Illegal Fight Club Shut Down in Melville Park

One of the key rules for Fight Club? Don’t talk about it.

Two young men from Long Island were arrested over the weekend after they engaged in a slap fight in a park, drawing cheers from onlookers as the event unfolded. Over 70 people, mostly in their early to mid-20s, gathered at Walt Whitman Park in Melville to witness what police described as an unauthorized “fight club” on Sunday evening.

However, the event was abruptly interrupted by police. Reportedly, the fight had gained traction on Instagram, which is how the authorities got wind of it.

While the crowd quickly dispersed, the two fighters, identified as Finley McCloskey and Jake Jimilys, both 19 and residents of Northport, remained where they were, arrested and in handcuffs.

The Suffolk County Police Department stated that both young men received citations for their participation in the illegal gathering.

Interestingly, the Instagram account that had promoted the fight has since been taken down, according to police reports.

The concept of “Fight Club” gained mainstream popularity following the 1996 novel of the same name, and it was later adapted into an Oscar-nominated film in 1999 featuring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

It’s a bit unclear whether the brawlers were drawing inspiration from this fictional narrative or if they adhered to the supposed principles of the Sacred Nine Fighting Club, which allegedly mandates that newcomers participate in at least one fight.

The situation is reminiscent of a similar incident in Queens, where a makeshift “fight club” in an immigrant shelter caused disturbances for local residents. Notably, in early 2024, another shelter became the site of a combat ring formed in a McDonald’s parking lot.