A title fight descended into chaos when a victorious fighter was attacked with chairs and fists after fans stormed the ring in a shocking mass brawl.
Russia‘s Sergei Gorokhov had just secured a stoppage win over Turkey’s Emirhan Kalkan in a UBO world title boxing clash at the Besirli Sports Hall, in Turkey.
But scenes quickly turned ugly moments after the bout ended.
Gorokhov celebrated with his team before approaching his beaten opponent in what appeared to be a show of respect.
Instead, tensions exploded.
A member of Kalkan’s team shoved the Russian, sparking a confrontation that rapidly spiralled out of control.
Seconds later, both corners were trading punches inside the ring.
It then got even worse, as fans flooded into the squared circle, turning the professional bout into a full-blown street fight.
Plastic chairs were hurled through the air as dozens piled in, with punches and kicks flying from all angles.
Gorokhov’s trainer was reportedly beaten and kicked by a group of men during the brawl.
The fighter himself was also blindsided, pleading for calm before being swarmed by attackers.
The terrifying ordeal left multiple people injured, with the aftermath resembling something far removed from a sanctioned boxing event.
Gorokhov later revealed he and his team were forced to seek medical attention following the shocking scenes.
He said in a statement: “Hello everyone. We’re currently in a hospital in Turkey.
“Ismail [trainer] has suffered a head injury and is having an MRI scan right now.
“I’ve come through it the least badly. The gloves helped protect me.”
The shaken boxer claimed the violence involved a huge number of attackers.
He added: “There were probably about 80 people there attacking us.
“They got in the ring and beat us up after our brilliant victory in the second round, where we knocked this fighter out twice.”
Despite the brutality, Gorokhov confirmed everyone had survived the incident.
“But thank God, everyone is alive. That’s the sort of brawl that happened, a tough one,” he said.
Security concerns remain high, with the team now under protection.
“We’ve got a police escort now; we’ll head straight from the hotel to our rooms,” he added.
“I don’t think we’ll be staying there tonight.”
The shocking scenes have sparked outrage, with many calling for stronger security at boxing events to prevent such dangerous incidents happening again.
This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission
