Every budding mixed martial artist dreams of fighting in the UFC. However, when a freak incident takes it all away, it can be a very devastating ordeal for any fighter. Following the events of last week, it is clear that Igor Severino finds himself in a similar situation.
For those unaware, Severino made his promotional debut at UFC Vegas 89. Having secured a big win on the Contender Series last year, the Brazilian prospect has been waiting for his time to shine on the big stage. Unfortunately, things did not end well for Igor who ended up suffering his first career loss by way of disqualification.
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
A promotional first and certainly one of the rarest occurrences in mixed martial arts and the UFC, Severino was disqualified for biting his opponent, Andre Lima. Not only that but the 20-year-old faced further punishment after the broadcast revealed that Severino had been cut from the UFC. In addition to this, it was reported that the Nevada Athletic Commission had withheld the fighter’s purse as well.
Igor Severino reveals that he has been receiving death threats since UFC Vegas 89
Naturally, it has been rough sailing for Igor Severino ever since the mishap at UFC Vegas 89. From being a relatively unknown, up-and-coming MMA prospect, the fighter now finds his name and face plastered all over social media. Safe to say, the attention that Igor has garnered, comes from beyond the combat sports world as well.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Igor Severino has spoken about the difficult treatment that he has had to endure from the ‘fans’ and people affiliated with the sport. According to the fighter, the matter has transcended from being a DQ loss to literal death threats being sent to his family and close ones:
🚨| The UFC will cut Igor Severino from the roster following his disqualification due to biting Andre Lima at #UFCVegas89.
[per @KevinI] pic.twitter.com/Nzv3ViiBYa— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) March 24, 2024
“They have been going after my loved ones. There have been death threats. My mother doesn’t have anything to do with it. My family doesn’t have anything to do with it. People are acting like I killed somebody like I’m a criminal. What I did was wrong but it was far from a crime. They’re treating me like I’m the worst person in the world.”
“I had my mother call me nervous, crying about people threatening her and saying all kinds of stuff to her and about her. I had to try to calm her down and tell her everything is going to be OK, but how is everything going to be OK? I don’t know if everything is going to be OK. I don’t even know if I have a career after this.”
Despite what transpired at UFC Vegas 89, it is undeniable that Igor Severino is not deserving of the harsh treatment that he is facing. Notably, as the fighter has since revealed, he did not act out of spite or hate for his opponent. As such, his explanation for the matter is something that makes a lot of sense.
Igor Severino reveals what led him to bite his opponent at UFC Vegas 89
Following the fight getting called off, fans of the fighter and many viewers were confused as to why Igor Severino would choose to bite into his opponent. According to the viewers, Severino had taken Round 1 and was looking more likely to be the eventual winner. As such, his actions were confusing to many.
In the same interview, Igor revealed the sequence of events that led to him biting his opponent.
“I remember everything that was happening until I got hit with something really hard,” Severino said. “I watched the video later and I thought it was an elbow. From there, I was on autopilot. I don’t remember anything.”
In an interview with Brazilian MMA-journalist Laerte Viana, Andre “Mascote” Lima stated that he doesn’t agree with the UFC to cut Igor Severino after the biting incident on Saturday. He says that he hopes Severino get’s another chance and he is willing to do a rematch. pic.twitter.com/yPcmhzsCPB
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) March 27, 2024
Looking back at the fight, it appears as though Severino got caught by a rogue elbow and was left grasping for any support that he could find. During this scuffle, he landed on his opponent’s arm, inadvertently taking a bite out of him. Whilst Andre Lima, his opponent went on to win a $50,000 ‘Bite of the Night’ bonus, Igor finds himself stripped of his pay, and likely his career as an MMA fighter.
Notably, Lima also extended a helping hand to the fighter, calling for him to be reinstated into the UFC so that they could run back the fight. Despite being bitten, Igor’s fellow Brazilian debutant believes that his opponent did not act out intentionally. Whilst Seevrino’s pay issue is yet to be resolved, many expect certain rollbacks on his punishments in the future.