One of the dirtiest fighters in MMA has been suspended for two years and fined $40,000 or holding a submission too long.
Former WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares was handed the sentence by theNevada State Athletic Commission for his disgusting actions against Jake Shields.
Palhares has a history of not releasing submissions after fights have stopped, and did the exact same thing against Shields. Steve Mazzagatti had awarded the Brazilian the victory but Palhares did not let go of the kimura until Shields had tapped six or seven times.
He was subsequently stripped of his WSOF welterweight belt and banned indefinitely by the promotion.
Mazzagatti testified against Palhares at the hearing on Thursday saying "It was absolutely unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Palhares' team called referee John McCarthy to testify as an expert witness to try to prove that Mazzagatti was in an incorrect position to stop the fight.
However, this plan completely backfired and McCarthy claimed that the fighter showed a total disregard for the safety of his opponents.
The two-year suspension was passed unanimously by the commission, meaning that Palhares will be 37 before he's allowed to compete again. We can only hope for the sake of fighters' limbs everywhere that this means we have seen the last of Palhares in a fighting capacity.
