IT sounds like the sort of activity you would expect to see at the zoo, but cage fighting is actually a sporting trend, growing in popularity across the world.

For an outsider looking in, it does just look like two men beating each other up, but cage fighter Brett Sizeland, 28 assures there are much more complicated techniques than pure animal instinct.

The owner of Concept Fitness on Epping High Street takes part in the Ultimate Challenge, televised on Sky channel Bravo, and holds open door sessions at the gym for people to watch him train.

He said: "It's a mixture of marshal arts and it's been sweeping the world. It's a combination of boxing and wrestling and it happens inside a cage.

"There's a lot of skill involved and you have to learn at least five forms of marshal arts at a good level."

As an alternative to boxing, contenders fight inside the cage until one knocks out the other.

And pretty much anything goes - kicking, elbowing, pushing, wrestling.

But Mr Sizeland said the sport is much safer than boxing.

He added: "It's not like boxing where someone can be knocked down unconscious. If someone is knocked down in cage fighting it's over. It's much safer.

"I have only ever injured my knee and that was in training, getting out of the cage, not actually fighting.

"It's one of those things where it's a bit miss-understood by the public at the moment, but if people know what it involves they can see that it's a good sport."

Brett trains at least two hours a day to prepare for his next event in August.

He said: "A typical day will be weights and cardiovascular in the morning and then later I would do sporting and technical practise, concentrating on the skill side of it.

"We are doing a couple of open door sessions so people can come and see what the training is about and what it's like. It's very interesting to watch, there's something for everyone."

For more information visit conceptfitnessuk.com.