Saturday’s UFC Fight Night took a dramatic turn when Igor Severino faced off against Andre Lima in a flyweight bout held in Las Vegas.
In an unexpected twist, Severino was disqualified from the match during Round 2 for biting the inside of Lima’s left bicep. Lima promptly alerted referee Chris Tognoni about the incident, leading officials to review the footage and subsequently disqualify Severino.
Following this incident, UFC President Dana White announced Severino’s removal from the UFC roster.
“Those were two promising undefeated fighters,” White remarked, as reported by Kevin Iole. “While there are various ways to express frustration or signal a desire to exit a fight, resorting to biting your opponent is unacceptable. Now, Severino not only faces expulsion from the UFC but also loses out on a significant career opportunity. Additionally, he is likely to encounter repercussions from the NSAC.”
ESPN MMA @espnmmaAndre Lima secures the victory over Igor Severino after Severino’s disqualification due to biting Lima’s arm 😳 #UFCVegas89
Andre Lima picks up the win over Igor Severino due to a DQ from Severino, who bit Lima’s arm 😳 #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/NQTJuSh9G3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 23, 2024
UFC @ufcThe fight concludes prematurely with a disqualification.
Andre Lima maintains his undefeated status 👊 #UFCVegas89
This fight has ended early due to a disqualification.
Andre Lima remains undefeated 👊 #UFCVegas89 pic.twitter.com/0FtknYuMsD
— UFC (@ufc) March 23, 2024
During his post-fight interview with Paul Felder, Lima, communicating through an interpreter, recounted the moment, stating, “At one point, you saw with the elbows I was able to hit him really hard. Then you saw, he bit me. … I was going to keep damaging him.”
Lima’s manager, Lucas Lutkus, discussed the incident with White after the match. In an unexpected turn, White pledged to award Lima the inaugural “I got f–king bit bonus” in the history of UFC, as reported by MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz.
ESPN MMA @espnmmaANDRE LIMA GOT THE BITE MARK TATTOOED 😳
(via andremascote__, ag.fight/IG)
ANDRE LIMA GOT THE BITE MARK TATTOOED 😳
(via andremascote__, ag.fight/IG) pic.twitter.com/lsYEqF9lEz
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 24, 2024
Both Severino and Lima hail from Brazil and entered the bout undefeated in the flyweight division.
Severino’s record dropped to 8-1-0 following the disqualification, while Lima’s remained unblemished at 8-0-0.
