“People are acting like I killed somebody,” Emotional Igor Severino pleads Dana White for second chance after biting incident

Igor Severino makes his case for reparations after hastily biting Andre Lima in their flyweight fight.

“People are acting like I killed somebody,” Emotional Igor Severino pleads Dana White for second chance after biting incident

Igor Severino makes a case to redeem himself after biting Andre Lima (Source: IMAGO/Instagram)

Unlike more scripted build-ups and sequences (think WWE, TNA, AEW), UFC has seasonal bouts. Hence fighters have a solid relief with time on their side. However, a lot can change in just one week; case in point – Igor Severino. Severino faced Andre Lima on March 23 in Las Vegas. Now, the fighter is out of the UFC roster for good.

Brutality in MMA is a surety with so much physicality that takes shape. Take the Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov stoppage at UFC Fight Night 235 (ESPN+), or Mackenzie Dern‘s UFC 298 fallout after a bloody battle of striker-versus-grappler. And there’s Belal Muhammad’s famous eye-poke accident. With a bruise here and a poke there, this is but common.

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However, here’s what Severino told MMA Junkie, through an interpreter, about his infamous bite:

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It’s been crazy – some crazy days, One day, I was fighting in the best promotion in the world. I was making my dream come true...The next moments, I’m banned from the promotion...I did something wrong, it’s right that I be punished. I got cut. I think that’s one of the worst things that could’ve happened. The commission withheld my purse...They have been going after my loved ones, disrespecting them...People are acting like I killed somebody, like I’m a criminal..
Igor Severino to MMA Junkie

Igor Severino bit Andre Lima during the 2nd round of their UFC on ESPN 53 flyweight match. Not only did Dana White fire him from the roster, but he also made sure he faced more dire consequences. Severino also had his purse withheld by the NAC (Nevada Athletic Commission) for the whole affair, effectively earning null. Now, he says that fight fans have been instigating death threats towards his mother and loved ones.

While referee Chris Tognoni had called for the stoppage seeing the bite mark (which Lima got tattooed after leaving APEX) there was no other deep-seeding harm. He even received a gargantuan $50,000 “Bite of the Night” bonus. However, Severino hopes he can redeem himself and that this costly mistake does not indefinitely define him.

Will Igor Severino get his fight purse for UFC on ESPN 53 released?

Igor Severino met Andre Lima this past weekend for a flyweight affair on the UFC on ESPN 53 card. All was going well until, in the heat of the moment, Severino bit the opponent. Yes, bit; not “beat”. The fallout of this bizarre incident has been drastic. He is now out of the UFC flyweight roster.

Igor Severino
Igor Severino (Source: UFC.go.com)

Meanwhile, Lima saw a sporting appreciation and a heavy $50,000 “Bite of the Night” bonus. On top of that, Severino’s whole fight purse is indefinitely under a block. MMA Junkie reached out to the NAC (Nevada Athletic Commission) for comment on the purse withholding but is yet to receive official responses.

This is not a secluded incident where the NAC has temporarily withheld full or partial purses in the discourse of a bout. While a “bite” is a historic affair for the books, purse withholding isn’t. From prelim to main card bouts, it can happen to all. Even lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov faced a $2 million reduction for jumping his opponent Conor McGregor in 2018.

‘The Eagle’ was eventually reimbursed $1.5 million out of that fight purse. However, in the current case, things seem to be different. In his recent appearances with TMZ Sports and Brazilian MMA journo Laerte Viana, Lima said he felt sorry for the fighter. He even prompted that Igor Severino should not face such rough consequences. However, the promotion is yet to officially revert the stance or fuel Severino’s payment.

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