MMA referee faces possible lifetime ban after ugly altercation with fighter inside cage (VIDEO)

An MMA referee recently found himself in hot water after shoving a fighter in the cage and violating multiple officiating regulations. The incident in question involved referee Jon Munz and occurred at the Real Deal Championship 10 event last month in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

During a middleweight fight between Robert Gidron and Chauncy Foxworth, the former grabbed the cage during the second round to avoid being taken down. Doing his duty, Munz interjected verbally for a bit before rushing Gidron and shoving him violently.

Munz appeared to have had his hand high, and the fighter later alleged that he was pushed in the throat by the veteran MMA referee's forearm. Gidron responded to the shove by pushing Munz back, leading to a heated expletive-laden exchange between the two. This led to Munz pushing Gidron in the chest, resulting in the fighter throwing a strike before officials entered the cage and separated them.

Per the official rules, no person is allowed to interfere with or hinder an official's performance of their duties. Secondly, no one may use abusive language or behave in a way that is disrespectful towards the commission or officials at an event or engage in any disruptive behavior.

Meanwhile, Munz failed to ensure the bout moved to its proper completion in compliance with these rules. As a result, the MMA referee has reportedly been handed mandatory anger management classes, and his license has been temporarily suspended. He must undergo a referee refresher before reapplying for his license.

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MMA fighter Robert Gidron opens up about Jon Munz altercation

Robert Gidron recently weighed in on his in-cage altercation with MMA referee Jon Munz and admitted that he was also at fault. While the fighter conceded that he shouldn't have grabbed the cage, he stated there was no reason for Munz to charge at him the way he did.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Gidron explained his side of the story and said:

"I didn’t mean to grab the cage... As soon as I grabbed the cage and stood up, as he’s running toward me, I’m throwing my hands up. That tells you I already did wrong. I messed up. Most refs when they grab you, they say, ‘Stop, stop, stop."

He continued:

"He ran and put his forearm in my throat. Me, I’m already in fight mode... All his weight was on my throat... I felt that I pushed [him] off me. Maybe I could’ve done a lot better, but I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong... When he pushed me, it’s just a reflex." [H/T MMAJunkie.usatoday.com]

As of January 20, Gidron will be suspended for 45 days with a $100 fine. However, just like Munz, he has 15 days to appeal the Arkansas State Athletic Commission's decision.