Pillow fighting is making its way out of the bedroom and into the boxing ring, with the Pillow Fight Championship (PFC) holding its inaugural live, pay-per-view bout on January 29 in Florida.

PFC has all the excitement of hand-to-hand combat without the gore of mixed martial arts or boxing, according to Steve Williams, the guy with the dream of converting childhood horseplay into a professional combat sport.

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“It’s not something where you sit there and giggle and feathers fly,” PFC CEO Williams told Reuters.

“It’s very serious. It’s high-intensity swinging with specialised pillows.”

Even though the male and female contestants in January’s event are largely from the brutal worlds of MMA and boxing, youngsters will be able to sleep comfortably after witnessing the fights.

“The only difference between our battles and MMA fights is that no one is wounded,” he explained.

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“The warriors don’t like getting hurt, and many people don’t want to watch the blood. They want to see healthy competition, but they don’t want to see bloodshed.”

Because so many individuals grew up pounding their siblings, friends, and parents with pillows, the sport is relevant, which he hopes will help him reach a new audience.

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“You could call it an alternative sport, but we believe it will have widespread appeal,” he says.

“Consider how they combined country and rap music to bring these disparate audiences together. That’s what we’re doing, and we’re hoping it attracts a new type of spectator.”

Pillow fighting has been elevated to the level of a professional combat sport, with competitors competing in the ring in Florida.

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On January 29, the Pillow Fight Championships were held in Florida, with 16 men and eight women competing for the two crowns.

Each winner received a title belt as well as $5,000.