Midnight Mania! Ex-UFC fighter Igor Severino breaks silence on infamous bite: ‘Please give me a chance’

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

UFC Vegas 89 went down final weekend (Sat. March 23, 2024) from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it was principally a fairly standard night of action. The principle and co-main occasion had been a bit uninteresting, however the remainder of the cardboard featured some great finishes, in addition to a pair of really standout performances by Payton Talbott and Youssef Zalal.

Undoubtedly, the largest story of the night got here from the “Prelims.” In surprising vogue, an early Flyweight bout between Igor Severino and Andre Lima began rather well with back-and-forth kickboxing motion. Lima pulled off to an early lead, however Severino was very a lot within the combat when he suddenly decided to bite his opponent.

Instantly, the combat was over. Severino was unceremoniously disqualified and later that night cut from the promotion. The Nevada State Athletic Fee (NSAC) is withholding his purse, and he’ll seemingly face a suspension along with his UFC launch. For a real prospect of simply 20 years of age, it’s a devastating flip of occasions that each one stemmed from one terrible determination.

The higher a part of per week later, Severino has damaged his silence in an interview with MMA Junkie. In his first interview for the reason that incident, Severino talks about fairly a number of matters, however his main message is considered one of remorse and apology.

“I come from humble beginnings,” Severino mentioned. “I’ve been working since a really younger age. I left my house as a teen to come back over to coach and to get right here. Then, to see all of this go away and in the way in which it did, it’s one thing that isn’t a part of me. It’s not who I’m as an individual. That’s not who I’m as a fighter. I simply really feel very regretful. It makes me very emotional and unhappy about it.

“My dream grew to become a nightmare in a single day. I’m very regretful to my opponent. I apologize to (Lima), to Dana (White), to the Nevada Athletic Fee, to Sean Shelby, who spoke to me after the combat, to Mick (Maynard) – everybody within the group – and the followers. Sorry to everybody who was watching that on TV. They didn’t should see that.”

An enormous a part of Severino’s remorse stems from the truth that he doesn’t bear in mind making the choice to chew Lima. In line with the Brazilian, an elbow from Lima halfway via the primary harm him badly, and he doesn’t bear in mind a lot afterward. Since then, he’s confronted quite a lot of on-line hate and threats in direction of him and his household.

One surprising supply of kindness in the entire scenario has been Lima. His countryman has urged mercy, asking that UFC give Severino a second likelihood.

“He had each proper to sentence me and to surf the wave of this second, he’s extending his hand to me,” Severino mentioned in response to Lima’s assist. “He’s saying he doesn’t need me to be lower. He’s saying he would even supply me a rematch, and that issues shouldn’t go like this. I can’t specific how a lot admiration I’ve gained from him, how a lot respect I’ve gained from him. Somebody who was so honorable and so swish towards me, I simply want him the most effective issues on the earth. I don’t want to rematch him, really. If he ever wants a sparring accomplice for considered one of his fights, he can name me any time and I’ll be accessible.”

There’s nonetheless some hope for Severino. It is a enterprise of brief reminiscences and second possibilities. UFC CEO Dana White will hate a fighter then finally induct him into the Hall of Fame. Heavyweight pioneer Gilbert Yvel bit folks, attacked referees, and has three losses by way of disqualification, however he still made a UFC debut in 2010!

Severino is hoping for such an opportunity himself.

He concluded, “I do know issues look fairly dangerous for me proper now, and I simply need folks to see the individual that I’m, to see that’s not who I’m as a fighter or as an individual. Please simply let me have a profession once more. … Please give me an opportunity to come back again and redeem myself. Please let me present you all who I actually am.”

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