Nevada Commission Seeks More Severe Sanction for Igor da Silva for Biting Opponent

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.