The crowd was incensed; Mr. Ilunga was furious. He jumped around the ring on one foot to show his mental clarity and to demonstrate his physical awareness.

“I’m fine! I’m good!” Mr. Ilunga was clearly heard saying as his coaches argued with the referee.

In a statement released after the event, Glory defended the referee’s decision, explaining, “anytime a fighter fails to intelligently defend himself, the referee must effectively end the fight.”

No surprise that Mr. Spong agreed with the referee, but he understood the crowd’s frustration. He said, “Most of these people are fight fans; they want to see blood.”