Igor
da Silva has been suspended nine months for biting Andre Lima
during the bout at UFC
on ESPN 53 on March 23.
The 21-year-old Brazilian was also fined $2,000. The sanctions were
announced during a Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting on
Tuesday. Da Silva’s suspension is retroactive to the date of his
fight, which means he would be eligible to return on Dec. 23.
During a previous commission meeting, Nevada deputy attorney
general Matthew Feeley proposed a six-month term for da Silva, who
is commonly known as Igor Severino. However, the commision
rejected that proposal out of concern that a relatively short
term might set a bad precedent for future incidents. While it was
initially recommended that da Silva’s suspension be extended to one
year, the NSAC ultimately settled on nine months.
Da Silva was
released from the UFC for the bite, which occurred at the 2:52
mark of Round 2 and left a visible mark on Lima’s arm. Silva began
his professional career with eight straight triumphs, earning a UFC
contract on
Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023.