A matador legend has been crushed and gored by a bull during a brutal fight.
"Messi of matadors" Andrés Roca Rey was left with multiple devastating injuries and bruises covering his body after the 467kg animal squished and gored him against the barriers of an arena at Spain's Santiago de Santander Fair on Tuesday (July 25).
The bull, named Viruta, charged at the 26-year-old Peruvian athlete before dragging him around the stadium and sending him flying into the air.
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Witnesses to the horror event rushed to Roca Rey's aide while others attempted to distract the bull.
One of them was fellow bullfighter Cayetano Rivera, who suffered a rib fracture and an edema – swelling caused by fluid trapped in the body's tissues – trying to save the sportsman.
Following the dramatic events Roca Rey took to Instagram to thank his pal, writing: "Cayetano, I want to thank you because yesterday you showed your camaraderie and your contempt for life to save mine."
Rivera responded saying the risk "was worth it".
The Medical Service of Santander's Plaza de Toros has since released two reports detailing the fighter's injuries, which revealed he'd suffered "polytrauma affecting the left knee" and "multiple bruises on the neck, face, right thigh and left knee."
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The bullfighter underwent more tests yesterday (Wednesday, July 26) to check for further wounds and he was instructed to stay in "absolute rest" for 48 hours following the incident.
That day he was reported to have returned to his home in Seville.
Roca Rey is considered one of bullfighting's standout stars and attracts spectators to arenas around the world to watch him face off against the large beasts.
He earned the moniker "Messi of matador" because of his similarities to world-famous footballer Lionel Messi, who, like Roca Rey, moved from South America to Spain in his childhood to focus on his career.
This is far from the first time the extreme sportsman has suffered horror injuries over the course of his eight-year career – the bullfighter was previously gored in Bilbao, but ignored medical advice and chose to continue the contest.
Back in 2015 he also lost two teeth after being hit in the face by a bull's horns at the Plaza Nuevo Progreso in Guadalajara, Mexico.
He was rushed to a local hospital where medics said he was lucky to have gotten away with such a minor injury.
At the time, then-19-year-old Roca Rey said he was anxious to get back in the ring and continue to build his reputation.
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