English fighter Stephen Smith's lost his bout against Mexican Francisco Vargas by technical decision in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
In the ninth round, the ringside doctor stepped in to stop the featherweight fight. The reason was a gruesome one: Smith's ear was just barely hanging on.
Referee Russell Moore said the injury had happened as a result of an accidental headbutt.
As the fight was stopped by the doctor, the judges determined the fight scoring it 89-82, 88-83 and 88-83 in favour of Vargas.
The 32-year-old Smith, a 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, was rushed to hospital immediately.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in a boxing match...in an ear that was not bitten." - @AndreWard on Smith's gruesome ear injury that stopped #VargasSmith #SalidoRoman pic.twitter.com/SGVntIDta0
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) December 10, 2017
