WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT: José Antonio Morante de la Puebla, 44, hailed as Spain’s top bullfighter, has withdrawn from competition for a second time this year to protect his mental health
The top Spanish bullfighter who suffered a horrific injury that left him “terrified” after a bull horn perforated his rectum has stepped away from competition this year.
José Antonio Morante de la Puebla said he had made the decision due to the need to prioritise his mental health after decades of illness. It is Morante’s second time withdrawing from competition this year. The 44-year-old had previously spoken of battling a dissociative condition alongside the dangers of the ring, describing it as a fight “against an illness” that has shaped his life as much as bullfighting itself.
Morante’s latest withdrawal has disappointed bullfighting fans, but the matador is also facing struggles away from the ring.
Here is what we know about his horrific injuries:
The goring
Morante was gored on April 20 while facing a 512kg bull called Clandestino. He was knocked to the ground and sustained a horn wound with a reported 10cm trajectory that perforated the posterior wall of his rectum and partially damaged anal sphincter muscles.
Witnesses said he was taken from the ring in visible distress as other matadors moved in to distract the animal. Morante reportedly tried to control the bull when it charged at his chest and knocked him down.
One of the bull’s horns caught him in the buttock region as he was on the way down after Morante tried to avoid being trampled on. A report of his injuries said: “It is a ‘bull horn wound on the posterior anal margin with a trajectory of about 10cm, partially damaging the anal sphincter muscles with a perforation of the posterior wall of the rectum of 1.5cm’.”
Footage of the incident has since gone viral as footage showed the moment Morante was gored by the bull and his fellow bullfighter who came to his aid.
The surgery
Surgeons operated for more than two hours, carrying out a sphincter reconstruction that involved cleaning the wound, repairing the rectal wall and leaving a suction drain in the retrorectal space. Lead surgeon Dr Octavio Mulet said the procedure was complex because of the sensitive structures involved.
Morante spent his first night in intensive care before being moved to a general ward on April 21.
Heavy recovery
Speaking from his hospital bed, the 46-year-old described it as the most painful goring of his career and admitted he was “very scared”. He later posted an Instagram photo of himself standing in a hospital gown with the caption: “One more step master.”
The man dubbed “king of the bullfighters” also revealed how he was in “immense pain”. Speaking to Spanish Publication El Mundo, Morante said: “I experienced immense pain and was also extremely frightened.
“I had a rough night, not sleeping much. And well, the truth is I haven’t been in much pain.
“I’ll have to be like this for at least a few days. I hope I can get through it with a little patience.”
But he still has a long road to recovery as his doctor, Dr Octavio Mulet, said the incident had has caused “complex injuries”.
Morante told El Mundo: “It was undoubtedly the most painful goring I’ve suffered in my career. I was in immense pain, and I was also very scared because I saw that the bull had caught me and I thought I was bleeding a lot.
“When I got to the infirmary and saw that the bleeding was minimal, I relaxed quite a bit. But it hurt terribly.”
Clandestino’s fate
In traditional Spanish bullfighting, the bull is almost always killed at the end of the fight, regardless of whether it injures the matador. The animal is not typically “spared” after a goring, because the killing is part of the standard structure of the performance, NPR explained.
After Morante was seriously injured Clandestino was reportedly dealt with under those usual rules. With Morante taken to the infirmary, another matador in the ring, Borja Jiménez, took over to finish the bout.
Clandestino was ultimately dispatched with a sword to conclude the performance, in line with standard practice, Euro Weekly News reported. Once the bull is killed, it is traditionally dragged from the arena by a team of mules.
In Seville, as in many parts of Spain, the carcass is then sent for processing, with the meat typically entering the food chain.
Return to the ring
Morante’s return to the ring this season remains uncertain. Doctors have reportedly said they need at least 10 days to assess how the wound is healing before giving any clearer recovery timeline, with some reports suggesting the injury has effectively ended his season.
The incident came in his first major appearance since returning from a shock retirement in 2025, which he attributed to mental health issues and severe depression. His latest withdrawal has reportedly disappointed fans and promoters at a time when the sport is struggling.
Moreover, reports have suggested only a small minority of Spaniards attended a bullfight last year. Supporters, however, have largely responded with sympathy, arguing Morante’s return should not come “at any price”.
Mental health struggles
Spanish media have urged Morante to take as long as he needs, saying his decision to step away from public view is the best chance of recovery, the Times reported. Morante has reportedly suffered for more than 20 years from depersonalisation disorder and agoraphobia, with symptoms including pain, headaches and severe bouts of crying, as well as confusion and disorientation.
He has undergone a range of treatments over the years, including medication and electroconvulsive therapy, and only returned to bullfighting in July after a break linked to his condition.
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