IGOR SEVERINO claims to have received DEATH THREATS after his moment of madness in his UFC debut.
The Brazilian BIT fellow countryman Andre Lima in the second round of their UFC Vegas 90 clash at the promotion’s Apex Center.
GettyIgor Severino locked horns with Andre Lima in his UFC debut last month[/caption]
X@ESPNMMAThe 20-year-old bit his fellow Brazilian in the second round of the fight[/caption]
GETTYSeverino was disqualified for his moment of madness[/caption]
GETTYSeverino left a huge bite mark on the left arm of Lima[/caption]
Severino tried to take a lump out of Lima’s left arm as he looked for a single-leg takedown against the fence.
The 20-year-old was disqualified and cut from the promotion that very night for his chomp, which he blamed on going into “auto-pilot” after getting hurt in the first round.
He told MMA Fighting: “There’s no plausible explanation [for the bite], right?
“I remember exchanging strikes with him, a close fight, but I was in autopilot mode after that elbow.
“I don’t remember anything after that, the things I’ve said.
“I only started getting back to myself at the hotel, after a long while, and my team showed me the video of what I’ve done, and there’s no explanation.”
Severino was bombarded with vile messages and death threats from trolls immediately after the fight.
He continued: “I started to get conscious again at the hotel and I was already cut by then.
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GettyIgor Severino claims he went into “autopilot” after being hurt by a big elbow[/caption]
“And then my social media was flooded with hateful comments, mean messages, people angry at what happened, and also threats.
“I started to digest all that and feel bad too. I’ve made a mistake and I apologize to everyone.
“I’m sad because the internet is so polluted. I’ve made a mistake and I’m willing to pay for this mistake, recognize this mistake, but I haven’t killed anyone, I haven’t caused any harm or committed any crime, you know?
“To see people threaten me, threaten my family, makes me really sad and apprehensive, afraid. It leaves me heartbroken.”
The UFC are notoriously ruthless when it comes to sticking to their guns over fighters released for gross misconduct.
But Severino hopes to make it back to MMA‘s top promotion, saying: “I’ve always done things the right way in my life, always working hard.
“I left my family as a teenager and spent two years without seeing my parents and my brother, working toward my dream, and managed to get to [Dana White’s] Contender [Series] and the UFC.
“That was a dream come true, and now it’s gone like this. That hurts me inside. I could have a long future in the organization, but I’ll own my mistakes and try to come back.
“I hope it’s not a long suspension. I want to come back [to the UFC], I still have a lot to show.
“I still have a lot to evolve, so 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.”
GETTYIgor Severino hopes to be given a second chance by the UFC[/caption]“}]]