‘Fight’ takes you ringside and examines the headspace and intrapersonal mindset of MMA athletes in battle. The use of a long lens right next to the fighters creates a tight, in-your-face style of portraiture. Many of the images portray the fighters in their own space, both physical and mental. By photographically isolating a fighter in the image, removing context through exposure and lighting, the images speak to the physical space to be contended with in the ring – the open air before a jab, an empty mat before a takedown.

Photographic isolation also belies the mental space the fighters occupy during a match. The dark background on many of the solo images is a blank space open to interpret the way a fighter processes split-second timing and instinct. This gives further weight to the idea of physical and mental separation both inside a fighter’s mind and in relation to their surroundings – under bright light, alone against an opponent, inside their head.