A grotesque and chaotic scene unfolded at a regional MMA promotion, Clash MMA 15 in Brno, Czech Republic, on Saturday night, in which Slovakian fighter Pavol Vasko bit off a piece of opponent Vaclav Mikulasek’s right ear. The shocking incident drew blood and prompted the referee to immediately stop the fight, disqualifying Vasko and ending the contest within seconds. What followed was an even more chaotic scene as the crowd and others in attendance reacted violently to the foul. Crowd members threw chairs and drinks at Vasko and punched him as he exited the arena.
The bite, as well as the crowd brawl, was caught on camera and immediately went viral all over social media (via Happy Punch on X):
At one point in the video, a fighter delivered a front kick to Vasko’s stomach before he finally escaped backstage under heavy security presence.
Mikulasek, who goes by the nickname “Baba Jaga,” was visibly injured by the bite and required medical attention.
He later revealed he needed 28 stitches to repair the damage, and shared updates on his recovery and condition on social media, where he also addressed the chaotic aftermath (via Mikulasek's Instagram):
One can’t help but compare this incident to the infamous 1997 boxing match in which Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear.
Years after the bite, CBS News even aired a segment recounting the incident:
This MMA event, however, was followed by far more severe in-arena violence.
In Vasko’s defense, the event was billed as a "no rules" fight (via Clash MMA on Instagram):
A Dirty Fighter
Unfortunately, breaking the rules in a sanctioned MMA fight is not new to Vasko. The bout at Clash 15 was a rematch of a December fight between these two fighters that also ended in Vasko’s disqualification.
In their first fight at Clash 14, Vasko was disqualified for inserting his fingers into Mikulasek’s mouth and refusing to follow the referee's instructions. He tried to cheap-shot Mikulasek and was disqualified.
Here is a video of that incident:
Vasko has one MMA win, according to his profile on the trusted MMA record database Tapology, along with two losses. It seems he only started fighting professionally in 2025.
Whether this incident will prompt regional scenes to do away with “no rules” bouts remains unknown. It is apparent, however, that viral moments like this are what popularize the more niche regional promotions, for better or for worse.