Andre Lima had a UFC debut for the historical past books.
On Saturday night time, Lima confronted Igor Severino on the early prelims of UFC Vegas 89 in what would develop into probably the most weird occasions in UFC historical past. After a aggressive first spherical, Severino inexplicably bit Lima throughout a clinch on the left arm, leaving clearly identifiable marks on Lima. After some confusion, Severino was in the end disqualified, leading to Lima turning into the primary fighter in UFC historical past to win by disqualification — biting.
Talking with reporters at his post-fight scrum (h/t MMA Junkie), Lima was simply as stunned as everybody else with what occurred.
“We have been exchanging rather well at that time, then he tried to take me down,” Lima mentioned via a translator. “I went down, however I received up, and as I used to be getting up, I yelled as a result of I felt ache, very sharp ache. I actually thought that the fence had gotten into me. That’s what I assumed occurred.
“I began yelling, ‘Ow, ow, ow,’ and so they began me. I used to be like, I don’t know what’s taking place right here. I actually thought it was the fence, as a result of there was completely no approach he would have bit me, particularly with the way in which the struggle was going. It was backwards and forwards, it was good for him, it was good for me, it had lots of potential to be the “Combat of the Night time.” In order that’s after I began yelling. I felt the ache after which later realized he bit me.”
As a result of the entire thing occurred rapidly, Lima mentioned he didn’t have an opportunity to talk to Severino about why he bit him, noting that UFC officers have been fast to separate them. However Lima famous that he didn’t wish to confront Severino a lot as he simply wished to grasp him.
“I really wished to inform him, ‘Bro, why did you chew me? Why did you do that?’” Lima mentioned. “I actually wished to go as much as him and ask why he did that, however they didn’t give us the prospect. They actually type of separated us. After I noticed that he received me — they did the separation, and I used to be like, ‘Why did you do this? I wished a bonus. I wished this to be the ‘Combat of the Night time.’ We had the likelihood to try this.’ However then I noticed it was a chew.”
Although he didn’t win ‘Combat of the Night time,’ UFC CEO Dana White did award him a “Chunk of the Night time” bonus and $50,000, and Lima even selected to memorialize the occasion, getting the chew marks tattooed on his arm.
It’s a really unprecedented occasion, however Lima seems to be in nice spirits about all the pieces. And regardless of being bitten, he additionally argues that the UFC shouldn’t launch Severino simply due to this incident.
“I don’t suppose he ought to be reduce or fired from the UFC, as a result of this can be a younger athlete, a great athlete, somebody who’s undefeated,” Lima mentioned. “The feelings might have gotten one of the best out of him, the adrenaline might have gotten him. It’s a complete new world contained in the octagon. It’s a special factor, and I feel he’s an athlete that — he ought to keep within the UFC. I’m certain that with the nice athlete that he’s, he’ll characterize Brazil simply in addition to I’m. I feel it’s nearly giving him a bit of speaking to and nothing over that.”
UFC officers, nonetheless, did launch Severino, with Dana White additionally noting that the 20-year-old Brazilian might should take care of repercussions from the Nevada Athletic Fee, which oversaw UFC Vegas 89.
