WATCH: “Ref is lucky he still got teeth” – WILD fight erupts between Referee and MMA fighter in Arkansas after heated moment during professional bout

An MMA event in Arkansas sees a rare referee-fighter altercation, leading to a disqualification. The incident highlights the sport's emotional volatility and the challenges of rule enforcement.

WATCH: “Ref is lucky he still got teeth” – WILD fight erupts between Referee and MMA fighter in Arkansas after heated moment during professional bout

Referee and fighter had an altercation at an MMA event in Arkansas (Image via: X)

MMA is a brutal sport and sometimes it is very difficult to control emotions. Moreover, MMA also has a rule system with a lot of grey areas that make it difficult for the referees to enforce the rules. One of the main reasons for this is that in the USA, each state has a different set of rules. Consequently, there have been instances where the referee and the fighter had an altercation.

One such incident happened in a regional promotion in Arkansas. MMA Junkie’s Nolan King was the first to report the incident. The incident happened at the Real Deal Championships in the main event fight between Robert Gidron and Chauncey Foxworth. Jon Munz was the referee who officiated the bout. The unfortunate incident happened in the second round of the bout when Munz stopped the fight after Gidron grabbed the cage.

YouTube video

Foxworth had taken down Gidron near the cage only for Gidron to rise with the help of a fence grab. Referee Munz immediately stopped the fight. Munz proceeded to talk with Gidron and he surprisingly shoved the fighter back and the fighter returned fire with a punch. This prompted Munz to call off the fight and Foxworth won via disqualification.

FS Video

Immediately after the DQ call by the referee, several men, possibly the organizers of the event, entered the cage and restrained Gidron. After initial resistance Gidron calmed down and a fight official explained the situation to the fighter.

Fight fans react to the altercation between fighter and referee

Middleweight fighter, Robert Gidron’s altercation with referee Jon Munz at the Real Deal Championships went viral on social media. Most of the fight fans found the referee to be fault at for the incident. However, some also put a slight blame on the fighter as he lost his composure.

Referee and fighter had an altercation at an MMA event in Arkansas
A referee and fighter had an altercation at an MMA event in Arkansas (Image via X)

Nonetheless, see how fight fans reacted to the video below.

https://twitter.com/MikeAlphaHotelX/status/1762900879588446338

With the DQ loss, Gidron fell and succumbed to his third successive defeat. On the other hand, the victory made it the sixth straight for his opponent. Moreover, referee Jon Munz will have to answer to the Athletic Commission as he had also made the wrong call in a fight he took a longer time to stop. Nonetheless, the incident harmed the image of the MMA circuit in Arkansas.

In case you missed it!