Thousands of Central Floridians watched a combat fighting sport event that continues to grow in popularity, according to a Local 6 News report.

Officials estimated that about 4,000 people showed up at the University of Central Florida over the weekend to watch a Mixed Martial Arts fighting championship event in which fighters use a mix of wrestling, boxing and Asian fighting techniques.

"The rules are simple; force your opponent to submit or knock him out," Local 6's Todd Lewis said.

The sport has become bigger than boxing, Lewis reported.

"We are here for nothing else other than to watch dudes getting knocked out," a fan told Lewis at the weekend event.

The sport plays heavily to men but there were also women in attendance at the Central Florida event.

"It's two competitors who know the risks, who weighed the consequences and who have trained for this moment and are ready to go," a woman said in the stands.

"What may surprise you is that the sport is actually safer than boxing because a lot of the action is spent on the mat wrestling for position," Lewis said.

The fighting event was such a success at the University of Central Florida that the arena is planning three more events, including one in December.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.