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Bite medals, not ears

A Moroccan boxer tried to pull the ol’ Mike Tyson at the Olympics on Tuesday and was promptly disqualified

The Olympics are a place for excellence, both in sports and sportsmanship. With every viral moment of individual triumph, there’s another of a competitor picking up their injured opponent and helping them over the finish line. This is the 21st century, of course. We aren’t naive about anything. The Olympics are often a poison pill for their host nation’s economy. Entire countries are caught doping and allowed to compete under alternate names. All sorts of unsavoriness (and lots and lots of sex) take place behind the scenes. But when lights come on and the cameras roll, the ethical cream usually rises to the top.

Unfortunately, Moroccan boxer Youness Baalla must have missed the memo, attempting to take a big, old chomp out of opponent David Nykia’s ear in a Mike Tyson-inspired effort to turn the tides during the pair’s opening bout in Tokyo on Tuesday. Dig in.

We’re no experts in the intricacies and eccentricities of Olympic boxing, but we do know that you can’t do this. Thankfully Nykia emerged with his full lobe intact, telling Sky Sports, "It didn't think he would get away with it. He tried to bite my cheek bone but luckily it was a little bit slippery. He probably got a mouthful of sweat - he also had his mouthguard in so no broken skin.”

Nykia dominated the fight and was declared winner by unanimous decision before officials noticed Baalla’s bite and disqualified him from the games. Asked about his reaction to the foul after the fight, Nykia summed things up nicely, saying to his native New Zealand’s 1 News, “C’mon man this is the Olympics, get your s–t together.”

Truer words never spoken.