‘Jungleman’ Gets Floored, Fight Ends in No Contest After Confusing Restart

The boxing match between two time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates and sports betting show host Ryan Elf Noel ended without a winner on Thursday night. Officials ruled the bout a no contest after an unusual sequence during the second round at the Maybourne Beverly Hills in California.

During a clinch, the referee stepped in to separate the fighters before restarting the action. Cates appeared unaware that the bout had resumed and was caught by a heavy punch moments later. The blow opened a cut on his face and sent him to the canvas, prompting the referee to immediately stop the fight.

Good to Know

• The bout was sanctioned by the International Kickboxing Federation
• Both fighters entered the match with no prior professional boxing experience
• The stoppage occurred midway through the second round

Cates later acknowledged that the stoppage came after he lost focus during the restart. Despite the result, he framed the experience as part of a longer personal challenge rather than a setback.

He said:

“Just got my ass kicked, and because I wasn’t paying attention. But this is the road to becoming a champion … to taking risks with the possibility of getting fucked up, and when it inevitably happens, persevering anyway.”

The fighters announced the bout earlier this month on social media. Cates, known for high stakes poker runs and unconventional challenges, described stepping into the ring as one of the wildest decisions of his life. He also praised Noel for his performance and left the door open for future fights.

Cates said:

“@yElff_ was tougher than I expected and misunderstood something for the apparent loss. Good news is I feel almost normal in spite of getting slammed. Would fight more so long that it doesn’t cause permanent damage. On the bright side, should I recover fast from that punch we may discover I have another superpower.”

Poker Players Who Took the Fight Route

Cates is not the first poker figure to cross into combat sports. In April, poker pro Frank Cucchiara, widely known as Frankie C, shared the ring with former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O Malley.

Antonio Esfandiari defeated actor and comedian Kevin Hart in a boxing match in 2019.

Olivier Busquet won an MMA fight against fellow poker pro JC Alvarado in 2016.

An earlier planned matchup in 2013 between Andrew Robl and JC Alvarado never materialized after Robl suffered an injury during training and later bought out of the bet for approximately $12,000.

In 2012, setting the tone for all the above to come, it were Lex ‘RaSZi’ Veldhuis and Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier who faced each other in a kickboxing bout.

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