Knights of the Cage: Medieval combat meets MMA in southern France

A French town hosted a special event inside a hexagonal cage normally used for mixed martial arts: duels between fully armored warriors wielding medieval weapons.

Fighters used swords and axes to battle it out in 20 combats at Onet-le-Chateau in the Aveyron region of southern France.

The local council described the fights as the modern-day equivalent of "what was effectively the mixed martial arts of the Middle Ages."

While most of the action involved men from France, Poland and Britain, some women fighters were also on the bill.

The fights were held in a local club that organizes this kind of armored combat, known as behourd.

Organizers say it includes not just weapons combat but wrestling, ground work and strikes with the fists, feet, elbows, knees, the head and the shield.

"The word 'behourd' comes from Old French," said Clement Carsac, president of the local club.

"It was a recreational activity practised by men in the Middle Ages, It's where history and combat sports meet," he added. 

The fights were preceded by weighing-in sessions, because behourd is divided into weight classes, like boxing or judo.

The combatants then put on their armor and helmet, which can weigh up to six kilograms.

It is a rather expensive activity. 

"A full kit costs between €3,000 and €4,000," said Carsac, which is the equivalent of $3,450 to $4,600.