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Boxer Edgar Berlanga defeated Roamer Alexis Angulo by 10-round unanimous decision on Saturday night, but not before controversy arose during the seventh round.
Berlanga, who retained his super middleweight title at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, appeared to try and bite Angulo with the fight in the balance.
The referee missed the attempted bite in real-time, but the video was clear that Berlanga tried to bite Angulo’s neck and shoulder area.
“It was because he was throwing elbows,” Berlanga said after the fight. “I was about to do a Mike Tyson on him. He kept throwing elbows. I didn’t want to get cut. I was ready to bite him [like] Mike Tyson."
Berlanga’s turn to dirty fighting comes at an interesting crossroads for the fighter. He remains unbeaten at 20–0, which includes 16 knockouts, but his last four fights have gone the distance, showing that Berlanga is far from his peak form.
It remains to be seen whether or not Berlanga will be suspended for his actions, but the attempted biting incident will certainly be under review before Berlanga enters the ring again.
