Sam Alvey remains the Karate Combat heavyweight champ after his first title defense ended with an accidental foul.
Alvey faced Antonio Arroyo in the main event of Karate Combat Kickback 2 and took a flurry of shots in the second round that forced referee intervention. Upon replay, it became clear that the finish was set in motion by a clash of heads that knocked Alvey silly, allowing Arroyo to seal the deal.
Check out the finish of the fight below.
As a result, officials ruled the fight a no-contest, allowing Alvey to retain the belt he captured three months earlier with a decision over promotional standout Ross Levine.
“Regrettably, the bout between Sam Alvey and Antonio Arroyo has been declared a no-contest due to an accidental headbutt that led to the TKO,” read a statement from Karate Combat following the event on Saturday at Playa del Carmen in Cancun, Mexico.
Alvey and Arroyo are expected to rematch at a later date.
