Thomas Carty's fight with David Allen ended in a no contest after just 82 seconds on Saturday at Croke Park, leaving a bizarre and disputed finish to the undercard of Katie Taylor's farewell fight.
The opening-round bout stopped almost as soon as it began when Carty toppled through the ropes after being hit on the back of the head. After the incident, the contest was declared a no contest, denying Carty what would have been his 12th professional win.
Why the ending is being disputed
Mike Ofo said after the fight that Allen should have been disqualified. In his view, Carty was caught by illegal punches in quick succession, including a second shot to the back of the head that sent him through the ropes.
Ofo said he was disappointed with the way the fight ended and described Carty as gutted by the turn of events, especially given the setting. The 30-year-old was fighting on a major night at the home of Irish sport, and the result took the spotlight away from what should have been a career milestone.
Allen, though, gave a different account. He said the punch was not intentional and that Carty turned into it. Allen said he moved in close, caught Carty to the body and head, and later tried to clip him around the ear before Carty's head turned and the shot landed around the back of the head.
Allen also said he asked the referee whether he was going to count, adding that if the sequence had happened in the middle of the ring, he would have won by stoppage.
What comes next for Carty
The ending leaves room for a rematch, which is what Carty is hoping for after the controversy. Last year, he suffered his sole defeat after a freakish knee injury, so this latest result is another frustrating interruption rather than a clean outcome to build on.
For now, the fight will be remembered less for the brief action it produced and more for the dispute it left behind.
