Igor Severino, who was cut from the UFC for biting his opponent Andre Lima during a match, hopes to resume his MMA career and reenter the UFC, despite facing online hatred and death threats.
Igor Severino. A name that might forever be associated with that UFC biting incident. But he’s eager to move past it.
Severino is staring down a lengthy suspension for his actions against Andre Lima at UFC Vegas 89. Despite this, he’s hopeful about resuming his MMA career. Maybe even making a UFC comeback. But for now, he’s grappling with online hate and death threats.
This Brazilian fighter was once a promising prospect. MMA Fighting had him on their 2022 watch list. He joined the UFC after a knockout performance at the promotion’s Contender Series. But 18 months later, he’s in hot water. Severino claims he doesn’t recall biting Lima. He blames it on being in “autopilot mode” after Lima’s elbow strike to the head.
“There’s no plausible explanation [for the bite], right?” Severino mused. He remembers a close fight. But after that elbow? Autopilot. He doesn’t recall what happened next. He only came to at the hotel, where his team showed him the video. “There’s no explanation,” he admits.
You can watch the biting incident below.
Post-bout, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby visited Severino’s locker room. But Severino can’t remember that conversation. He was subsequently cut from the UFC. His purse is on hold by the Nevada Athletic Commission, pending an official hearing.
And it doesn’t end there. Checking his DMs days after the incident, Severino found hundreds of hate messages. Abuse. Death threats. All aimed at him and his family.
“I started to get conscious again at the hotel and I was already cut by then,” Severino recalls. His social media was flooded with hate. Anger. Threats. “I started to digest all that and feel bad too. I’ve made a mistake and I apologize to everyone.”
He’s saddened by the online vitriol. He acknowledges his mistake and is ready to pay for it. But he hasn’t committed a crime. The threats against him and his family leave him heartbroken.
Severino and his team have saved these messages. They’re considering pressing charges. Meanwhile, Severino is bringing his parents from Juriti to Bauru, where he lives and trains at Chute Boxe João Emilio.
Lima, his opponent, has shown support. He believes Severino shouldn’t be cut from the UFC.
“I’m trying to process all this and go back to my normal life,” Severino says. He’s seeking a second chance. A chance to prove this incident doesn’t define him.
He’s always worked hard. He left his family as a teenager, spent two years without seeing them, all for his dream. He made it to the Contender Series and the UFC. But now, it’s all gone. “That hurts me inside. I could have a long future in the organization, but I’ll own my mistakes and try to come back.”
He’s hoping for a short suspension. He’s eager to return to the UFC. He believes he has more to show, more to evolve. “My second chance is for redemption. I want my redemption to show MMA fans, UFC fans. I dream with my return to the UFC so I can build a career and fix this s*** I’ve made.”