[H-Deep]

"I had no intention to hurt Tomasz," Palhares told MMAjunkie.com through his interpreter and manager, Alex Davis. "I never have; I am not like that.

"Unfortunately, there have been cases in the past where guys have tapped and then said they hadn't tapped. This happened in a match in the UFC between my trainer, Murilo Bustamante, and Matt Lindland. Our attitude is to hold the position until the ref interrupts to avoid this happening to us again."

In May 2002, Bustamante, a co-founder of Brazilian Top Team, successfully defended the UFC's middleweight title against Lindland with a third-round submission victory at UFC 37. However, the bout was marred by one of the biggest gaffes of famed official "Big" John McCarthy's career when the fight was waved off due to an apparent Lindland tap before the referee elected to restart the action.

It's a fight-tested lesson that shapes the strategies of Brazilian Top Team's fighters, and Palhares believes the 90-day suspension issued by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board was unjust.

"I did not think the suspension was fair," Palhares said. "I did not have any intent of hurting Drwal. It was in the heat of battle, and I wanted to make sure I did not lose the position.

"I was just waiting for the ref to interrupt the match."

Some have argued that with a lock as dangerous as a heel hook, Palhares may have torqued the maneuver unnecessarily hard. But Palhares, a leg-lock master who had difficulty holding on to Dan Henderson's limbs in their UFC 88 matchup, said it was necessary to explode into the submission to ensure that he would secure the win.

"I just wanted to make 100 percent sure I had it," Palhares said. "I have been through similar situations where I have lost positions due to oil and Vaseline that my opponents had applied to their legs."

For his part, Davis believes that perhaps his client should have released the hold a moment or two sooner. But Davis, a former top grappler himself, said that the intensity of MMA competition makes Palhares' actions understandable.

"Rousimar is a humble, simple guy," Davis said. "There's not an ounce of maliciousness in him. That was the first minute of the fight, the adrenaline was high, he got the position, and wanted to make sure he finished. Maybe he held on a tad longer than he needed to, but, like I said, that's an intense moment. This is MMA – the most intense form of fighting on the planet, and the other guy wants to punch your face in. I think the referee was just a little too far away.

"In MMA, things like this happen. Sometimes it has nothing to do with bad intentions, it's just heat of the moment. I feel sorry for Drwal, and although I haven't spoken to Rousimar or Murilo, I am sure that the first thing that Rousimar did was look Drwal up and apologize."

While the UFC was unlikely to utilize Palhares in the next 90 days anyway, the suspension from the NJSACB certainly was intended to send a message. Palhares and his camp believe the warning was hardly necessary, and they insist the grappling ace will be back in the cage again soon.

"Rousimar is freakish strong, and he had that position locked in," Davis said. "To make Rousimar into a dirty fighter over this is totally unfair; he is not.

"Rousimar will be back subbing guys shortly."

source mmajunkie

 

[BWoods]

As much backlash as there has been about the submission I didn't see anything wrong with it. It's not like he was cranking it worse after the referee was trying to peel him off ala Babalou.

Joe Rogan's "5-count" was absolutely idiotic (this coming from a Rogan fan) He was watching a slow-motion replay counting faster than normal. Regardless, a fighter's job is to keep fighting until the referee stops the fight.

I don't really agree with the suspension.

 

[xbrokenshieldx]

As much backlash as there has been about the submission I didn't see anything wrong with it. It's not like he was cranking it worse after the referee was trying to peel him off ala Babalou.

Joe Rogan's "5-count" was absolutely idiotic (this coming from a Rogan fan) He was watching a slow-motion replay counting faster than normal. Regardless, a fighter's job is to keep fighting until the referee stops the fight.

I don't really agree with the suspension.

I thought the same thing (about the slow mo). Rogan recognized it at the end and said something like "there was slow motion at the end so it might not have been 5 full seconds". aha.

But yea, Palhares' sub doesn't even comparre to the Babalu choke or to Rampage and his punches on Wandy, where the refs were actively trying to pull the fighters off. Once the ref intervened, Palhares let go.

 

[Chileandude]

I can understand both sides of the argument but in the end it's the referee's job to ensure this doesn't end badly, in the end it's hard to judge it from the outside i just hope it doesn't happen more often.

 

[Johnny D]

Though I can empathize with those who are defending him, the UFC does need to send a message to other fighters that this will not be tolerated. I am more than positive he wasnt trying to be malicious in any way possible, but at the same time, the UFC has to uphold the reputation that they are about good sportsman ship and their fighters are not out to maliciously injure others.

I feel the disciplinary action was just, for they did not suspend him for longer than he would most likely already be out for and did not affect his purse.

 

[Nefilim777]

Well really the ref is at fault here, he should have been closer to both guys to wave the fight when Drwal began to tap.

 

[Parabola]

I did not have any intent of hurting Drwal. It was in the heat of battle, and I wanted to make sure I did not lose the position.

I was just waiting for the ref to interrupt the match.

Uh huh.

 

[alizio]

Uh huh.

owned.

this guy can **** himself and go fight babalu 100x a year.

btw punching somebody in the face isnt ripping their knee to shreads.

 

[Inkdot]

This is pretty much exactly what I was saying in the other threads about this subject. This whas unfortunate and sloppy on both Palhares and the ref, but malicous with intent? Hell no!

I'm a fan of David Bielkheden and follow his swedish blogg every day almost, and he is really close friends with Busta and "Toquinho" Palhares, so they appear often on his blogg. And Palharest is the most calm, nice "gentle giant" I know of.

He would never ever do something like this with intent to destroy or hurt. This was simply sloppy by both him and the ref. I can appreciate the suspension by the athletic commision just to send the message to be f**ing careful with any kind of leg locks. But to villanize Palhares for this is wrong.

As long as they keep leg locks legal this will continue to happen every once in a while, because sometimes the heel or knee is already injured even before the fighter begins to feel pain. With arm locks the pain sets in way before there is risk for damage and its easier to tap on time. With leg locks the margin of error is too small and sometimes even Herb Dean wont be able to reach the fighter before its too late.


EDIT: just saw the video above and that was ******* bullshit. Palhares maybie not as nice as I thought... Still the thing he did in his last fight was IMO not too bad.

UFC need to really tell him to let go earlier, if this happens again he should get kicked like Babalu, hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[michelangelo]

Dana and the Fertittas will recognize that having fighters like this on the roster is bad for their image and will drop him like a bad habit. He's not worth the bother.

 

[Inkdot]

Dana and the Fertittas will recognize that having fighters like this on the roster is bad for their image and will drop him like a bad habit. He's not worth the bother.

the thing is, he is a very good fighter and so far hasent done anything like that in the UFC, I see no reason to kick him yet. He can't be blamed for stuff he did before joining the UFC and im 100% sure the UFC brass had seen his earlier fights before inviting him, so they knew full and well what he had done.

 

[Nomale]

I am sure that the first thing that Rousimar did was look Drwal up and apologize.

I'm not sure about what point in time this is referring to, but I didn't see him show some care at all about Drwal after the stoppage. I mean, he was moaning of pain and I thought it was odd that Rousimar didn't check up on him.

With an experienced fighter like Rousimar, he must know about how much he can crank before something breaks. And to actually increase the pressure after the tap to that point is just wreckless and inconsiderate imo. I understand he wanted to secure the win but to me it seemed he went well over the point of reason to do that.

The ref was late but there will always be a gap between the tap and stoppage. Imo the fighters must take some responsibility in cases such as these. A trashed knee or ankle can take a very long time to fix.

 

[dvonfunk]

Actually, Rogan's 5-second count is pretty accurate. Watch the fight in real-time and begin counting from the third tap until the referee finally pries Palhares off and you'll see it's about 4 seconds at the very least.

While I agree that you shouldn't stop until the referee stops you, Palhares knew Drwal was already tapping (he was tapping Palhares' leg after all and moaning in pain) and even though the ref was probably a second or two late getting there, if you watch the replay, even after the ref grabs Palhares he still holds onto the hold for an additional second or two until the ref has to physically pry his arm away. That, my friends, is uneccessary.

 

[HitOrGetHit]

It's just like Carwin pounding Mir on the ground when he was already done, but he kept going until the ref stepped in which is exactly that Palhares did. What happens if the ref didn't see the tap and Palhares lets go? It is the refs job to stop the fight. I saw no intent to injure. He held it until the ref came over, and then he let it go. The suspension is ridiculous in my opinion.

 

[Terror Kovenant]

He would never ever do something like this with intent to destroy or hurt. This was simply sloppy by both him and the ref. I can appreciate the suspension by the athletic commision just to send the message to be f**ing careful with any kind of leg locks. But to villanize Palhares for this is wrong.

The previously posted video begs to differ with you. Palhares should be slated as a dirty fighter. As well as a completely one dimensional fighter. I believe the punishment was not strict enough

 

[Inkdot]

The previously posted video begs to differ with you. Palhares should be slated as a dirty fighter. As well as a completely one dimensional fighter. I believe the punishment was not strict enough

That video was from before the UFC and have nothing to do with getting reprimanded in the UFC, to suggest something like that is completely outrageous.

Besides what the hell does beeing one dimensonal have to do with anything?

 

[dvonfunk]

It's just like Carwin pounding Mir on the ground when he was already done, but he kept going until the ref stepped in which is exactly that Palhares did. What happens if the ref didn't see the tap and Palhares lets go? It is the refs job to stop the fight. I saw no intent to injure. He held it until the ref came over, and then he let it go. The suspension is ridiculous in my opinion.

I think those two situations are entirely different scenarios.

First of all, Frank Mir wasn't tapping. I think at one point, Carwin even stops to look up at Miragliotta as if to say, "Aren't you going to stop this?" As soon as Miragliotta steps in (too late in my opinion), Carwin immediately stops.

Go back and watch the Palhares finish. Not only is Drwal tapping Palhares' leg and moaning in agony, but the ref has to physically pry away Palhares' arm in order for him to finally release the hold. Now don't tell me Palhares had no idea that Drwal was tapping. As soon as the ref stepped in he should've released the hold himself. Instead, he waited until the ref physically pried him off. Big difference.

 

[joe davola]

paul harris is the shit and why the **** didn't murr get suspended when he tapped brock that was terrible, granted no got injured but still

 

[M_D]

I rewatched it a few times so that i would have a clear idea one way or another,

it was a long time from when teh fighter taped to when he let go but only a little time from when teh ref tried to pull him off the sub.

the thing that really bothered me about it is as the ref is trying to get him to release it he still cranks on the leg to me this is unacceptable. and no he did not let go as soon as the ref tried to get him to let go so his whole argument on that he was waiting for the ref to step in goes out the window. he continued with it even with the ref trying to separate it if he was waiting for the ref he would have let it go as soon as teh ref tried and stop it not crank some more

 

[MMILITIA2006]

That ******* monkey can get fucked.Probably ended the Derwal's career.No place for him in the sport and the posted video above supports that.******* pisses me off to no end.