Igor Severino took his first steps on the road to redemption on Sunday night, with the fighter, who was cut from the UFC for a bite incident, beating Jonas Mågård in impressive fashion.
The Brazilian warrior showcased his incredible speed and power in front of a raucous crowd at Oktagon 65 inside the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
Igor Severino wore a Hannibal Lecter mask during his walk to the cage at Oktagon 65
Back in March, Igor Severino made an almighty mistake, biting Andre Lima in a moment that left the mixed martial arts community stunned.
Consequently, Dana White made the decision to cut the talented youngster from the promotion, leaving his career in disarray.
Luckily, spotting his potential, Oktagon MMA decided to give Severino a second chance, with the athlete grabbing the opportunity with both hands.
However, winning back the affection of fight fans certainly wasn’t easy, as he was thrown right into the deep end, having to step up from flyweight to bantamweight to take on former champion Jonas Mågård.
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Reveling in the infamous nature of his previous trip to the cage, Severino walked out in front of 20,000 spectators, wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask.
But while he exhibited a degree of showmanship before the fight, he was all business when the bell rang, storming into his opponent at 100MPH, landing ferocious shots that rocked the Dane to his core.
But following a great opener, it was he who was in trouble in the second round, with Mågård connecting with brutal blows that left him on wobbly legs.
In the third, with the score tied at 1-1, the prospect had to bite down on his gumshield, throwing with ill intent, winning the last round, to walk away with a split decision victory.
Following the contest, Severino left fake teeth on the canvas, to show he isn’t afraid to discuss what happened back in Las Vegas.
In an exclusive interview with Bloody Elbow, he discussed his antics, saying: “It was actually not only my idea, but me and my whole team at Chute Boxe. It was good because people really reacted well to it. We did a great show. We are here for entertainment. I’m very happy to fight here.”
While the brawler isn’t shying away from what went down earlier this year, he’s also determined to turn over a new leaf and make a reputation for his skills rather than his controversial actions.
He explained: “I’m grateful to be here. This is a new chapter for me. I’m gonna enjoy it. It was my mistake what happened. But I’m young, so I’ve learned with it. Now, I’m moving forward.”
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Possessing skills to compete in both the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, Severino certainly isn’t short of options.
And having just beaten the number one-ranked 135-pounder in Oktagon MMA, he’s confident a shot at the gold isn’t too far away.
He claimed: “I wanna challenge first for the bantamweight title. After my performance, and since the title is vacant, it makes sense to go for that first.”
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