Coach leaning in to a fighter wearing a Muay Thai mongkhon between rounds, red gloves raised
Muay Thai fighter waiting in the ring at a London fight show, an opponent's red gloves in the foreground
Cornerman working on a fighter by torchlight as an official watches from the ring apron
Female fighter in her corner between rounds, sweat wiped away by her team, hands still wrapped
Female fighter leaning on the top rope in gloves, photographed from below with the lighting rig behind

Fight Night Photography: Ringside in London

The story is in the corner, not the knockout

There is a certain energy backstage at a fight night, calm and chaos in equal measure. Sweat drips, coaches whisper final words, the crowd hums just beyond the curtain. This is where the story starts for me, not just under the lights but behind them. These pictures were made ringside at War and Redemption, a London fight show, across a card of Muay Thai and MMA bouts.

I am drawn to the honest moments: before the walkout, the second the bell rings, the quiet between rounds. So the frames stay with the corner rather than the knockout. A coach leaning in to a fighter still wearing his mongkhon, the braided headband worn into the ring in Muay Thai. A cornerman working by torchlight while an official watches from the apron. A fighter having the sweat wiped from her face, hands still wrapped, sixty seconds to reset. One frame from below the ropes with the lighting rig burning behind her.

Fight nights are technically unforgiving. The light is hard, coloured and constantly changing, the action is fast and close, and flash is out of the question. Working in the arena's own light is what makes the pictures feel like the room felt, and it is the difference between a record of the result and a record of the night. I am not here to shoot hype. I am here to document what it actually costs.

The series sits alongside an ongoing project with Muay Thai and MMA fighter Pia Hagen, tracing her journey through the fight world: her grit, her grace and everything between.

Whether you are a brand, promoter, gym or editor looking to commission a photographer who can meet the intensity of the moment and still find the soul in the sweat, you are in the right place. I bring two decades of creative experience and a genuine love of sport to every frame. More combat work in the boxing project at Afewee and across the sports photography portfolio, and here is how commissions run.