16 US military personnel fought 16 foreign soldiers in boxing event and the final result stunned everyone

Military personnel love to test their might against rival forces and they're no strangers to a boxing match to keep themselves entertained.

Back in 1998, the US military pitted their wits and fists against soldiers from around the world in a spectacular one-off boxing event designed to prove once and for all whose army is the toughest.

A little-known company named Universal Warriors put on the Commando Knock-out Challenge in North Carolina.

In a custom-built pentagon-shaped ring, 16 of America's finest went up against opponents from the forces of other nations including Estonia, Russia, Canada, Ukraine and Mexico, among others.

In the fourth bout of the night, US Marine Matthew Ortiz was knocked out by a British opponent in the form of Special Air Service (SAS) soldier Carl Richardson.

The card started and ended with draws. Luis Rodriguez and Mexican Jose Garcia battled out a six-minute stalemate to get proceedings underway and the main event between Texan serviceman Demetrius Maxey and Belarusian Igor Dorozhinski delivered the same outcome.

Five fights in all ended in draws. Of the remaining bouts, the USA won six to claim the commando crown.

American fighters defeated military opponents from Spain, Ukraine, Canada, Cuba, Russia and Estonia.

There were wins on the night for Richardson as well as service personnel from Russia, Japan and Cuba, which might have taken the edge off America's bragging rights somewhat.

Carl Richardson vs Matthew Ortiz (Image: Universal Warriors)

There was one fight between female soldiers. Christine Waicukauski, based at the nearby Fort Bragg facility, was stopped in the second of three rounds by Russian fighter Natasha Larinova.

Among the draws were two bouts between Americans and fighters from Lebanon.

According to Business Insider several years later, the unique event saw "contestants, all of them elite servicemembers hailing from several different countries, went head-to-head in spectacular fashion."

"I’m gonna bring America back to Britain and show [them] who’s boss," promised SAS soldier Richardson before the only fight between America and Great Britain, in which he gave up two inches in height to Ortiz but packed a slight weight advantage and, frankly, vastly superior technique.

"We kicked the British out once – and we’ll do it again," clapped back Ortiz before the Brit knocked him out in the second round.