Severino Lima and 4 other times a fighter (allegedly) bit an opponent
The Severino-Lima MMA bout has emerged as one of the biggest talking points in the MMA community. A men's flyweight bout between Andre Lima and Igor Severino (aka Igor da Silva Severino) transpired on the preliminary portion of the UFC Vegas 89 fight card. The event took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on Saturday, March 23, 2024.
In what many have called one of the most bizarre conclusions to a professional combat sports contest, Severino appeared to intentionally bite Lima. The incident, which took place during their bout's second round, resulted in it being stopped. The action replays suggested that during a clinch, wherein the 20-year-old fighter had his opponent's back, he bit the latter's arm.
Watch the Severino-Lima bite video below:
The fight was called off, and Lima was declared the winner via DQ (Disqualification). For his part, the victor notably showed off what seemed to be a bite mark on his left arm.
In the aftermath of the shocking incident, UFC CEO Dana White sent a text message to keviniole.com, suggesting that Severino would no longer be allowed to fight in the UFC. Besides, White suggested that the young fighter would likely face a serious punishment from the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission).
Meanwhile, Lima appeared to take the experience in his stride and got a bite tattoo around the area where he was bitten. The tattoo's script read: "I got f**king bit bonus." It was an allusion to the fact that 'Mascote' had received a $25,000 bonus from the UFC after his fight against Severino.
In addition to that, after learning about Lima's tattoo, White was amazed by it and granted him another $25,000 as a bonus. Today, apart from the outlandish Severino-Lima match, we look at a few other biting incidents in the realm of professional combat sports...
#4. Thiago Oliveira vs. Erkin Darmenov
At the Octagon 44 event in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in April 2023, Brazil's Thiago Oliveira faced Kazakhstan's Erkin Darmenov in a welterweight bout. During round one, Oliveira seemingly landed a groin strike against Darmenov. Regardless, the referee didn't intervene, and 'Siriguela' was soon able to take the Kazakh fighter's back.
While attempting to sink in a rear naked choke, Oliveira appeared to bite Darmenov's ear. The latter tried to alert the referee in regard to the apparent biting. The fight was allowed to continue, and the Brazilian athlete secured the tap with a rear naked choke.
However, in its aftermath, the officials concluded that Oliveira had bitten Darmenov, which likely helped him faze his foe and outmaneuver his way en route to the submission finish. The fight's verdict was ultimately changed to a DQ victory for Darmenov, owing to the illegal bite maneuver utilized by his opponent.
For his part, Oliveira vehemently refuted the biting allegations levied against him. Speaking to MMA Fighting, 'Siriguela' explained that he was already winning sans the bite and that the alleged biting wasn't the reason for the DQ. Regardless, many in the MMA community disagreed and lambasted the athlete for his actions.
Watch the incident below:
#3. Edgar Berlanga vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo
Back in June 2022, the undefeated Edgar Berlanga put his NABO super middleweight title on the line against veteran pugilist Roamer Alexis Angulo. The 10-round matchup went the distance, with Berlanga winning via unanimous decision.
However, the win was marred by a mid-fight sequence that saw the young fighter try to bite Angulo in the neck and shoulder area. In the ensuing days, Berlanga was hit with a six-month suspension from professional boxing competition and a $10,000 fine.
Besides, during his in-ring post-fight interview, Berlanga had a rather lighthearted take on the apparent biting. He was questioned about the alleged biting incident in the seventh round. He laughed it off and proceeded to insinuate that Angulo was throwing elbow strikes and headbutts, illegal moves in boxing.
The American boxer of Puerto Rican descent jestingly alluded to the infamous Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield rematch in which Tyson repeatedly bit Holyfield's ear due to alleged elbows and headbutts from the latter. Drawing parallels with the legendary Tyson's decision to bite his opponent, Berlanga tried to justify his actions against Angulo and stated:
"Nah, 'cause he was throwing elbows. I was about to do a Mike Tyson on him. But, you know, he kept throwing his elbows and pushing his head out. I don't wanna get cut or anything. But I was ready to bite him like Mike Tyson."
Watch Berlanga address the topic below (3:20):
#2. Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis
Back in December 2023, then-UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was expected to defend his title against South Africa's Dricus du Plessis. Both middleweights were in attendance at the UFC 296 (Dec. 16, 2023) event, which transpired at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. 'Tarzan' and du Plessis were seated just a couple of rows away from one another.
During the event, a verbal back-and-forth between the two fighters ensued, albeit one that seemed to be simply run-of-the-mill trash talk. However, the American champion proceeded to request UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns' partner and their child, seated in the row between him and du Plessis, to move out of the way.
Strickland then launched himself onto 'Stillknocks' and landed multiple strikes on him. Thankfully, security personnel swiftly de-escalated the situation and took the champion away from the scene. Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski's coach, Craig Jones, later highlighted that Strickland attempted to bite du Plessis during the brawl.
In an edition of the This Past Weekend podcast with Theo Von, 'Tarzan' himself admitted that he did bite him but didn't get the right angle to really take a chunk out of his foe's flesh. Strickland pointed out that he was happy the video footage of the brawl wasn't captured from the right angles, as he'd probably be behind bars if the footage clearly showed the bite.
During a press conference that preceded the UFC 296 event, Strickland had mocked du Plessis' relationship with his coach. The South African MMA stalwart responded by bringing up his American counterpart's tumultuous relationship with his father and reported childhood trauma. Strickland later noted that du Plessis' remarks about his childhood infuriated him and incited their eventual brawl.
On the other hand, du Plessis refrained from pressing charges against 'Tarzan' and seemed unhurt. Moreover, during the build-up toward their UFC middleweight showdown in the following weeks, both combatants were cordial toward each other. In their MMA bout at UFC 297 in Jan. 2024, du Plessis dethroned Strickland via split decision to become the new UFC middleweight champion.
Watch their UFC 296 brawl below:
#1. David Price vs. Kash Ali
One of the most horrid examples of a biting incident in professional combat sports came when UK pugilists David Price and Kash Ali faced off inside the squared circle. The heavyweight boxing showdown, which witnessed a heated build-up between the fighters, took place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, in March 2019.
During the matchup, Price seemed to have the upper hand and looked to be on his way to a potential stoppage victory. However, Ali resorted to utilizing fangs rather than fists to fight back. The British fighter of Pakistani descent is said to have bitten Price not once but on four separate occasions during the match.
Watch the incident below:
The straw that broke the camel's back was when Ali dragged his opponent to the mat and bit him on the torso in round five, prompting the referee to wave the match off. Price emerged victorious via DQ, whereas Ali later apologized for his "unacceptable behavior."
Ali pleaded for forgiveness from Price, boxing fans, and other concerned parties while adding that the incident was "not a true reflection" of who he is. Speaking of Ali, he recently received the opportunity to compete in a high-profile matchup against Joe Joyce but ended up suffering a knockout defeat.