During a boxing match on New Year's Eve, fists flew in all directions and one referee received multiple blows to the face.
Sheena Karimian takes on Rukiya Anbo at Tuesday's main card kickoff for martial arts promotion Rizin as part of the “Rizin 49 Decade” card featuring 22 MMA, kickboxing and boxing bouts in Saitama, Japan did.
The bout was the first boxing match of both fighters' careers, but both fighters have been competing in kickboxing for many years, and they broke traditional boxing rules in the sixth round.
During a boxing match, Karimian delivered a spinning backfist, but the referee quickly intervened and separated the fighters, but Karimian began celebrating and taunting the audience after breaking the rules.
After the spinning backfist, a RIZIN commentator said, “Sheena is not allowed under these rules, but she broke the rules.'' “He knows it too. It was just a matter of time. Look, I think we can take a break here and let Cena be the commentator, because he's been talking so much.”
After watching Karimian taunt him, Anpo assembled his own striking combination and completed it with his own spinning backfist.
Three spinning backfists were thrown in just a few minutes as the referee tried to regain control of the match, but to no avail.
The referee's mistake was not being able to separate the two combatants, or being too slow, when Anbo delivered a spinning backfist.
After letting them continue, all hell broke loose when Karimian jumped in and started throwing combinations and a second spinning backfist.
When the two were forced into a corner, the referee jumped in. The referee took his chin hard with his left hand and snapped his head back, making it even more difficult to intervene.
As he tried to break up the fight again, he was hit by a hard right cross to the head from Karimian before other security members could dive in.
The match was decided after six rounds, with Anpo winning by unanimous decision.
