During the third and final round of the match, Baalla engaged in a hold with Nyika and appeared to attempt a bite to Nyika's ear.
Moroccan boxer Youness Baalla attempted a very different kind of fighting tactic during his bout with New Zealand's David Nyika at the Tokyo Olympics Tuesday (July 27).
During the third and final round of the bout, Baalla suddenly reached forward and tried to bite Nyika's ear.
Baalla was behind in points in the third and final round when the two were wrapped up and he decided to get desperate.
Nyika said after the match that it was unfortunate that the referee could not see what had happened.
"He couldn't get my ear into his mouth. I am lucky for that," said Nyika, who won 5-0 and advanced.
The fight drew comparisons of a 1997 infamous bout between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
In the second heavyweight championship match between the two in the US state of Nevada, Tyson bit a part of Holyfield's ear off and was disqualified.
Tyson's boxing license was revoked for 15 months after the incident.
This also isn't the first time that one of Nyika's opponents has tried to bite him.
“I don’t remember what I said to him, but I gave him a little bit of a cheek," he said.
"I have been bitten once on the chest before at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. But come on man, this is the Olympics.”
The boxing task force, which regulates boxing in the Olympics, has disqualified Baalla for "unsportsmanlike" behavior.
Tags: #TokyoOlympics, #boxing, #YounessBaalla, #DavidNyika, #foulplay