A world championship boxing fight in Turkey descended into a massive brawl when the coach of a Russian fighter appeared to taunt his opponent. The chaotic scene unfolded at the Besirli Sports Centre in Trabzon, where Turkish boxer Emirhan Kalkan faced Russian Sergey Gorokhov for the UBO World Champion Belt, a title awarded by the Universal Boxing Organisation.
How the Brawl Started
According to local reports, tensions began to rise during the third round of the match. Footage captured Kalkan lying on the ground after appearing to be knocked out by Gorokhov. While the referee attended to Kalkan, Gorokhov celebrated loudly as his coach approached the Turkish boxer. A verbal altercation ensued, quickly escalating into a physical confrontation.
Chaos in the Ring
Soon, several people from both the Russian and Turkish camps began climbing into the ring, which became swarmed with bodies. Dozens of individuals were seen throwing punches and kicking each other as the fight spilled out of the ring and into the arena. Plastic chairs were tossed back and forth as men scrambled atop one another amid the chaotic brawl.
Security personnel attempted to intervene but were unable to contain the rapidly escalating confrontation. Announcements calling for calm were blared over the venue's speakers, but they failed to stop the chaos. Dozens of men continued to climb over the ropes and storm into the ring as the fight continued.
Match Stopped and Investigation Launched
The severity of the brawl forced officials to stop the match before it had officially ended. Authorities have now launched an investigation into the incident, while videos of the brawl have been widely circulated on social media.
Boxer's Statement
Following the drama, Kalkan said in a statement: 'I am very upset about what happened, I wish it hadn't happened, but in such a situation, what was the Russian opponent's coach doing in our corner? He runs and comes, makes such a move. I mean, in such environments, a spark can light a fire like that.'
