An MMA fighter broke her rival’s nose with a vicious headbutt moments after losing to his team in a challenge on a Romanian TV show.
Ana Maria Pal, 26, fell short of winning a reward challenge on Survivor Romania when her fellow contestant completed the task before her.
Rather than accept defeat and move on to the next challenge though, Pal lashed out at a man from the competing team when he came over and said: ‘It’s hard Ana, it’s hard.’
Survivor Romania/Kanal DIn a clip from the show, Andrei Ciobanu can be seen walking over to Pal, holding his arms out as though to embrace her before talking to her. It’s at this point she throws her arms out as though to hit him, which he dodges.
The MMA fighter then stands off to Ciobanu, who stands facing her until she headbutts him in the face and causes him to fall to the floor, clutching his face in agony. The powerful headbutt reportedly broke Ciobanu’s nose.
Pal, who according to MMA website Tapology has two wins from five fights as a professional flyweight and last fought in September last year, was immediately kicked off the show after declaring her rival ‘deserved’ the vicious assault.
Survivor Romania/Kanal DAnother fighter, Diana Belbita – who has also appeared on Survivor Romania and made her debut in the UFC last year – condemned the violent act on Instagram.
After the episode aired on Tuesday, February 18, Belbita wrote (translated to English):
I cannot agree with the gesture tonight of Ana Maria Pal. It is not a typical gesture for performance fighters and I would like to avoid generalising.
If Ana made this gesture, she’s the only one who takes it… This is not a typical gesture for a fighter, Ana Maria is the only one who assumes the consequences.
Survivor Romania/Kanal DCiobanu also took to Instagram after the episode aired, posting a picture of himself competing in the show alongside a caption that said the assault was ‘not to be commented on’.
He continued: ‘But for those who support Ana’s behaviour… ask the following question: If your mother yelled at your father and for that he received a punch in front, is it fair that he deserved it?’
Hopefully Ciobanu will make a speedy recovery and Pal will be held accountable for her actions.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).