Livestream Shows MMA Fighter Raja Jackson Attacking Pro Wrestler in Los Angeles Ring

A mixed martial arts fighter attacked a professional wrestler during an independent wrestling show in Los Angeles on Saturday, according to a recording of the event. The fighter, Raja Jackson, is the son of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, a former UFC light-heavyweight champion.

The footage, streamed live and later posted to YouTube, shows Jackson, 25, jumping into the ring at the KnokX Pro Entertainment & Academy event. He lifts the wrestler Stuart Smith, known as Syko Stu, over his head and slams him onto the mat. Jackson then punches the 44-year-old at least 20 times.

Several people pulled Jackson away from Smith. After a struggle in a corner of the ring, the livestream camera showed at least four people escorting Jackson out of the building.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday that the department was investigating but declined to comment further. Raja Jackson could not be immediately reached for comment.

In posts on social media, Quinton Jackson said Smith was "awake and stable." He said Smith had struck his son on the head before the show and that his son had been told he could get his "payback" in the ring. The elder Jackson said he believed the attack was meant to be part of the show, with his son allowed to run in and interfere with the match to settle the earlier confrontation.

He described the assault as bad judgment "and a work that went wrong," and said his son, a mixed martial arts fighter rather than a professional wrestler, should not have taken part in the event. "I don't condone my son's actions AT ALL!" he wrote. He apologized on his son's behalf, said his son had suffered a concussion days earlier, and said he hoped Smith would recover quickly.

KnokX, which held the event in Sun Valley, about 16 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, said Sunday that it was monitoring Smith's health but gave no further details on his condition. "What was supposed to be a planned and agreed-upon wrestling spot turned into a selfish, irresponsible act of violence against Smith," the organization said in a statement. "This egregious act is reprehensible and never should have occurred."

Professional wrestling matches are heavily scripted, with storylines and outcomes decided in advance. Mixed martial arts bouts are not. Smith, a veteran who joined KnokX in 2009, has said wrestling has helped him manage post-traumatic stress disorder. A representative for Smith could not be immediately reached.

According to a livestream, the incident appears to have grown out of an earlier altercation. Before the match, Smith smashed a beer can on Jackson's head. Another wrestler then appeared to tell Jackson he should pay Smith back with a "receipt" at the end of the match. Smith apologized to Jackson several times, saying, "I didn't know," and, "I thought you were a worker." Jackson accepted the apology and said he understood.

Later, before entering the ring, Jackson can be heard on the livestream warning that his performance would not be scripted. "They told me to hit him, and just leave," he said, before adding: "I'm telling you, I'm going to hit him as many times as I can — watch."