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An MMA referee got KO'd by a brutal kick, eventually got up, then carried on officiating the end of the fight

Amateur MMA fighter Luis Gonzalez accidentally knocked out referee Scott Manhardt.
Amateur MMA fighter Luis Gonzalez accidentally knocked out referee Scott Manhardt. Photo by MMA Super Cup

  • A referee got clattered by a rogue kick in the middle of an amateur MMA fight Thursday.
  • It all went down at the ongoing inaugural MMA Super Cup tournament, which is taking place in Bahrain.
  • Watch ref Scott Manhardt get knocked down when hit with a rolling thunder kick.
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MMA referee Scott Manhardt got knocked out by a brutal, if errant, kick in the middle of a match, but he eventually got up and continued to officiate the end of the fight.

It all went down at an amateur combat sports tournament called the MMA Super Cup, organized by Middle East fight firm Brave Combat Federation in association with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). 

During a semifinal bout that involved a competitor from Team Ireland, Lewis Byrne, fighting Mexican athlete Luis Gonzalez in a lightweight fight, a fast-paced bout got underway.

Toward the end of the second round, Gonzalez tried to mix things up with a rolling thunder kick.

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However, the technique went haywire as his strike clattered the wrong target. Instead of connecting with Byrne, Gonzalez's kick struck Manhardt.

Watch it right here:

A post shared by MMA Super Cup (@mmasupercup)

Video footage shows Gonzalez walking forward through a Byrne low kick, before launching into his rolling thunder maneuver.

Shortly before Byrne evaded the shot, the referee can be seen taking the brunt of it. His skull wobbles, as he falls backward and lays on the canvas momentarily.

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It is a credit to both athletes that they paused fighting, rather than carry on without a referee.

A Brave CF statement sent to Insider said: "Manhardt was able to continue refereeing for the remaining round of the fight, and was confirmed to be okay following a post-fight medical."

The statement added: "Manhardt walked away with an (unexpected) addition to his reputation of having a chin [punch resistance] similar to most of the fighters he usually referees."

Byrne, meanwhile, walked away with the unanimous decision win, having led Team Ireland to Saturday's MMA Super Cup final, where it meets Team Bahrain, who beat Kazakhstan in the other semifinal.

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