Andre Lima gets TATTOO of bite marks left by UFC Vegas 89 opponent Igor Severino… as Dana White hails the ‘awesome’ move and promises the Brazilian a £40,000 bonus
Andre Lima marked his extraordinary victory over Igor Severino by getting a tattoo where he was allegedly bitten.
The two flyweights clashed at UFC Vegas 89 on Saturday night but the fight was cut short after Lima complained to referee Chris Tognoni.
In an incident that evoked memories of Mike Tyson’s ‘bite fight’ against Evander Holyfield in 1997, Severino and Lima were locked in a grapple against the cage before Lima began yelling and signaling to the official.
It was claimed Severino had bit Lima – who held up his arm to reveal a gruesome mark on his left bicep – with Severino subsequently disqualified after Tognoni consulted the judges.
And, following the bout, Lima – who picked up his first UFC win in the process – went to a local tattoo studio to give himself a permanent reminder of the bizarre incident.
Andre Lima got a bizarre tattoo of the bite marks left by UFC Vegas 89 opponent Igor Severino
Lima had won the bout on Saturday night after Severino was disqualified for his actions
Lima shows off the gruesome bite mark he suffered during the flyweight fight in Las Vegas
In the aftermath, UFC CEO Dana White had reportedly promised Lima a $25,000 (£19,842) bonus for his troubles.
Lima’s new ink showed the marks and made a playful attempt on White’s pledge, with it circled by the words ‘I Got F***ing Bit Bonus’.
Taking to Instagram, White doubled his proposed bonus after seeing Lima’s tattoo as he said: ‘I was going to give him 25k @andremascote. Now I’m giving him 50k (£39,685). This is AWESOME!’
Severino has also reportedly been cut by the UFC after his disqualification, with White telling KevinIole.com: ‘If you get frustrated and want out of the fight, there are plenty of ways to do it, but the worst thing u can do is bite your opponent,’ he said.
‘Now, you get cut and lose the biggest opportunity of your life. Not to mention, he’s going to have real problems with the NSAC (Nevada State Athletic Commission).’
Severino – who was making his UFC debut in Sin City – tried to deny that he had gnawed his opponent when confronted by the referee.
But the Brazilian’s protests were in vain. He is believed to be the first ever UFC fighter disqualified for biting his opponent. In fact, biting was one of the very few restrictions put in place when the UFC was created three decades ago.
‘You bit him,’ Tognoni told Severino, who insisted: ‘No’
UFC chief Dana White was loving Lima’s new tattoo and pledged to double his proposed bonus
Lima shows off the injury to referee Chris Tognoni during the second round of the fight
Severino – who was making his UFC debut – tried to deny that he had gnawed his opponent
‘Yes, you bit him,’ the referee continued before explaining to one of the flyweight’s team: ‘Explain to him, anytime there is upper and lower teeth mark, that’s a bite.’
The defeat is the first of Severino’s professional career in mixed martial arts.
Lima, who was also making his UFC debut, told ESPN afterwards: ‘I was able to hit him really hard, but then he bit me when I was trying to take him down.
‘I was going to continue to damage him, continue to touch him and finish the fight, but as you saw, that’s why I yelled. He bit me.’
