It just keeps getting worse for Igor da
Silva.
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According to a report from MMAFighting.com, da Silva had his fight purse
withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after biting
Andre
Lima’s arm in the second round of their flyweight clash at
UFC
on ESPN 53 this past Saturday. Da Silva, who is commonly
referred to as Igor Severino, was disqualified at the 2:52 mark of
Round 2 once it was determined there were bite marks on Lima’s
arm.
It is unclear how much da Silva was set to earn because purses are
no longer disclosed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Da
Silva was subsequently
cut by the UFC, and he could face further discipline at the
next NSAC meeting. A similar incident in combat sports occurred on
June 28, 1997, when Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s
ear in their boxing rematch. As a result, Tyson had his boxing
license revoked — it was reinstated on appeal in 1998 — and he was
fined $3 million.
Da Silva, who at 20 years old was the second-youngest fighter on
the UFC roster, has yet to issue a statement on the situation. The
Brazilian prospect had been victorious in his first eight
professional appearances prior to Saturday night, earning a
contract with the promotion thanks to a second-round stoppage of
Jhonata
Silva on
Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023.
Lima, meanwhile, reaped the benefits of the bite in the aftermath.
In addition to his first UFC triumph, “Mascote” received a $50,000
“Bite of the Night” bonus from the promotion, in part because he
elected to get a commemorative tattoo where the bite occurred.