Andre Lima was preparing for a significant test at UFC Vegas 108, where he would meet Felipe Bunes in a classic striker vs. grappler matchup. The undefeated prospect had momentum on his side, but a series of injuries and what he refers to as “negative magic” forced him to withdraw from the August 2 fight at the UFC Apex. But what exactly happened that led to him speculating about some voodoo curse?

Andre Lima first stated that the main issue was a chronic shoulder injury. Sharing an X-ray on his Instagram account, he wrote in his native Portuguese, “Unfortunately I had a shoulder injury, and I had to leave the fight. I have been doing physiotherapy and treatment for a long time, and I haven’t recovered.”

While the injury was not new, the timing could not have been worse. Despite his best efforts to rehab, his shoulder did not recover in time, forcing him to withdraw from the fight. But that was merely the beginning of what would be a horrible spell. In another update, Lima posted a photo of his swollen arm and reported that he had contracted a bacterial infection.

“I don’t like to complain,” he wrote. “You know I like to always pass on good energy to you, but last week I also caught a bacteria on my arm, where it was difficult to even train.” Between the infection and the shoulder, training camp was turning into a disaster. Then came the last straw.

“Finally, during one of my wrestling training sessions, I hurt my hip, lol,” Lima added in another story. With three setbacks in fast succession, even ‘Mascota’ had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. That’s when he threw up the tongue-in-cheek suspicion: “I think they cast some negative magic on me.”

Whether he meant it or not, it perfectly captured the mood: one of the flyweight division’s rising stars had been derailed by a string of bad luck. Now, it will be Rafael Estevam who will get to face Felipe Bunes, keeping the all-Brazilian matchup intact.

Lima’s perfect record remains, but this was a tough pill to swallow. Sometimes, it’s not just your opponent that stops you; it’s everything else, too. However, it is interesting to see how every weird incident manages to find the Brazilian. While this time it is some black magic keeping him out, earlier it was a biting incident that led his opponent out of the UFC.

Andre Lima’s fight made UFC part ways with Igor Severino

Andre Lima may be dealing with bacteria and negative energy this time, but bizarre drama tends to follow him even when he isn’t to blame. Just last year, his UFC debut against Igor Severino resulted in one of the oddest disqualifications in recent memory, as Severino bit him mid-fight.

That incident not only made headlines but also ruined Severino’s UFC career before it even began. At the time, Lima had been doing well in the bout. Then, out of nowhere, Severino bit down on Lima’s arm, causing the referee to stop the bout. The footage confirmed what everyone suspected, and Severino was disqualified.

UFC CEO Dana White acted quickly, removing Severino from the roster and giving Lima a $50,000 bonus. Lima later transformed the bite mark into a tattoo and shared the photo online as a tongue-in-cheek badge of honor. However, the aftermath struck Severino hard. The 21-year-old was not only kicked out of the UFC but also suspended for nine months by the Nevada Athletic Commission and fined $2,000.

He was undefeated prior to the fight, but the DQ resulted in his first professional loss; however, he did make a stunning comeback by winning against Jonas Mågård at OKTAGON 65. As for ‘Mascota,’ he, too, would be hoping to get himself a win as well as soon as his arm recovers.