It’s not unusual to see fans get upset about a particular sports result, but seeing them start punching the athletes is a little different. That’s what happened in kickboxing Saturday, though, at the co-main event at Glory 42 in Paris. Welterweight Murthel Groenhart knocked out opponent Harut Grigorian with a right hook after Grigorian bizarrely turned his back and started walking away in the middle of a round, and a few fans stormed the ring and started punching Groenhart:
Murthel Groenhart KO's Harut Grigorian and then gets assaulted in the ring. Protect yourself at all times. Chaos. #GLORY42 pic.twitter.com/LraVpsL8HL
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) June 10, 2017
Groenhart later said on the broadcast that the punches might have broken his jaw:
“Some guy caught me with a hook to my face. I got my guard up. With those hands without gloves, it came through to my chin and my teeth. I think it’s broken [jaw], I don’t know. It hurts.”
Here’s another view from near the ring:
One of the craziest things I've ever seen at a fight. pic.twitter.com/ijAdtuF1NL
— Todd Grisham (@Grishamfight) June 10, 2017
For the record, Groenhart didn’t break any sanctioning body rules with his knockout of Grigorian, because the round wasn’t over and the referee didn’t step in to stop the fight. But even if he had, that’s no excuse for fans to start wading into the ring and punching athletes. This was a bizarre scene, and one that hopefully won’t happen again.
