Igor Severino took his dogfight with Andre Lima too literally. An exciting scrap at UFC Fight Night on Saturday came to a shocking end after Lima wound up with a terrible bite mark on his arm.
Lima and Severino were competing in the second fight on the early preliminary card. The flyweights had produced plenty of action between thumping strikes and exciting grappling tangles. A fight shaping up to be a banger was abruptly paused after a protest by Lima.
Referee Chris Tognoni called a timeout and separated the fighters during a takedown attempt by Severino. Lima accused his opponent of biting him, leading to further investigation from the referee. The original replay showed Severino's face buried in Lima's bicep but it was difficult for the viewer to gauge what happened.
A closeup visual of Lima's arm, pictured below, left no doubt about. Lima sported a deep bite mark on his left arm that compelled the referee to swiftly disqualify Severino in Round 2.
The bizarre outcome not only cost Severino his UFC debut but also sabotaged his previously undefeated record moving him to 8-1. Lima improved to 8-0 on Saturday night. UFC CEO Dana White told reporter Kevin Iole that Severino would be cut for his actions in the fight.
"Those were two up-and-coming undefeated fighters," White said. "If you get frustrated and want out of the fight, there are plenty of ways to do it, but the worst thing you 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."