Children thrown into cage fights as more kids learn MMA Children, often without protection, are taking part in MMA cage fighting events. Picture: via YouTube Source: Supplied CHILDREN as young as five are taking part in cage fights where they punch, kick and choke each other out. The videos look painful, but the sport is becoming wildly popular, and many parents are having their children train in mixed martial arts to battle bullying, Florida TV station, clickOrlando reports. The station has a report featuring several videos of young children - boys and girls - some without headgear or any other visible means of protection. Scroll down to see video of children cage-fighting It reports that more than 3 million kids under the age of 13 are taking MMA classes around the United States. "The trend I've seen with children and mixed martial arts is an explosion," Jonathan Burke, the owner of The VI Levels, a mixed martial arts gym in Ocoee, told clickOrlando. One parent says bullying was a factor in getting children to learn MMA, or mixed martial arts, which combines boxing, wrestling, kickboxing and ju-jitsu. "We thought he might have had a bullying problem because he's small for his size," says Keith Ori, talking about his 8-year-old son, Ayrton. "It happened to me as a kid, and it happens to them as well," said Prince Fielder, the All-Star first baseman for the Detroit Tigers. The solidly-built Fielder, who said he was bullied as a child, and his two sons train at The VI Levels. He said MMA was turning his kids into men. "I just never want them to feel, have their feelings hurt or lose confidence, just because of what someone says," says Fielder. The latest report follows outrage in 2011 when boys as young as eight were filmed cage fighting at a city social club in the UK The youngsters were not wearing protective head gear or padding and one appeared to be crying, The Sun reported at the time. Videos of the fights sparked outrage and social services were called in. Read more and see video at ClickOrlando