Andre Lima’s UFC debut will go down as one of the vital memorable and weird moments in firm historical past, however he needs 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 chew mark and the phrases “I Acquired F*cking Bit Bonus” on himself hours later, celebrating the $25,000 test awarded to him by UFC CEO Dana White for the incident. White then doubled that after the tattoo was inked the identical evening in Las Vegas, awarding Lima with $50,000 atop his present and win cash.
The chew went viral and was the subject of the week, and Lima was good sufficient to profit from it. “Mascote” stated he was acknowledged all week by followers in Las Vegas and have become well-liked in his hometown Guarulhos. Now, although, he needs 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 struggle 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 chew modified my life. That’s additionally why I’m on a pay-per-view card, I feel. That and my preventing potential.
“Dana White preferred my efficiency on the Contender Sequence regardless that I didn’t get the knockout. The struggle within the UFC was good up till that time [of the foul], and the chew made it go viral. However I’m not within the UFC due to a chew or a tattoo. I’m right here as a result of I’ve heavy fingers, I’m striker, and I’ll present my potential. That is the proper alternative for me to indicate what I’ve been doing my entire life.”
Lima was initially slated to face Hyun Sung Park on June 1. Nyamjargal Tumendemberelm then briefly stepped in as a alternative 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 preventing type to his principal sparring companion for UFC 302, so the modifications had no main affect in his preparation.
“I’m a jiu-jitsu black belt, however individuals will all the time attempt to take me down once I begin hitting them on the toes,” Lima stated. “I feel 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 purpose is all the time to face and commerce. I’ve a few of the finest fingers within the division, if not the very best, and I consider in them.”