Something troubling is brewing in southwestern China. An mma club has been under close scrutiny for allegedly adopting hundreds of orphans and poor children and training them for the cage.

This investigation was started after footage was uncovered online depicting two 14 year olds from Enbo MMA club in a commercial cage fight.

The teens depicted in the club are just two from around 400 estimated from poverty stricken areas.

According to South China morning Post :

Club supervisor Zhu Guanghui confirmed the police were investigating and said the club was cooperating with the authorities, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Monday.

Citing the city’s civil affairs bureau, the report said most of the children at the club came from the impoverished prefecture of Liangshan, and it was up to the civil affairs authority there to decide whether they should be adopted.

To be able to adopt children a specific criteria must be met and civil affairs authorities must confirm.

In the documentary, club founder Enbo, a Tibetan and former armed police officer, said he started the martial arts team in 2001 and encouraged the children to join to stop them turning to crime.

“Some of these kids were orphans, and some had a family that was too poor to educate them,” he said in the video.

The children were adopted legally and the adoptions were endorsed by the government, he said.

Enbo said some club alumni went on to become bodyguards or do well in national martial arts competitions.

Online opinion on the adoptions was mixed, with some accusing the club off profiting off the backs of children and others saying it was better than having the teens be idle in their hometown.

“The children are clearly aware that they can have a bright future there; but returning to Liangshan, it’s definitely impossible for them to live well,” one commenter said.