The final MMA event of 2024, RIZIN 49: Decade, has provided fans with yet another insane moment to round out another fabulous year of combat sports action.
The event is currently being broadcast from Japan and on the early card, two combat sports veterans went viral after engaging in a chaotic brawl that saw the referee being punched in the face not once, but twice.
RIZIN fighter punches referee twice in chaotic NYE brawl
RIZIN 49: Decade is going now from Saitama, Japan, this morning – with a whopping 22 fights in total: 18 MMA bouts, three Kickboxing bouts, and one boxing clash.
It’s that exhibition boxing fight that’s gone viral; or at least it was supposed to be a boxing match, fought between Iranian Kickboxer Sina Karimian and Japanese combat sports icon, Rukiya Anpo.
Despite both fighters agreeing to fight under a modified boxing ruleset, as the bout entered the sixth round, Karimian decided to ditch the regulations and throw a spinning back fist.
The referee intervened, but it didn’t look like Anpo was bothered by the blatant rule violation – and as soon as the action resumed, Anpo threw a spinning back fist of his own.
With the fouls at 1-1, you may as well just let the violence continue; however, the referee was forced to step in when Karimian then threw a third spinning back fist. And that’s when things really hit the fan.
As the official attempted to stop Karimian and Anpo from swinging for the fences, the Japanese superstar accidentally landed a powerful left hook that wobbled the referee – but didn’t bat an eye as they continued to brawl it out.
The insanely tough official managed to get between Karimian and Anpo once again, only to eat a second enormous punch (this time from the Iranian) with security diving into the ring to stop the melee.
“Oh no – The referee got hit! Oh no -The referee got hit again! Oh it’s a brawl! Security is coming in, it’s a brawl – it’s a brawl. The referee got hit twice! Both men broke the rules!”
Following the melee, there was a sizable break in the broadcast and as the fight reached its conclusion, Anpo was awarded the unanimous decision victory – how either fighter didn’t get disqualified beggars’ belief.
Ironically, Anpo was originally meant to face boxing superstar Ryan Garcia on this New Year’s Eve card, before ‘King Ry’ was sadly forced out of the fight with a hand injury.