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The MMA Super Cup tournament has seen a referee make it to the highlight reel in the most unfortunate circumstances. During the fifth fight between Ireland and Mexico, the referee for the evening was struck with a bizarre rolling thunder kick.
The two competitors were entangled in a close-fought battle. In an attempt to try and sway the judges in his favor, the Mexican contender threw a spectacular front spinning strike just as the buzzer sounded. In a bid to separate the fighters at the end of the round, the referee found himself in the middle and was the recipient of a kick to the head. He crashed down to the canvas.
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Watch the referee get struck by a spectacular kick below:
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After the unfortunate incident, the referee found no sympathy from the commentators who seemed to enjoy what they'd seen:
"Cartwheel kick and he's took out the ref... Luckily our referee is a very very tough guy... Rolling thunder as he steps between... The most definitive shot of the fight so far."
The Irish fighter eventually went on to win a decision over the Mexican, taking his nation to just one win behind the North Americans with a score of 3-2.
What is the MMA Super Cup tournament?
In affiliation with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, the MMA Super Cup is a new format for amateur fighters to make a name for themselves and earn money in the process.
The ongoing tournament in Bahrain involves eight nations who are competing against one another in hopes of winning the inaugural MMA Super Cup trophy. Besides the trophy, the winning country also takes home $100,000 which will go towards helping nurture and develop young martial artists.
Furthermore, the runners-up and third-placed nations will earn $75,000 and $50,000, respectively. This format will massively aid the growth of the sport and give amateur fighters something to work towards before they transition into competing professionally.
The tournament pits nations against one another in a knockout format. Each nation vs. nation clash will consist of eight fights, each comprised of three three-minute rounds. All teams will have to present nine fighters each, all separated into their own weight classes.
You can catch the highlights of each fight over on the MMA Super Cup social media pages and root for the nation you want to bring home the victory.
