Mixed martial arts fighter Rousimar Palhares needed just 31 seconds to win his fight against Mike Pierce on Wednesday, but his actions in the 32nd and 33rd seconds of that bout have cost him his UFC career.
Palhares continued to hold his heel hook submission for a few moments after Pierce had tapped out, prompting UFC president Dana White to cut the 33-year-old Brazilian, banning him for life from UFC events. White first announced the ban during an interview with Jeremy Schaap on ESPN2’s Olbermann, and the organization released a statement Thursday evening making the punishment official.
“As announced by UFC president Dana White,” the statement read, “the UFC organization has elected to terminate its contract with Rousimar Palhares based on repeated incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct violating the UFC Fighter Code of Conduct and his Promotional Agreement with Zuffa, LLC.
“At UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MAIA vs. SHIELDS on October 9, 2013, Palhares won his welterweight bout against Mike Pierce via heel hook submission in 31 seconds. Pierce appeared to tap several times physically and verbally and the ref intervened physically before Palhares let go.”
Palhares, who was suspended 90 days for a similar maneuver in 2010, apologized for his actions on Twitter, saying he never intended to injure Pierce.
[tweet https://twitter.com/ToquinhoMMA/statuses/388301261973372928 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/ToquinhoMMA/statuses/388300453282193409Â align=’center’]
See the move that led to the ban and White’s announcement of the punishment in the videos below.
