LAS VEGAS – A first in UFC history took place Saturday at UFC on ESPN 53 when Igor Severino was disqualified for biting Andre Lima.
In the matchup of debuting undefeated flyweights at the UFC Apex, Severino (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) pulled the ultimate move of desperation while attempting to take down Lima (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC).
Severino bit the inside of the left bicep of his fellow Brazilian, causing Lima to yell in pain and inform referee Chris Tognoni. The action was halted, and after reviewing the tape and seeing a deep, visible bite mark on the arm, Severino was disqualified at the 2:52 mark of Round 2. He was also later cut from the UFC roster, according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Check out the footage and aftermath of the incident below (via X):
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
Igor Severino vs. Andre Lima at #UFCVegas89 ends in a rare disqualification for BITING. Wild. pic.twitter.com/LXL7X9ZR96
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) March 23, 2024
Although Severino attempted to deny that he committed the foul, the replay and visual evidence on Lima’s arm proved otherwise.
Lima took the situation in stride afterward, and hypothesized that Severino’s actions happened because the fight wasn’t going his way.
“At one point, you saw with the elbows I was able to hit him really hard,” Lima told Paul Felder through an interpreter during his post-fight interview. “Then you saw, he bit me. … I was going to keep damaging him.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 53 results include:
- Andre Lima def. Igor Severino via DQ (biting) – Round 2, 2:52
- Mick Parkin def. Mohammed Usman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
