Brazilian flyweight Igor Severino, who was disqualified and released from the UFC for biting opponent Andre Lima, faces a full disciplinary hearing in May after the Nevada Commission denied a recommended six-month suspension, deeming it not severe enough.
Igor Severino’s future? It’s up in the air until May. This Brazilian flyweight has been in hot water, disqualified and booted from the UFC. Why? He bit Andre Lima during a March card.
Now, he’s staring down the barrel of a full disciplinary hearing. Or maybe a new adjudication agreement. All because the Nevada Commission gave a thumbs down to a suggested six-month suspension.
Tuesday saw a meeting. Nevada’s Deputy Attorney General, Matthew Feeley, proposed an adjudication agreement. The deal? Severino would sit out for six months and cough up a $3,000 fine. That’s 30% of his $10,000 purse. Plus, he’d cover prosecution fees for his, let’s say, biting commentary.
Feeley pointed out something interesting. No precedent exists for this kind of incident. The last time something like this happened? Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield during a 1997 fight.
Tyson’s behavior was way worse, though. He lost his license for over a year and had to shell out $3 million in fines. Ouch!
But the commission wasn’t buying the proposed adjudication agreement. They felt the penalty was too light. A six-month suspension for Severino could set a dangerous standard for future altercations in Nevada.
Commissioner Anthony Marnell voiced his concerns during the hearing. “The bigger issue is the precedent we set going forward if this happens again, you’re stuck at six months,” he said. “That is unbelievably dangerous for this commission. That’s my opinion.”
Severino wasn’t at the meeting. So, no statement from him about the incident.
The commissioners noted that the UFC had already cut Severino loose. But other promotions could still sign him. And a six-month suspension didn’t seem like enough punishment to them.
So, what’s next for Severino? A second disciplinary hearing in May. Or maybe the attorney general’s office will work with him on a different adjudication agreement. One commissioner suggested a one-year suspension, but that’s on hold until the May hearing.
For now, Severino is on a temporary suspension. He won’t know his fate until the May meeting.