Vido Loncar, a Croatian boxer has been banned for life after attacking a referee during the European Youth Boxing Championships in Croatia.

Vido Loncar Gets Lifetime Ban

Loncar was facing off against Lithuanian boxer Algirdas Baniulis in the ring when the ref stopped the fight, giving Loncar a standing count. After the two boxers took a few moments in their corners, the ref called off the remainder of the fight, claiming Loncar was not fit to continue. When Loncar was called back to the center of the ring so that the ref could declare Baniulis the winner, Loncar began punching the ref.

Loncar continued his assault, punching the ref as he fell to the floor. Meanwhile, Baniulis ran out of the ring, and a bevy of refs and trainers ran into the ring to drag Loncar away and help the ref. The extent of his injuries is unknown.

Loncar has received a lifetime ban, but Croatian boxing director Zeljko Mavrovic defended Loncar’s actions, saying, “I believe that he is not a butcher or as bad as this act makes him look. This was part of his excessive ambition in that moment.”