It’s truly remarkable how far one must go to be disqualified in an MMA fight. A simple eye poke or a kick to the groin won’t necessarily do the trick. Even grabbing things you’re not supposed to grab may not result in immediate disqualification. But in the case of Igor Severino at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, he managed to cheat his way to instant defeat by biting his opponent on live TV.
Unlike other infractions that can be brushed off, biting someone in an MMA fight leaves clear physical evidence that is hard to deny. As UFC commentators were left puzzled by the sudden end to the fight between Severino and Andre Lima, Lima held up his arm to reveal a distinct bite mark.
As the commentators marveled at the bite mark, one couldn’t help but wonder why Severino would resort to such a desperate move. Biting someone in a fight is a deliberate choice that is hard to pass off as accidental. In this instance, Severino had a good position in the clinch before deciding to bite Lima for no apparent reason.
Severino’s actions led to his immediate dismissal from the UFC, while Lima received a $25,000 bonus for his ordeal, which he commemorated by getting the tooth marks tattooed on his skin. This incident will forever be etched in MMA history, serving as a reminder of the consequences of crossing the line in a sport that already pushes boundaries.
While MMA allows for a certain level of brutality that is not tolerated in other sports, there are still boundaries that should not be crossed. Severino’s biting incident serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of taking things too far in a sport that thrives on controlled aggression.
Ultimately, Severino’s disqualification for biting joins the ranks of other infamous rule-breakers in MMA history. Despite the sport’s leniency towards certain acts of violence, there are still lines that should not be crossed. Severino’s actions serve as a cautionary tale for future fighters about the importance of sportsmanship and respect in the octagon.
In a sport where almost anything goes, finding a way to get disqualified requires a special kind of creativity or foolishness. Severino’s biting incident may go down in history as one of the most bizarre and senseless disqualifications in MMA, a sport where boundaries are constantly pushed and rules are bent to their limits.