'I was on autopilot. I don’t remember anything': Ex-UFC fighter apologizes for biting opponent, asks for shot at redemption

Former UFC fighter Igor Severino apologized for a biting incident that got him fired from the fight promotion and claimed that he didn't remember the sequence of events leading up to it.

Severino bit the bicep of fellow flyweight Andre Lima halfway through the second round of their three-round fight. The bite was widely publicized and even garnered a "Bite of the Night" bonus for Lima on behalf of UFC President Dana White. That bonus was doubled when it was revealed that Lima got a tattoo of the bite mark.

"One day, I was fighting in the best promotion in the world. I was making my dream come true. The next moments, I’m banned from the promotion," Severino told MMA Junkie.

The fighter was fired the same night following the incident, which of course was an extreme juxtaposition to his opponent being celebrated and awarded afterward.

Severino said he comes from "humble beginnings," working from a very young age to become a professional fighter. The 20-year-old Brazilian insisted that what viewers saw was not who he is as a person.

"I just feel very regretful. It makes me very emotional and sad about it," he explained.

The fighter claimed that he has no recollection of the sequence leading up to the bite and said he was shocked to see the highlights of what had transpired. He thought an elbow he received may have triggered his behavior.

"I remember everything that was happening until I got hit with something really hard," Severino stated through a translator. "I watched the video later and I thought it was an elbow. From there, I was on autopilot. I don’t remember anything."

Opponent and bite recipient Lima told Brazilian press that he didn't agree with the UFC's decision to cut Severino from the roster. He also stated that he would be willing to give Severino a rematch.

The likelihood that the UFC reinstates a fighter who has been banned is very low, however.

There exists a fairly lengthy list of fighters who have received lifetime bans. From shoving referees, to illegal gambling, to punching opponents after the fight, most if not all fighters who have received a permanent ban for one reason or another are not reinstated.

"I did something wrong," Severino continued. "It’s right that I be punished. I got cut. I think that’s one of the worst things that could’ve happened. The commission withheld my purse, so I’m not even sure if I’ll get paid anything. I’m not sure what they’re even going to decide because this money isn’t even for me. It’s for my whole family that depends on me. Fighting is how I make ends meet, how I’m able to pay my rent. That’s how I’m able to pay for medicine. It’s how I’m able to take care of my sick family members, how I can support them to buy food, as well. That’s all that I know how to do. It’s all that I have to make a means to live."

The fighter also noted that he received phone calls from family members about the incident, including one from his mother who claimed she had been receiving threats to her life.

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