Andre Lima’s UFC debut will go down as some of the memorable and weird moments in firm historical past, however he desires to go away it within the rear-view mirror.
In March, Igor Severino was infamously disqualified for biting Lima within the second spherical of their UFC Vegas 89 bout. Lima determined to tattoo the chunk mark and the phrases “I Bought F*cking Bit Bonus” on himself hours later, celebrating the $25,000 examine awarded to him by UFC CEO Dana White for the incident. White then doubled that after the tattoo was inked the identical night time in Las Vegas, awarding Lima with $50,000 atop his present and win cash.
The chunk went viral and was the subject of the week, and Lima was sensible sufficient to take advantage of it. “Mascote” mentioned he was acknowledged all week by followers in Las Vegas and have become standard in his hometown Guarulhos. Now, although, he desires to be greater than only a meme.
“I’m very lively on-line and determined to maintain posting about it for just a few days,” Lima advised MMA Preventing forward of his UFC 302 combat with Mitch Raposo. “Some movies I did hit 200,000, 300,000 views on Instagram, one hit 1,000,000 views. UFC life is nice, man. The tattoo and the chunk modified my life. That’s additionally why I’m on a pay-per-view card, I believe. That and my combating potential.
“Dana White preferred my efficiency on the Contender Collection although I didn’t get the knockout. The combat within the UFC was good up till that time [of the foul], and the chunk made it go viral. However I’m not within the UFC due to a chunk or a tattoo. I’m right here as a result of I’ve heavy arms, I’m a very good striker, and I’ll present my potential. That is the proper alternative for me to indicate what I’ve been doing my complete life.”
Lima was initially slated to face Hyun Sung Park on June 1. Nyamjargal Tumendemberelm then briefly stepped in as a substitute earlier than the spot in the end landed with Raposo, who held flyweight titles on the regional circuit earlier than answering the decision to make his UFC debut on brief discover.
Lima likes the matchup and sees Raposo as having the same combating type to his primary sparring accomplice for UFC 302, so the adjustments had no main impression in his preparation.
“I’m a jiu-jitsu black belt, however folks will all the time attempt to take me down after I begin hitting them on the ft,” Lima mentioned. “I believe he’ll attempt to grapple with me. I’ve 82 fights in kickboxing and Muay Thai mixed so, I’ll by no means selected to do jiu-jitsu in MMA. I’ve confirmed that in Brazil already. My aim is all the time to face and commerce. I’ve a number of the greatest arms within the division, if not one of the best, and I consider in them.”
Trending Merchandise
