Igor Severino disqualified, released by UFC after biting opponent
In a moment that reminded all fight fans of Mike Tyson, a UFC debutant was swiftly disqualified for an illegal tactic.
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Igor Severino took a page out of Mike Tyson’s biting handbook and his UFC career is now over barely after it started.
Severino — who was making his debut in the Octagon at a UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT) — was disqualified for biting opponent Andre Lima and, soon after, was released from the fight promotion.
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Severino, 20, was in the middle of an action-heavy bout with Brazilian countryman Lima when the chomp occurred, the New York Post reports.
With the fighters standing clinched against the cage midway through the second round, Lima suddenly recoiled and lifted his arm for referee Chris Tognoni to see.
Tognoni immediately stopped the bout and brought in a Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) doctor, who examined Lima’s arm and confirmed it was a bite mark.
After that, Tognoni immediately waived off the bout which officially ended at 2:52.
It was the first career loss for Severino (8-1) and now the future of his mixed martial arts career is clouded.
Lima, who also was making his UFC debut, improved to 8-0.
Shortly after the conclusion of the bout, Dana White told reporter Kevin Iole that he was releasing Severino.
“Those were two up-and-coming, undefeated fighters,” White told Iole via text.
“If you get frustrated and want out of the fight, there are plenty of ways to do it, but the worst thing u can do is bite your opponent. Now, you get cut and lose the biggest opportunity of your life. Not to mention, he’s going to have real problems with the NSAC.”
On June 28, 1997, Tyson and Evander Holyfield fought in their widely anticipated boxing rematch after Holyfield beat Tyson for the WBA title in 1996.
The match is remembered for one of the wildest moments in boxing history when Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear.
On an episode of the “Checc’n In Podcast with Big U” in 2022, Tyson talked about his entry into the cannabis industry selling ear-shaped weed gummies in an homage to the infamous Holyfield incident.
“I got fined 3 million for that and I might have made 30 million since that happened,” Tyson said. “From that bite. You know how important that was for people!”
It’s unlikely Severino will cash in like that, although Lima took to social media to show he has already had the bite turned into a tattoo.
According to Lima’s manager Lucas Lutkus, White told him after the fight he will give him the first “I got f**king bit bonus”, which the fighter also added to the tattoo.
This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
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