From Nancy Andrews’ article for ESPN:
They come to release stress and anger, or to pursue an improbable dream of being discovered online and embarking on careers as professional fighters. A few say fighting is simply in their nature. But they almost all talk about the test in the ring, how much they respect one another’s willingness to fight for no money, the punches in the face, the focus, the pain, the adrenaline — and more than anything else, in the calm aftermath of it all, the surprising bond they feel with their opponents.