Ref Eats MULTIPLE Punches After Boxers Start Throwing Spinning Backfists In A Full-Blown Melee

We got an absolute BRAWL during RIZIN's annual New Year Eve card in Japan yesterday, where kickboxers Rukiya Anpo and Sina Karimian fought in an exhibition BOXING match and threw the sweet science ruleset to the wayside. 

Karimian (in the black trunks) launched the first spinning backfist of the fight at Rukiya Anpo (white trunks) during the sixth and final round of their match, which led to the referee stepping in - as that is VERY ILLEGAL in boxing - and then all hell broke loose. The action continued, Anpo threw a backfist of his own in retaliation, which led Karimian to try again, and the poor referee caught multiple shots in succession trying to separate these lunatics! He ate 'em well, but no doubt had a rough night/next morning coming into 2025 with a brand new concussion. That brave soul took a huge swinging hook from Anpo and an elbow from Karimian - all while the commentary team creamed themselves with excitement. I can't really blame them, either, because we'd be acting the same way at Rough N Rowdy - but my god did they seem excited about that ref getting clocked or what?!

Security rushed the ring, restrained the fighters - and shockingly, allowed the fight to conclude and didn't just chalk it up to a DQ/no contest. Anpo won via unanimous decision. 

This scenario would never happen in a million years, and I'd never wish for the harm of a referee - but imagine how electric it'd be if a ref got KO'd WWE style, mid-fight, and Herb Dean ran in from the tunnel to finish calling the action?! Hell, in RIZIN where they still use rings for MMA bouts, he could even hit the signature slide in for the save....

I know how ridiculous and stupid that probably sounds, especially if you're not a fan of professional wrestling - but it'll always be hard for me to accept that referees can just eat shots from fighters after watching a lifetime of WWE. Usually any contact with a wrestler means that referee is incapacitated/knocked unconscious for minutes at a time, and we need a new guy in stripes. That was ingrained in me from the age of three. So forgive me if you don't think something similar would be absolute cinema in MMA - as outlandish a scenario as it is. Maybe we'll see in it a Roadhouse sequel one day.