- Igor Severino was disqualified during the second round against André Lima
- The Brazilian fighter was reportedly cut by the UFC after the fight.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
Igor Severino was reportedly cut by the UFC after being disqualified for biting Andre Lima and leaving teeth marks on his opponent’s bicep.
The two flyweights met at UFC Vegas 89 on Saturday night, but the fight was stopped after Lima complained to referee Chris Tognoni.
In an incident that evoked memories of Mike Tyson’s ‘bite fight’ against Evander Holyfield in 1997, Severino and Lima were locked in a fight against the cage before Lima began shouting and signaling to the referee.
The two fighters were separated and Lima raised his arm to reveal a gruesome bite mark on his left bicep. After consulting the judges, Tognoni stopped the fight.
Afterwards, Lima’s manager allegedly claimed that UFC president Dana White had promised to give the Brazilian the first ‘I Got F***ing Bit Bonus’.
Igor Severino would have been cut by the UFC after biting his opponent Andre Lima
Lima shows off gruesome bite mark he suffered during flyweight fight in Las Vegas
Severino, who was making his UFC debut, attempted to deny that he had bitten his opponent.
white said KevinIole.com that Severino would not fight again in the UFC: “If you get frustrated and want to get out of the fight, there are many ways to do it, but the worst thing you can do is bite your opponent,” he said.
‘Now they cut you off and you lose the biggest opportunity of your life. Not to mention he’s going to have real problems with the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission).’
Severino, who was making his UFC debut in Sin City, attempted to deny that he had bitten his opponent when confronted by the referee.
But the Brazilian’s protests were in vain. He is believed to be the first UFC fighter disqualified for biting his opponent. In fact, biting was one of the few restrictions imposed when the UFC was created three decades ago.
“You bit him,” Tognoni told Severino, who insisted: “No.”
Severino and Lima were pinned against the cage before Lima started screaming.
Lima shows the injury to referee Chris Tognoni during the second round of the fight
Officials stopped the fight and awarded Lima the victory in his first UFC fight.
“Yes, you bit him,” the referee continued before explaining to one of the flyweight team members, “Explain to him that any time there are upper and lower teeth marks, it’s a bite.”
The loss is the first in Severino’s professional mixed martial arts career.
Lima, who was also making his UFC debut, told ESPN afterward: “I was able to hit him really hard, but then he bit me when I was trying to take him down.”
‘I was going to keep hurting him, keep touching him and break up the fight, but as you saw, that’s why I screamed. He bit me.’
