CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A new trend that's illegal and dangerous is being recorded and circulated on the Internet.

Video: Clarksville Teens Stage Illegal Fights

Home video of what some said is a troubling trend in Clarksville shows local teens meeting in back yards, beating each other up and calling it a sport.

“I think the kids are dumb. I look at them and think, ‘What are you doing?’" said Ron Dayley.

Dayley owns a mixed martial arts studio in Clarksville and said the amateur fights really worry him.

“I’m worried that some kids are going to put on a little show fight and get hurt,” he said.

When fighters train in Dayley’s facility, they are surrounded by padded walls, wear headgear and are often trained by professionals.

But the backyard brawls are taking place on the grass. The participants are wearing thin gloves, no headgear and the referees are other teenagers.

In Tennessee, fighters can practice mixed martial arts -- a combination of wrestling, jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai -- but it's illegal to hold any formal competitions in the state.

Lawmakers are looking to change that, and Dayley said he supports the change.

“It's a great sport. It's legal just about everywhere else,” he said.

But he said the fake fights are tarnishing the entire sport's image. He said he hopes that if the Legislature legalizes organized mixed martial arts fights, it will knock out many of the amateur contests.

“If it's legalized, you'll get the kids off the street fighting more. It's an outlet,” he said.

The legislation dealing with mixed martial arts would allow organized matches to be held in the state.

Supporters said the fights could bring in a lot of money to Tennessee and also more regulations. They also said they worry that if someone gets hurt in one of the backyard brawls, it could hurt the bill's chances of passing.

Dayley said if he knows someone in his gym who is participating in the fake fights, he kicks them out. He said he's asked other gym owners in the area to do the same.

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