Latest news with #CalebValeri
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Underground fight club organiser claims he's saving Aussie blokes' lives with violence: 'There are men who enjoy being punched in the face as a form of therapy'
An underground fight club organiser has clapped back at critics, including Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech, claiming that the fighting competition is helping men dealing with mental health issues. The Hood Contender series was founded by western Sydney rapper Caleb Valeri, who insists that fights are all conducted with appropriate health and safety precautions in place. Participants are understood to typically compete over two one-minute rounds per fight. Events can feature a 16-man elimination bracket with each combatant vying for a shot to win a $5,000 cash prize. Fighters wear MMA gloves during the bouts. Recent footage shows two competitors squaring off in a ring made out of straw bales, in front of a crowd of onlookers. The Hood Contender has now amassed over 20,000 subscribers on YouTube and more than 20,000 followers on Instagram. While the new fighting league has sparked concern among NSW Police and the Combat Sports Authority of NSW, The Hood Contender has appeared to gain some support from some big names within the Aussie sporting community, with Willie Mason, Latrell Mitchell and surfer Koby Abberton appearing to like some of the league's social media content. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CEO (@hoodrichhefner) In light of the criticisms, Valeri has fervently insisted that his unsanctioned fighting league is helping men cope with mental health issues. In a video published on his Instagram, the organiser hit out at several news outlets regarding recent articles published online and in print, that shed light on the organisation. 'I just want to give a quick shout out to The Daily Telegraph and Channel Nine News for their ongoing support and sponsorship,' he said to his 80,400 Instagram followers. 'Mental health or just mental?' Valeri added, appearing to quote a headline from one of The Daily Telegraph's articles on the fighting competition. 'Firstly, they are making a mockery of men's mental health. Yet, the world wonders why men don't seek help or ask anyone, or speak to anyone for that matter, because we get laughed at. 'This is exactly why men don't open up to anyone, because when we do we're labelled crazy. 'Believe it or not there are men out there who enjoy being punched in the face as a form of therapy. They love this s***,' Valeri added. Statements on The Hood Contender's website echo Valeri's comments. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CEO (@hoodrichhefner) The league recently copped some flak from Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech (right) who claimed those competing in the series were not 'tough', branding it 'sad' Valeri hit back at Fenech over the claims, telling the Aussie boxer and his 80,400 followers that health and safety procedures were in place at his fights to protect the wellbeing of competitors 'This event is a controlled sparring organisation,' the website states. It adds that the competition is: 'For men's mental health, youth crime prevention and suicide awareness. This is not an event for thugs.' Valeri has also returned serve at former world title holder Fenech, who appeared to brand the events 'sad', before adding that those who participated in The Hood Contender were not 'tough'. 'Sure, your friends will call you tough because you do this underground street fighting, but see if they're there in 30 years when you need someone to wipe your a***, Fenech said to The Daily Telegraph. 'It's sad. These guys have one thing, they got ego and they want to show how tough you are. Show people how tough you are by taking care of your family.' Valeri reaffirmed that all the events organised by The Hood Contender fight series, were operated with proper safety precautions in place. 'G'day Jeff mate,' Valeri said to Fenech. 'All you had to do was ask me to come to a The Hood Contender event and I would have allowed it. But now you've gone and spoken to your little media buddies and you've gone and f***ed it for yourself and everyone else.' He went on to add: 'We don't sell tickets. Any money the fighters make are donations from people in the crowd. There's no alcohol, there's no crowd fights, we have security, we have first aid, we have all the good stuff on standby for our fighters. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CEO (@hoodrichhefner) Valeri (pictured) has fervently insisted that the main objective of the operation is to help men with their mental health, adding that no alcohol or drugs are allowed at the events 'No one's getting stabbed. No one's getting their head kicked in. No one's drinking and knocking out some bloke from behind. He hits his head on the ground and he's in hospital for the rest of his life - there's none of that mate! It's a well-controlled sparring event. 'You should come down and check it out, you and your little mates.' 'We're providing a platform with no weapons, no alcohol, no drugs or anything like that,' he added in a separate video. Valeri then criticised news outlets for being too judgmental when it came to the fight league. 'People fear what they don't understand. I wouldn't expect a bunch of office workers to understand what this is about because you're a bunch of cats and we know that - and that is fine! You can be a cat but just stay in your lane. This is where the big boys play.' He added: 'They also said that I have gang ties, links to organised crime and bikie connections. Maybe 100 moons ago I did. But I can't afford a new door. Do you know how many times I got my door kicked in? It's expensive. 'It's never a good sign when you see a bunch of ninjas kicking your door in. I couldn't afford the repairs and I'm done with that lifestyle. The police know I'm a good boy now and that's that. 'That is also another scrape at the barrel because I haven't been around organised crime for nearly six or seven years now. I haven't even had a set of cuffs on my wrists for years now. I wouldn't even know what that lifestyle is about anymore. Ask around, I haven't been involved in s***.' Videos of the fights have gone viral on social media. One video, which has, at the time of writing, amassed over six million views on The Hood Contender's Instagram, appears to show one fighter dislocate his shoulder, before popping it back in. Another clip, which has gained 5.1million views on the social media platform, shows one fighter being knocked down, get up again before knocking his opponent to the ground with a brutal right hook. The NSW Combat Sports Authority explained to The Daily Telegraph that they are yet to receive an application for a permit to stage The Hood Contender series. 'On information received regarding the proposed conduct of the contest, the authority and NSW Police took the proactive step of giving a direction to the organisers prior to the event under the Combat Sports Act 2013 (NSW) to not proceed with the contest,' a spokesperson said. 'The authority will be taking compliance action against the organisers and all registered combatants who participated in the contest. 'The authority will continue to remain vigilant in its efforts to regulate the NSW combat sports industry to minimise harm to combatants and ensure the integrity of combat sport contests.' Meanwhile, NSW Police say they are also investigating Hood Contender events. 'Anyone who organises or participates in these events can expect appropriate action by police,' a police spokesperson said. 'All evidence will be used at the disposal of police to help identify those involved, including social media.'
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Boxing legend Jeff Fenech slams Aussie backyard ‘fight club'
WARNING: EXTREME CONTENT The rapper behind a brutal underground fight club in Sydney's west has blasted Jeff Fenech after the boxing great's criticism of his events. As first reported by The Daily Telegraph, an amateur boxing series called The Hood Contender has sprung up on social media in recent months, drawing the attention of NSW Police. The brain child of rapper Hoodrich Hefner, whose real name is Caleb Valeri, the events claim to be staged 'for men's health' and to 'earn honour and respect'. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Valeri's Instagram account has over 78,000 followers and features a series of videos from the fights, which are open to amateurs only, weighing between 80 and 100 kgs. The entrants wear MMA gloves and are only required to bring a mouthguard to compete, with some shocking fights taking place at undisclosed locations. Fenech strongly criticised the series, calling it 'sad' in an interview with the Telegraph and declaring 'your friends will call you tough … but see if they're there in 30 years when you need someone to wipe your arse'. Valeri clearly didn't take kindly to the publicity from Fenech's comments, teeing off on an Instagram video on Thursday. 'G'day Jeff mate, look all you had to do was ask me to come to the Hood Contender event and I would've allowed it,' he said. 'But now you've gone and spoken to your little media buddies and f**ked it for everyone. Now you're not welcome at our events. 'But you could've come down and seen it for yourself. 'We don't sell tickets, any money the fighters make are donations from people in the crowd, OK? 'There's no alcohol, there's no crowd fights, we have security, we have first aid, we have medics, we have all the good stuff on standby for our fighters. 'No one's getting stabbed, no one's getting their head kicked in, no one's drinking and knocking some bloke out from behind, he hits his head on the ground and he's f**king in hospital for the rest of his life. 'There's none of that mate, it's a well controlled sparring event. You should come down and really check it out. 'I reckon you would love it, you and your little mates. Come down and check it out and tell me what you think.' Valeri hosted the first Hood Contender event in June and then another on July 13. Despite claiming fighters only earn 'donations' from onlookers, Valeri stated in his initial launch video on May 30 the winner would earn $5,000 and have the chance to earn another $1000 for knockout or performance of the night, calling it a 'founder's gift'. He appealed to interested men in Sydney, the Central Coast or the Newcastle region 'who love a scrap', adding the series would soon be expanding to other states. It also has almost 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, with the most recent video earlier this month receiving over 148,000 views. In the introduction of that latest video, Valeri explains some of the genesis for the idea. 'We've set up a Hood colosseum with hay bales, it's quite exciting. We hope to bring a great production to the viewers at home watching,' he said. 'Our main objective is for men's mental health. What we're doing right now is for men's mental health. 'We want boys to come here, earn honour and respect and be mates at the end. 'We want to provide a platform for boys that have got talent and sitting in the street right now with a lot of talent. 'You might have a few kids, you might be married, just working a job, no spark in your life. This is for them boys.' Valeri has been snapped with MMA great Mark Hunt, while current UFC fighter Navajo Stirling appears in an Instagram video checking out some of the action. In one video, a fighter dislocates his shoulder and has it popped back in before continuing. In others, a 'referee' steps in to stop the contests, with a fighter clearly on top. The Hood Contender has drawn a huge number of likes and comments on its social media posts, including some responses to Valeri's message to Fenech. One wrote on Instagram: 'Exactly right, the fighters wanna fight, everyone has respect and manners and the crowd is a better vibe then any event I've seen before. Lots of motivation and love there.' Another said: '(Fenech) hates to see that your doing more with less … no promotion no sponsors nothing just men being standing on their word and 2 successful events NO ISSUES. tell him Bring his best fighter.' A third wrote: 'Nothing better than having a scrap with gentleman and shaking hands regardless of the decision all love at the end of the day.' Another wrote simply: 'Can't wait for the next one.'
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Inside the brutal outlaw Aussie fight club that's been slammed by a boxing legend
An underground fight club operating in NSW has drawn heavy criticism from authorities, but the event itself claims to be promoting men's mental health. The event series, known as 'Hood Contender', was established by western Sydney rapper Caleb Valeri and has recently racked upmillions of views across Instagram and YouTube. The unsanctioned fights, held in undisclosed locations, see fighters compete in a makeshift ring wearing MMA gloves and a mouthguard. Participants fight two one-minute rounds per fight in a 16-man elimination bracket, competing for $5000 in prize money, with the minimal padding in their gloves increasing the danger. At the most recent event, fighters were picked up in a minibus and told to hand over their mobile phones, before being taken to the secret location. Organisers point out on the event's website that the Hood Contender is a 'controlled sparring organisation' and is 'not an event for thugs'. Furthermore, their aim is to help men with mental health issues 'seeking a positive outlet to release their demons with honour and respect'. 'Our main objective is for men's mental health,' says Valeri. 'We're not providing a platform for thugs or anyone like that with a certain way of life. We want boys to come here and earn respect and honour the right way and be mates at the end.' Australia's greatest boxer, Jeff Fenech, has a very different view of the bouts. 'Sure, your friends will call you tough because you do this underground streetfighting, but see if they're there in 30 years when you need someone to wipe your a**e,' he told News Corp. 'It's sad. These guys have one thing, they [have] got ego and they want to show how tough you are. 'Show people how tough you are by taking care of your family.' The Combat Sports Authority of NSW said that they haven't received any application for a permit to stage the Hood Contender series. 'On information received regarding the proposed conduct of the contest, the authority and NSW Police took the proactive step of giving a direction to the organisers prior to the event under the Combat Sports Act 2013 (NSW) to not proceed with the contest,' a spokesperson said. 'The authority will be taking compliance action against the organisers and all registered combatants that participated in the contest. 'The authority will continue to remain vigilant in its efforts to regulate the NSW combat sports industry to minimise harm to combatants and ensure the integrity of combat sport contests.' A recent video of the fights, which has been viewed five million times, shows a fighter appear to dislocate his shoulder before the referee helps him pop it back in the socket. 'What a soldier,' posted one fan. 'Hard as nails,' replied another. Another video shows a fighter who had been knocked down twice in a bout fight again in a later match-up, in which he was knocked out. The Instagram page seems to be popular with Aussie athletes too, with footy players including Willie Mason and Latrell Mitchell and liking their content on Instagram, as well as surfer Koby Abberton. There's been a recent rise in underground fighting events, with Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker recently putting up $50,000 prizemoney for a 'one-minute scrap event in his Auckland backyard. One of the fighters, Jon Paul 'Fightdog' Te Rito, was filmed winning fights at the unregulated event, and was referred to police because he was allegedly supposed to be attending a rehabilitation program at the time. Te Rito - who was seen wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet while fighting and is a member of the Mongrel Mob gang - could have broken his bail conditions, a Department of Corrections representative said. The fighter was referred to police over the matter, leading to Hooker stepping in. The 35-year-old wrote a letter supporting Te Rito, claiming the event was a 'platform for self expression, and a healthy outlet to cope with life's pressures'. 'Physical activity is a proven tool to help men overcome mental health issues, such as depression or addiction,' he wrote. 'It can be more productive than an unrelatable counselling session.' Hooker's event came in for harsh criticism after he released a video of all 30 of the tournament fights on YouTube. New Zealand Boxing Coaches Association president Billy Meehan told Checkpoint the event was 'straight-out thuggery'. 'What you've got there is just thugs getting in there and going out and they're just like absolutely smashing each other, and we're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed,' Meehan said. 'It's just barbaric, the biggest issue is the people getting in the ring half the time aren't conditioned enough to be there, they aren't matched correctly.' Hooker got his fellow Kiwi UFC star Israel Adesanya to help him promote the event by telling fighters and fans, 'Bring the family, bring the whanau [Māori for extended family], come watch, you'll get knocked out or knock someone the f*** out.' Hooker reacted to the criticism by saying only one fighter got hurt and what happened in his backyard didn't break any laws. 'There's a few lefties having a sulk, but once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and sees the respect for the fighters, since when did putting gloves on in the backyard and having a punch-up become illegal?' he told popular MMA program the Ariel Helwani Show. 'It's being run by some of the most experienced combat sports people in the country. 'I knew everyone would think it was crazy, I knew there would be people who would have issues with it. I wanted it at my house so I could control it.
