Marko Martinjak, a Croatian boxer known for his boxing performances without gloves, was arrested after an incident at the Goat League mini-football tournament in Zagreb.
Martinjak found himself on Sunday at the center of the incident during the finals of the tournament, after a conflict with a player Tomislav Mrkonjić.
According to available information, after a short verbal conflict Martinjak approached Mrkonjić and headbutted himafter which the game was stopped and his team kicked out of the tournament.
The police confirmed the arrest
The Zagreb police announced that the incident was recorded on Sunday, May 31, approx 9:30 p.m on Peščenica, on the playground in Ulica Hermana Bužana.
On Sunday, May 31, around 9:30 p.m. in Peščenica, on the playground in Ulica Hermana Bužana, during a sports match, a 36-year-old man hit a 32-year-old man in the head. Medical assistance The 32-year-old was treated at the Zagreb Clinical Hospital Center, where it was determined that seriously injured. The 36-year-old suspect was arrested and is being investigated criminal investigationthe police announced.
The Croatian boxer knocked out the former Posušje player at the tournament
Martinjak apologized after the incident
After the event, Martinjak posted on Facebook, where he expressed regret for the incident and wished Mrkonjic a speedy recovery.
In an interview with Net.hr, he subsequently said that the opposing player, according to his claims, provoked during the matchreports Index.hr.
He is a man constantly provoked my players, and at one point in the game all his teammates ran onto the field against one of our players, who is also my godfather. When I started yelling that they were acting, the person in question literally got in my face and said some nasty words to me, to which I unfortunately reacted the way I did, although it was more of a push than a punchclaims Martinjak.
He added that they apologized to each other after the incident.
The man is fine, we met later told each otherwe were simply hot-headed. It’s my fault for doing that, I shouldn’t have. The entire tournament was constantly played against my team, even though we clearly outclassed everyone else in every gamehe added.
A recognizable name in boxing without gloves
Martinjak is one of the most famous Croatian fighters in boxing without gloves. He has been competing in this sport since 2016, and is the owner of the belt in the bridger category.
With a knockout against Dan Podmore in October of last year, he regained the title of world champion in the bridger category and became only the second fighter in the history of the organization with two belts in different categories, after previously wearing the belt in the supercruiser category.
Before boxing without gloves, he had a professional boxing career, in which he recorded eight wins and 28 losses.
Martinjak issued a public apology after injuring a former Posušje player
Previously had problems with the law
Martinjak had problems with the law before. At the end of 2018, he was arrested on suspicion of having committed a crime in the Zagreb area several robberies and one attempted robbery.
In an interview with Index, he said that he spent three years and four months in prison and that after that he decided to change his life.
After three years and four months in prison, in which I lost so much of my life, I realized and decided that it wasn’t me. I was trying to be what I wasn’t. I realized that I am first and foremost an athlete at heart and that I need to get back to thathe said.
After being released from prison, he said he worked as a waiter and security guard, and then returned to the sport, first as a coach and then as a competitor.
In recent years, he has spoken publicly about the period he was in on several occasions addicted to cocainestating that he is not proud of that part of life and that his decisions were influenced by nightlife, bad company and drug problems.
He claimed that after being released from prison, he changed his life, dedicated himself to work and sports, and that serving his sentence was an important life lesson.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Igor Kralj / Pixsell)
