Rousimar Palhares perceived ‘dirty’ tactics inside the cage have once again landed him in trouble as he’s just been hit with a two year ban from the sport.
Despite having being widely criticized and punished in the past for not letting go of submissions holds after a fighter taps out or the referee calls an end to the fight, Palhares proceeded to do just that in his last fight with Jake Shields at WSOF 22 back in August.
He was still awarded the victory on the night, successfully defending his welterweight title for a second time, but a blacklash followed and WSOF quickly moved to strip him of the belt and now the Nevada State Athletic Commission have also punished him with the two year ban coming alongside a $40,000 fine.
Palhares had previously been suspended for 90 days by the UFC back in 2010 for failing to let go of a submission hold, and was then booted out of the promotion in 2013 for the same crime which came after he was returning from a nine month suspension related to having failed a drug test due to elevated levels of testosterone.
Remarkably, Palhares continues to protest his innocence even in light of his latest punishment, issueing the following statement to MMAfighting.com after yesterday’s verdict:
“I appeared in front of the commission today to tell the truth and take the responsibilities for my acts. I thank the commission for opening an exception and allowing me the opportunity to participate on the hearing via Skype. I know all the complications that it has caused, but I once again thank them for understanding my current condition.
“Yet, I don’t agree with the punishment, both the suspension and the fine. Many untruths were said. They didn’t take in consideration the obvious mistake committed by referee Steve Mazzagatti, who was in an inadequate position at the moment of the submission. If the referee was in the correct position, maybe none of this would have happened.
“Unfortunately, I will have to obey this unfair decision, fulfilling my suspension and paying the fine. I’ll reflect about everything that happened and, together with my manager Alex Davis, I will make the best decision for the continuation of my career.”
