Anthony Taylor’s appearance at Saturday night’s Misfits Boxing event headlined by Eddie Hall vs Tommy Fury descended into disorder after a disputed stoppage and an even more chaotic aftermath.
The light heavyweight MMA star saw his title defense fall apart in the fifth round when the contest was halted due to what he described as an eye injury. After a jab from Matty Floyd appeared to land cleanly, Anthony Taylor immediately stepped back and signaled discomfort, insisting something was wrong with his eye. The referee ultimately stopped the bout and ruled it a no contest.
The ruling did not bring calm to the situation.
Shortly after the stoppage was confirmed, Anthony Taylor ran across the ring and attempted to confront Matty Floyd. Security personnel and members of both corners quickly intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Broadcast commentary suggested Anthony Taylor was alleging that something on Matty Floyd’s gloves, reportedly an icy hot type product, may have irritated his eye during the bout. Taylor remained visibly frustrated after being separated and at one point lay on the canvas before being escorted out of the ring by officials.
The contest had already shown signs of rising tension earlier in the rounds, including a heated exchange and a shove from Anthony Taylor directed at Matty Floyd at the end of a round.
Despite the dramatic conclusion, Anthony Taylor remains without a win since 2024. However, he left the venue in Manchester still holding his title due to the no contest ruling.
