- An MMA star was disqualified from a fight last month for biting his opponent
- He was subsequently removed from the UFC by president Dana White
- He revealed that he has received death threats since the incident
Brazilian MMA star Igor Severino has revealed he has received death threats online after he was disqualified for biting his opponent during a fight last month.
The 20-year-old Severino faced fellow countryman Andre Lima in a flyweight bout at UFC Vegas 89, but the fight was abruptly halted in the second round when Severino bit Lima’s bicep while attempting a takedown.
He was quickly disqualified and removed from the UFC within hours by the organization’s president, Dana White.
He has received backlash in the days since the incident, with Severino claiming threats were made against him and his family.
“My social media was flooded with hateful comments, mean messages, people angry about what happened, as well as threats,” he said MMA fighting.
Igor Severino bit Andre Lima during their fight at UFC Vegas 89 last month
Lima suffered a horrific bite wound to his bicep, while Severino was disqualified
Severino (pictured) has now been kicked out of the UFC and has revealed he has also received death threats
‘I started digesting all that and feeling bad too. I made a mistake and I apologize to everyone.
‘I’m sad because the internet is so polluted. I made a mistake and I’m willing to pay for this mistake, to acknowledge this mistake, but I didn’t kill anyone, I didn’t cause harm or commit a crime, you know?
‘When I see people threatening me, threatening my family, I become very sad and worried, scared. It leaves me heartbroken.”
Thinking about the bite itself, Severino couldn’t explain why it happened.
“There’s no plausible explanation for the bite, right?” he said
“I remember exchanging strikes with him, a close fight, but after that elbow I was in autopilot mode.
‘I don’t remember anything after that, the things I said.
“I only started to come back to myself after a long time in the hotel, and my team showed me the video of what I did, and there is no explanation.”
Severino was undefeated before his disqualification against Lima, having won his previous eight fights.
Dana White is cutting Severino from the UFC, but the Brazilian star is hoping he gets a second chance
He talked about the sacrifices he made to reach the UFC, and still hopes he will get a chance at redemption in the future.
“I left my family as a teenager and spent two years without seeing my parents and my brother, working towards my dream, and managed to get into (Dana White’s) Contender (Series) and the UFC,” he explained.
‘That was a dream come true, and now it has happened like this. That hurts me inside. I could have a long future in the organization, but I will acknowledge my mistakes and try to come back.
‘I hope it isn’t a long suspension. I want to come back (to the UFC), I still have a lot to show.”