A celebrated matador found himself in a precarious situation during a bullfighting event in Spain on Monday, resulting in a shocking injury that led to his swift exit from the arena in front of thousands of stunned onlookers.

Morante de la Puebla, famously known as the “King of Bullfighters,” sustained a severe injury when he was gored in an unexpected turn of events at the Maestranza arena in Seville, Spain, according to local reports from El Mundo.

The 46-year-old matador had skillfully handled the first three bulls of the day, as he had done countless times before. However, it was the fourth bull that outmaneuvered him.

The bull strategically positioned itself near the arena’s irrigation ditch, a location where it gains a tactical advantage over the typically agile matadors.

As the bull launched its charge, Puebla attempted to dodge it but was caught off guard.

In a desperate move, he dropped his cape—usually employed to guide the bull—and made a hurried attempt to escape.

The bull wasn’t about to let him go so easily. While Puebla bolted with his back to the bull, the bovine rushed at him again — and plowed the tip of its curved horn right into the matador’s rectum.

The penetration perforated Puebla’s rectum and left 4-inch injury, the outlet reported. Puebla was seen staggering away while clinging to his bottom and was eventually carried off the pitch by four other matadors.

He underwent an hours-long surgical procedure at a nearby medical center, whose staff confirmed that his rectum was completely severed. He required extensive repair to the rectal wall and sphincter apparatus, the outlet reported.

It’s not immediately clear when, or if, Puebla will return to the ring.