must add an extra 50 grand to the house prices here. Must be incredible to wake up to that every morning. Drive up the hill and the total and complete contrast dawns on me. The safe, sanitized, wealthy neighborhood and the organized ultra violence that's about to take place. It's perfect. No rules is more than just fighting. I pull up to the wasteland and I can see it all now. A few broken down buildings behind a spiked iron fence. Overgrown shrubbery in every direction. A huge concrete water tower nearby. It's a strange mess at the highest point of what's otherwise a beautiful place to live. One of the lads steps out from the makeshift fight venue all in black, head to toe, balaclava, hood up, emotions. For me to come through a bent out gap in the railings. So I jump out the car and off I go. How you doing? Not bad. Through the gap. This the arena?

[Victor]

Nice fight. Yeah.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Fight over here. Yeah. Second.

[Victor]

People.

[Jake Hanrahan]

It's a crazy view. There's a lot of people live around here. Yeah. Don't worry about the police if you didn't catch that. I said, you're not worried about the police? And Victor said, we're going to see proper delinquents. As for the building, it's a crumbling concrete block with two floors. It's maybe an old observation post. Everything is covered wall to wall with random graffiti. All the windows are put through and some of the stairs are falling down. The floor, though, is spotless. Whilst I was trying to sleep, this group of young French tearaways spent last night getting the place ready. They swept out the broken glass and piles of rubbish and mopped the concrete ground till it shined. They're very proud of it. This is their first proper event as the recently formed no Rules Fight club, which now has a name, fpvs. What FPVS stands for is hard to translate properly into English, but it basically means this. Don't come around here trying to suck our dicks when we get big. No, I am not joking. That is about the clearest interpretation you can get. The two lads who founded FPVS, Victor and Leon, are both 20 years old and they look it. Neither have quite grown into their frames yet and they're hardly the typical street fighters you might think of, but they're lean, alert and they hold themselves in a way that shows they're probably prone to mischief. Despite being up all night getting things ready, they're still full of energy or cocaine or a mix of both. Either way, they cannot wait for the chaos. What is it about fighting that you love?

[Victor]

You don't have any Another problem or you just think to fight? Concentrate. I would love confrontation and see who's the best.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Leon has an air of old school French arrogance about him. When he speaks, he's quite a lot like the guy that upgraded me with the big cat. He's aloof, shrugs a lot. That's just him. Victor is the opposite. He can't help but be friendly and candid. There are no duo, but it works. Both are well organized, highly motivated and they both love fist fighting. In a world that thinks they shouldn't.

[Victor]

I can express myself. Not in the fact to hurt people, in the fact of extrovert. Energy inside me. The society always you always be calmed by people. You can't really explodes. And when there is no one, no rule and no no glove, you're just free like you just one and one. No knock knife. No just end one and one and we see like he's the greatest thing. I think is the best.

[Jake Hanrahan]

You feel like you said then like society is always telling you like calm down, calm down. Do you think there's something inside you that like in. Inside everybody, that they can't always do that?

[Victor]

I think yeah, I think it's really important because here it's in a city where they want to show to people who they are. But there are nobody. You know, there is rich people in front of the beach. There are nobody. You can't explore. You can't express who you are really inside of you.

[Jake Hanrahan]

So do you prefer it that it's illegal?

[Victor]

Yeah.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Why?

[Victor]

I think, yeah, I think it's. It's grown adrenaline, you know, it's more magical. Like you see when it's living like you need to. A lot of wool, a lot of nail of paper. You need to do this to do this. No, no. We do what we want, what we want to do. We don't have any, any restrictions. We like our activities, we like our art. And this art, it's much important if it does the right way.

[Jake Hanrahan]

So you see this is like art. You think this is art? Yeah. That's really interesting.

[Victor]

I don't know the definition of art, but when it's beautiful and you like it, you crave it a little bit. You see it, you're happy a little bit. It's a shock for everyone to see people hot on the body, but it's art. I don't like Picasso. I like this.

[Jake Hanrahan]

You like fighting. This is art. I don't like Picasso. I highlight this for young lads like Leon. No rules is a kind of art. The two lads who will be fighting for FPVs today in Cannes are named Louis and Warren. The FPVS guys lead me up the stairs to meet them. They're both in their early 20s and are up on the remains of the abandoned structures outdoor patio area. They shadow boxing amidst piles of broken glass and concrete debris. From here I can see the perfect blue of the French Riviera's coastline. In the near distance, the sun has risen into a cloudless sky. The famous yachts at the harbour are twinkling, reflecting the light from the sun. Directly in front of me though, on the patio, two thrill seeking lads are preparing to knock fuck out of each other as part of an underground fight scene. Even amidst the beauty of the Court d' azur, the unapologetic ugliness of prearranged violence is most compelling. Several FPVS members, of which there are around a dozen, help the two fighters get in the zone. They wrap their hands, hold pads, g them up. Warren is black, about 6 foot 2, muscular, lean and has a fighter's gait. Louis is white, about 5 9, skinny, fat and honestly seems out of his depth. I asked Louis why he came here, why he's decided to fight in such a hardcore manner. Why are you going to do this?

[Dan Flores]

To improve myself, to be a better fighter.

[Jake Hanrahan]

What about the concrete floor? You're not worried about that? It's quite dangerous.

[Victor]

I know for what I'm here.

[Jake Hanrahan]

As for Warren, he looks fine, confident, ready to go.

[Victor]

Very excited. You see me?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah.

[Victor]

Not nervous?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yes. No, not nervous. You done this before? No.

[Host 2]

No.

[Jake Hanrahan]

First time?

[Victor]

Yes, first time. Good luck.

[Jake Hanrahan]

From where I'm standing, the odds don't look great. And let me tell you, as a teenager, I got my head kicked in plenty of times. I'm speaking from experience, this doesn't look great. Warren is shredded head to toe and Louis looks entirely uncoordinated, without any real conditioning. It's of course true that muscles don't win fights and with no rules, anything can happen. But still, I feel a bit worried for Luis. I asked Leon what he thinks about the clear size difference. Indifferently. He just tells me they weigh the same. He shrugs it off and reminds me that Louis put himself here. He contacted the FPVS guys via telegram. He told them he wanted to fight, so now he's here to fight. If you can find the right people and are genuine about fighting, if you. It can be that simple. Warren and Louis are still warming up with the FPVS crew. They're all male and all around 18 to 25. They're a mix of several different races and each of them is dressed in a black tracksuit with various different brands of trainers. They're a blur of Nike Tech and Balenciaga Burberry and EA7. Some of them have specially printed FPVS hoodies and T shirts. They mill around helping fighters, chatting and rolling spliffs. They're the kind of lads the upper class of the Riviera probably cross the road from. They seem jovial enough to me, though, and I get on well with them. Now, I'm obviously an outsider in this world, but they're all pretty chilled about it. No one has a real issue with me being there. I sit chatting to one of the guys as he holds pads for Louis who is throwing away with punches here and there. The FPVS guys cannot wait for the violence to start. Then we hear a shout from downstairs and it's time. Leon gathers the fighters and everyone heads down the half collapsed stairs into the main area where fights take place. There are two pillars in the center of the room, red and white caution tape is wrapped around them loosely as a means to cordon off the area where the crowd now stands on the floor in the centre. The FPVS logo is spray painted onto the concrete. A wolf with red eyes. The air smells like weed smoke and they all sweat. Everyone inside is buzzing. Some are Warren's friends, some are FPVs and others are unaffiliated hooligans and street fighters who've just come to watch. The show is on. Louis looks nervous, Warren calm. He cracks his neck and bounces on his toes, ready to go. Louis picks at the wraps on his wrist and clenches his hands tight. He looks extremely uncomfortable. Leon walks into the center of the concrete room and signals that everything's ready. The two fighters join him on each side and the brawling starts. Everyone in the room sings the French national anthem with their handheld on their heart, an unexpected show of unity amidst this underground scene. It goes on and on and on. Everyone in the room, both masked and not, sings along. Everyone but me, of course. I'm British. I want to be sick. No, I'm only joking a bit.

[Dan Flores]

The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say it seems like the.

[Dan Flores]

Ice Age people that were here didn't.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Have a real affinity for caves.

[Dan Flores]

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[Host 1]

Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.

[Host 2]

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 1]

I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

[Dan Flores]

Across the country, cops called this Taser the revolution.

[Host 1]

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

[Dan Flores]

Cops believed everything that Taser told them.

[Host 1]

From Lava For Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolut Season 1, Taser Incorporated.

[Host 2]

I get right back there and it's bad.

[Host 1]

It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good. Plus on Apple Podcasts.

[Host 2]

In 2020, a group of young women in a tidy suburb of New York City found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Someone was posting photos. It was just me naked.

[Host 2]

Well, not me, but me with someone.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Else'S body parts on my body.

[Host 2]

Parts that looked exactly like my own. I wanted to throw up. I wanted to scream. It happened in Levittown. But reporting the series took us through the darkest corners of the Internet and to the front lines of a global battle against deepfake pornography. This should be illegal, but what is this? This is a story about a technology that's moving faster than the law and about vigilantes trying to stem the tide. I'm Margie Murphy. And I'm Olivia Carville. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeartPod podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. She was a decorated veteran, a Marine who saved her comrades. A hero. She was stoic, modest, tough. Someone who inspired people. Everyone thought they knew her until they didn't.

[Host 1]

I remember sitting on her couch and asking her, is this real?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Is this real? Is this real? Is this real?

[Dan Flores]

I just couldn't wrap my head around.

[Host 1]

What kind of person would do that to another person that was getting treatment that was, you know, dying.

[Host 2]

This is a story all about trust and about a woman named Sarah Kavanaugh.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I've always been told I'm a really good listener, right?

[Dan Flores]

And I maximized that while I was lying.

[Host 2]

Listen to Deep Cover the Truth about Sarah on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Le Marseille ends finally. The two fighters bump fists and head to opposite corners of the room. Leon signals by nodding at Victor. Victor gives the go ahead. It's on. Fight. Two fighters meet each other in the center. Louis throws a badly timed roundhouse kick that bounces clean off of Warren's leg. Warren throws two jabs straight into Louis face, catching his chin. He's Dave. His guard drops. Warren shifts in, grabs Louis, picks him up, drops him down to the concrete. Louis tries to throw some defensive punches, but Warren is all over him like dog. He rains down, elbows into Louis face. Louis goes fetal, covering up his head. Leon moves in from the sidelines, ready to see if the fight needs to be ended. The crowd is wild with excitement. They want blood. Warren continues dropping elbows. A few miss, a few smash into Louis forehead and temple. Louis throws up his hands and taps the floor. He's done. Leon grabs Warren and pulls him off of Louis. The the fight is over. Louis is helped up off of the concrete by FPVs lads. Welts, bruises and bumps already pat on his face. He's got blood at his lips. He's well and truly beaten, but he's smiling. So is Warren. The two fighters embrace sincerely and the crowd cheers even louder. Win or lose, respect in this world is essential. You're brave, man. You're brave. The fight lasted about one minute total. Louis got battered, but I'm not sure the outcome really mattered that much for him. He showed up, which counts for a lot when you consider the stakes. That's part of the notoriety of this. There's something uniquely daring about no rules. You could end up permanently disfigured, brain damaged or dead, or way easier than every other combat sport. Norules isn't sport. I ask Louis how he's feeling as makeshift FPVs, medics, whoever's holding the plasters and antiseptic tend to his wounds. He tells me he feels good. He says he lost, but that's part of it. He's got blood in his mouth and knuckles have grazed the skin around his eyes. But it'll live. Could have been a lot worse. No serious damage. Half joking, I ask what his family might think when he comes home with his face bashed up, and Louis pauses for a second. Then he laughs and says, don't tell my mother. In contrast, Warren is completely unscathed. Not a mark. He's barely even broken a sweat. He tells me he traveled overnight for this and wants to fight again. He's a nice lad. They both are pretty normal other than this. Outside of the Chaos of clandestine fighting. Warren works as a laborer on a building site and Louis is a waiter in a restaurant. These violent young men build homes and serve food. They keep the world turning. The clandestine FPVS event was a success. News of the fight club is spreading fast across France already, all across Instagram and Telegram. Afterwards, I head down to a pub in the city with Leon and Victor. Out of one world into another. Hours ago we were in the Bando watching two fighters try to incapacitate one another. Now we're in central Cannes amongst Rolex shops, Palme d' Ors, Marm and the ugliest Italian sports cars ever built over a Guinness. The FPVS lads tell me how they're different to COTs in that they never pay anyone to fight. No one involved gets a penny. If anything, they're in a deficit. After preparing it all. It's just for sport, they say. Somewhat ironically, however, Leon and Victor explained to me that whilst they're different from Kots, they are of course, inspired by them. All of the new Norwell's fight clubs across Europe wouldn't exist if it wasn't for them. All roads lead to king of the streets. Before they started King of the Streets Hypocr was one of many active football hooligan firms in Europe. They'd meet mostly in the fields and forests of Scandinavia, fighting their rivals in packs of 10 against 10, 6 against 6, 15 against 12, 25 against 25. Whatever was agreed on between organizers. This kind of activity takes place in secret all over the continent every single weekend. It's nothing new. Hype crew, though, was when they started fighting. They were unique from the get go. They're a football hooligan firm without a football team. They're just all about the violence. This is not as unusual as it sounds amongst the seeing. It's an open secret that plenty of football hooligans in mainland Europe don't actually care that much about the football. It's the aggression, camaraderie and sense of belonging that they love. Football is a base to gather for young men looking to be part of something the world over. For hooligans, the fighting sets that in stone. No matter how advanced or progressive or civilized life gets, it will always be true that there is something primordially special about forging bonds of friendship through fighting together. People might say they have your back, but do they? Perhaps your best friend remembers your birthday every year, calls you when you're lonely and supports your endeavors. But would they stand and fight if you you were attacked, would they run? Would they abandon you to get your head kicked in? The vast majority of people will never have to find out and probably don't even think about it. And that's a good thing, I guess. But things like this don't matter until they do. For hooligans, they already know their friends would stand and fight every single time. This is the foundation of their bond from the get go. It's almost like the course of a friendship in reverse. The most literal form of backing your friend up is what they begin with. Anything else is a bonus to your average law abiding citizen. This is a horrible way to live. They have no decorum, etc. Etc. But honestly, who cares? They don't. They're choosing to live outside of society now. My point is, the reason King of the Streets is so clandestine yet so well organised and so influential is likely because it started off from this base of arranged fighting hooliganism. Some hype crew members were hooligans for various different firms in Sweden before forging their syndicate of what is essentially a freelance firm with no loyalty to anything but each other. This, I believe, is a big part of what's kept King of the Streets so consistent and so well respected in the underground. When I get back home to the UK, the lads from FPVs contact me and let me know that everything went well, they haven't been arrested, all the fighters are happy, and their fight club is getting dozens and dozens of new applications to fight now that the footage is all across Instagram. All in all, despite the pretty basic fight, things were a success. It also turns out the word has gotten out in the clandestine fighting underground that there's a reporter trying to make a film about Norul's fighting little old me. Some don't like it, some don't care, but others are pretty interested. It seems in general that these people trust what I'm doing and understand I don't have some snitch ulterior motive to out them as lunatics or whatever. I'm just interested. Also, to be honest with you, I don't really see what's wrong with grown adults deciding to fight each other consensually in private, in a controlled setting. That's their business. Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it's wrong. There's also some irony in the way states condemn no Rules. For example, one fighter who's undefeated on Kots was banned from fighting in professional MMA in his own country for doing no rules. The state decided he was too violent. Meanwhile, that same government sent millions to a foreign country to assist them in carrying out daily war crimes in the Middle East. You tell me what's more violent. No Rules fighting or bombing children? Now, I don't mean to be dramatic, but this is something else I find fascinating about no Rules. It unintentionally exposes human nature's undying connection to violence. No Rules is just unapologetically honest about it. Now, as you can probably tell, this is a male dominated scene. However, I've got word since returning from Cannes that there's about to be the very first female no Rules fight. It will be happening soon in Germany. More on that in the next episode. You've been listening to the Away Days Podcast next week, Episode three To watch independent Away Days documentaries, subscribe to our channel at YouTube.com@awaydaystv. YDEZ podcast is a production of H11 studio for Coolzone media reporting, producing, writing, editing and research by me, Jake Hanrahan Co producing by Sophie Lichterman Music by Sam Black Sound mix by Splicing Block Photography by Johnny Pickup and Louis Hollis Graphic design by Laura Adamson and Casey Highfield.

[Host 2]

This podcast is supported by BetterHelp, offering licensed therapists you can connect with via video phone or chat. Here's BetterHelp head of clinical operations, Hesyu Jo discussing who can benefit from therapy.

[Dan Flores]

I think a lot of people think.

[Host 2]

That you're supposed to be going to therapy once you're like having panic attacks every day. But before you get to that point, I think once you start even noticing that, you feel a little bit off and you can't maintain this harmony that you once had in relationships. That could be a sign that maybe you want to go talk to somebody. There's always a benefit in talking to someone because we can all benefit from improved insight about ourselves and who we are and how we behave with other people. So if you're human, that's like a good indicator that you could benefit from talking to somebody. Find out if therapy is right for you. Visit betterhelp.com today. That's betterhelp.com why is a soap opera.

[Dan Flores]

Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[Host 1]

Listen to the American west with Dan Florian on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated.

[Host 2]

I get right back there and it's bad.

[Host 1]

Listen to Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 2]

In 2020, a group of young women found themselves in an AI fueled nightmare.

[Host 1]

Someone was posting photos.

[Jake Hanrahan]

It was just me naked.

[Host 2]

Well, not me, but me with someone else's body parts. This is Levittown, a new podcast from iHeart podcasts Bloomberg and Kaleidoscope about the rise of deepfake pornography and the battle to stop it. Listen to Levittown on Bloomberg's Big Take podcast. Find it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host 1]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.