Ric Flair Rushed to Hospital After Falling Outside Restaurant in Florida

Ric Flair was taken to the hospital after he fell outside a restaurant in Florida on Friday ... hours after telling fans he couldn't fly due to a blood clot.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... Ric was hanging at Wagamama in Tampa this morning when he got up from the bar, leaving his phone and drink behind and walking across the street.

While outside, our sources say Ric suddenly fell and injured his face. A photo TMZ Sports has obtained shows emergency medical personnel gathered around Ric.

We're told Ric cut his head and eye open during the fall ... and his eye was bleeding extensively. He may also have a concussion.

He was ultimately loaded into an ambulance and taken to the hospital.

The timing of Ric's fall is interesting ... because he released a statement a few hours ago saying he couldn't make it to a fan convention in Seattle because doctors told him not to fly too far with the clot.

Our sources tell us the clot issue isn't new ... but instead something the legendary wrestler has been dealing with for months.

He noted blood clots can be serious -- even life-threatening -- in his post ... and also mentioned Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' own recent diagnosis with clots.

Ric apologized to fans and his agent for having to miss the event. He also said he will soon undergo a procedure to have the affected vein stripped. It's unclear how this fall may impact that procedure.

Friday's trip to the hospital isn't the first for Flair ... who nearly died back in 2017 after an intestinal rupture. Ric spent weeks in the ICU, part of the time in a medically induced coma, before making a miraculous recovery.