A man opened fire at an amateur MMA event in Lake Worth, Florida. Turns out, the crazy world of amateur MMA has gotten even crazier.
Rize Fighting Championship is the state of Florida’s premier organization for mixed martial arts. As a hotbed for MMA talent, the state of Florida is known for its scrappy and aggressive fighters. Which, is also reflected within the amateur ranks of fighting.
Man Opens Fire With Handgun
During a show, fans were reportedly upset due to the ending of the main event fight. A brawl ensued, creating unwanted chaos outside of the cage. For unknown reasons, a man then opened fire with a handgun during the event. Video footage of the shots was captured by former UFC fighter Hector Lombard on Instagram.
“This guy just shot his handgun in the middle of a melee at an amateur show. Shameful and pathetic cowardly behavior ruined a great night of fights. We went undefeated great job to our champions,” wrote Lombard.
Statements From the Event
Event organizer Armando Gonzalez told NBC Miami that he, like many others, remained unsure why the man opened fire.
“Who knows what his thoughts were, if it was to diffuse the situation, but you can’t do that in the United States, especially at an event packed with fans, with people, you can’t shoot guns in the air,” said Gonzalez.
Lastly, former fighter John Rivera gave a statement about the horrific scene.
“Punches were thrown, bottles were thrown,” Rivera said. “There was nowhere I could move, left or right there were alternations all over the place, it was chaotic. When I tried to get from the mayhem the woman threw the chair at me. I think about the situation, every second, every minute, every hour of the day. I want prosecution to the full extent of the law, it’s not right, it’s not fair.”
Amateur MMA is crazy enough by itself. Although he opened fire in the crowd, no major injuries have been reported from the scene.