LAS VEGAS – Andre Lima had a strange UFC debut to say the least.
The UFC newcomer won by disqualification this past Saturday at UFC on ESPN 53 after getting bit by his opponent Igor Severino. Yes, that’s correct, Lima (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was bitten on his arm mid-fight and the referee had no alternative, but to disqualify Severino (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), giving Lima the win.
“I mean we were exchanging really well, and at that point, he tried to take me down,” Lima said in Portuguese at the UFC on ESPN 53 post-fight press conference recalling the moment he was bitten. “I went down, but I got back up, and as I was getting up I yelled because I felt pain, a very sharp pain, and I really thought that the fence had gotten into me. I thought that’s what happened.
“I started yelling, ‘Ouch, ouch, ouch,’ and they started looking at me. I don’t know what’s happening, but I really thought it was the fence because there was absolutely no way that he would bite me, especially because the fight was going back and forth. It was good for me, and it had a lot of potential for Fight of the Night. But yeah, that’s why I started yelling, because I felt the pain, and then I realized he bit me, and that’s when I said, ‘He bit me.’”
It was a bizarre ending to what was turning out to be a great, back-and-forth fight. Lima was in disbelief when it happened and wanted to know the reason behind the bite since Severino was putting up a good showing. Unfortunately for Lima, he never got answers.
“I wanted to ask him, ‘Bro, why did you bite me?,” Lima said. “I really wanted to go and ask him why he did that, but they didn’t really give us the chance. They kind of separated us. Why would you do that? I wanted the bonus and this could’ve been Fight of the Night, and we had the ability to do that.”
After the DQ verdict, Severino was cut from the promotion. UFC CEO Dana White said the behavior was unacceptable.
Lima was sad to see the UFC terminate Severino’s contract, and thinks he should’ve gotten another opportunity. Either way, Lima is happy he got his hand raised and got a bonus as well.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish the way I wanted to, which was by knockout, but I was fighting well,” Lima said. “At one point, for some reason, he decided to bite me, but that’s the way God intended, and I’m happy with the win.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
