Wimbledon's Mark Williams took solid right hook from Ugo Ehiogu in Tuesday night's FA Cup win over Middlesbrough and says he has "never been hit so hard."
Williams was left nursing bruising and a cut at the top of his nose following Wimbledon's 3-1 extra-time win over Terry Venables' side in an FA Cup replay.
And the Dons defender says it is the hardest punch he has ever taken - not just on a football field.
"I don't think I've taken a whack like that before," Williams said.
"I've had a few elbows, but Ehiogu just turned around and hit me straight, full-blown in the face.
"I was picking him up for corners and for set-pieces. He's a big lad and there were a few elbows flying around. Then he turned round and punched me.
"He lost his head. You can't go around punching people and it was lucky the official saw it and he got sent off," Williams said.
It was in the seventh minute of extra time with the score at 2-1 to Wimbledon when Ehiogu lost his cool and felled Williams with a sharp right-hander.
The big defender, an £8m signing from Aston Villa in the summer, faces an automatic three-match ban from the FA for violent conduct and a club fine for his moment of madness that will rob Boro of his services for a crucial period during their relegation run-in.