‘C’MON, MAN’

Olympic Boxer Pulls a Mike Tyson by Trying to Bite Rival’s Ear

Moroccan boxer Youness Baalla went after New Zealander David Nyika’s ear during a hold in the third round.

Mike Tyson wasn’t competing at the Tokyo Olympics, but that didn’t stop some from trying to copy his, er, unconventional moves. Moroccan boxer Youness Baalla, in the third round of his match against New Zealand’s David Nyika, tried to bite his opponent’s ear in an attempt to break a hold. The move caught Nyika off guard, he told the press after his 5-0 win against Baalla. “I have been bitten once on the chest before at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games,” he said, according to The Guardian. “But c’mon man, this is the Olympics.” The incident drew callbacks to Tyson’s infamous attack on opponent Evander Holyfield, biting a piece of his ear off during a 1997 match.

Despite the close call, Nyika seemed to have a bit of fun with the incident. “Luckily he had his mouthguard in and I was a bit sweaty,” he said.