A match between Armenian and Azerbaijani fighters resulted in total chaos at the European Kung Fu championships in Ukraine.

As a bout between two young fighters came to an end, one appeared to react to something said by a man just outside the ropes.

The altercation between those two escalated at an astonishing rate, with onlookers piling into the ring to get involved in a mass brawl.

This was much more than pushing and shoving – with sticks, chairs and other furniture being used as weapons.

Video from Mxitar Nazarian.

European Kung Fu Federation head Nikolay Matulevsky was reportedly injured in the incident after trying to intervene and stop the violence.

The fighting spread throughout the sports hall, but was eventually brought under control by security guards.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are neighbours who fought two wars in the twentieth century. The two countries continue to dispute ownership of the landlocked mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Azerbaijani team was afterwards disqualified for inappropriate behaviour at the competition.

H/T: www.rt.com