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Intraspecie c aggression constitutes a signie cant proportion of conspecie c behaviours among many mammal species. Agonistic interactions among male bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) have been documented in several di Verent regions, including escalated aggression involving coalitions comprised of several males. However, despite many hours of direct observation most of these encounters are evidenced by minor injuries and often, physical wounds are not visible. Herein, we describe a unique encounter involving a long-term male alliance competing with a ‘ solo’ male that resulted in the temporary loss of consciousness of the lone male following repeated physical blows to his head region. This observation supports the increased e tness experienced by males in alliances and illustrates the potential severity of aggressive interactions among adult bottlenose dolphins.