The Nevada State Athletic Commission has denied a proposed
six-month suspension for Igor da
Silva after he bit opponent Andre Lima
at UFC
on ESPN 53 on March 23.
During a meeting on Tuesday, Nevada deputy attorney general Matthew
Feeley proposed an adjudication agreement that would result in a
six-month suspension and a fine of more than $3,000 for da Silva,
who is also commonly known as Igor Severino. Feeley’s reasoning was
there was no real precedent for the incident other than when Mike
Tyson bit Evander Holyfield during their boxing match in 1997.
Feeley noted that Tyson’s incident, which resulted in a $3 million
fine and his license being revoked, was more severe tha da
Silva’s.
However, NSAC commissioner Anthony Marnell expressed concern about
the precedent a relatively short suspension might set going
forward, especially since da Silva could potentially sign with
another MMA promotion.
“The bigger issue is the precedent we set going forward if this
happens again, you’re stuck at six months,” commissioner Anthony
Marnell said during the hearing. “That is unbelievably dangerous
for this commission. That’s my opinion.”
Da Silva, who is currently under temporary suspension, will now
face a second disciplinary hearing on May 31. During Tuesday’s
meeting, it was recommended that the Brazilian’s sanction be
extended to at least one year, but nothing has been finalized at
this point in time.
Da Silva was
released from the UFC for the bite, which occurred at the 2:52
mark of Round 2 and left a visible mark on Lima’s arm. The now
21-year-old Silva began his professional career with eight straight
triumphs, earning a UFC contract on
Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023.
