Super Middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga has clarified the reason behind his infamous 2022 biting incident against Roamer Alexis Angulo. Berlanga stated that persistent dirty tactics from Angulo during their bout caused him to lose composure inside the ring.
Speaking on RING CHAMPS with AK and Barak, Berlanga explained that Angulo repeatedly used illegal physical contact throughout the contest. Explaining the physical impact of the bout, Berlanga said: “Like I had lumps all over, like lumps and bruises and sh*t from, like, elbows and headbutts. If you like a guy on YouTube, break the whole fight down, okay? And you could see every round like he was throwing uppercuts. He was hitting me with elbows.”
Berlanga maintained that referee Ricky Gonzales failed to intervene despite multiple complaints during the fight. Frustration built as Angulo continued using his head and arms illegally on the inside. Reflecting on the escalation in the seventh round, Berlanga added: “Like, this dude is a real legit dirty fighter, you know what I mean? And in every shot I was feeling was elbows and headbutts. So, during the moment, I just got upset,”
The incident resulted in immediate disciplinary measures from the New York State Athletic Commission. Following the unanimous decision victory, the commission suspended Berlanga for six months and fined him $10,000. Former promoter Bob Arum called the bite a bad intentional foul while supporting the commission’s ruling.
Berlanga issued a public statement shortly after the bout to address his actions and initial comments. He wrote: “I want to apologize for my actions and what I said about the Mike Tyson bite. I was in the moment and got a little ahead of myself. It doesn’t take away from the embarrassment that I have caused upon myself, my team, Top Rank, and many others.”
He concluded his statement with a commitment to better conduct inside the ring: “I reacted poorly and take full responsibility. Moving forward, I am going to be more mindful and encouraging in my behavior. Once again, I do apologize.”
The six-month suspension temporarily halted Berlanga’s momentum, but he subsequently returned to high-level competition, including a distance fight against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in September 2024 and a seventh-round knockout victory over Steven Butler in Zuffa Boxing.
