By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media MMA Correspondent-Ringside
Palhares Retains 170 Pound World Title in Kimura Comeback at WSOF 22
*Photo Credit Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
Las Vegas, NV (August 2, 2015)– In the main event of a 10 bout Mixed Martial Arts World Series of Fighting 22 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on August 1, 2015, broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network, Rousimar Palhares retained his World Series of Fighting 170 pound welterweight title with a kimura submission in the third round which capped a hard fought comeback.
Palhares, now 18-6, Minas Gerais, Brazil, had it rough and on the floor almost right away against challenger Jake Shields, now 31-8, San Francisco, California. Using his size almost immediately, Shields took down Palhares to the floor and retained the dominant position on top. The war then became one of counter survival for Palhares, his back to the mat, avoided arm and leg locks in the resulting floor brawl which followed. Palhares countered with punches to the head designed to do damage to Shields, who came close but could not quite put Palhares away.
Palhares took a partial strategy out of the Muhammad Ali heavyweight boxing playbook, in which Palhares remained calm and defensive with his back on the mat versus the ropes, trying to tire Shields out like Ali did with George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire to regain the world heavyweight title in ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ on October 30, 1974.
For two rounds, Shields had Palhares in trouble on the mat, but expended a great deal of energy doing so. Palhares was warned by referee Steve Mazzagatti during an extended break after Shields complained of eye gouging. Palhares took advantage of the extended break when the action resumed to soon escape Shields mount. Palhares was not warned again by the referee for the remainder of the contest as he complied.
Shields appeared to cut above the eyes from elbow shots landed by Palhares. Shields was heavily bruised under the eyes as well. After the bout, Shields stated Palhares “He’s a dirty fighter. He poked me in the eyes eight times.” This set the grounds for appeal wit the Nevada State Athletic Commission. WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdel-Aziz, in the post card press conference backstage, also stated the WSOF footage would be reviewed for possible stripping of the title and / or ordering a mandatory rematch.
The third round began with Shields using takedowns as before, but visibly tiring and blinking his eyes. With both fighters on their feet, and Palhares landing heavy power punches, the weary Shields attempting another takedown. Palhares grabbed
an arm and executed a Kimura lock, also known as a reverse udo-urami or double joint armlock. There was some question as to Palhares holding on too long after the match ended in submission, but Palhares claimed he did not feel the tape out right away.
In an exclusive post fight interview, famed cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran, who was in the corner of Palhares, when asked about Shields trying to bully Palhares due to an edge in power, noted the Palhares corner would go back to the drawing board, stating “It’s an everlasting job with these guys. They are always trying to improve themselves.”
After the bout, Palhares told Real Combat Media his take on the bout. “Everybody tries to intimidate me, and I know that, I just go there, make (fight) my fight, and do my job. You know, the ground (the mat) is good for me, they put on the ground I can work.” Responding to the eye gouging allegation from Shields, Palhares replied “The referee stopped me on the ground in a position, he told (warned me) and I complied, and that was that. You know I’m better than him (Shields) in conditioning, Judo, Jiu Jitsu.”
After the bout, Jake Shields told Real Combat Media his side of the story. “It’s really frustrating. The eye pokes started in the first round, and continued in the second round. It was very deliberate. He (Palhares) kept scratching his fingernails and digging them in. He kept deliberately poking me, one hundred percent. He kept doing it over and over again in the second round. I kept telling the referee, he’s poking me, poking me. He (the referee) just kept blatantly ignoring it. His thumb kept going in my eye, and he kept digging them. I’ve fought almost 40 fights, and at no time in my career has this happened. Palhares did it not once, but eight times. It was completely blatant. I don’t plan to retire. I need to take a month off, and take some time to think about it (what happened to me in WSOF 22).”
The World Series of Fighting and the Nevada State athletic Commission will review footage investigate the validity of the claims of rules infractions. In addition to the eye gouging and late submission rules infraction claimed by the Shields camp, Shields also punched after the bell.
These matters appear to be the least of the issues confronting the ownership of the World Series of Fighting. Before the main event, the camps of UFC fighter Nate Diaz and WSOF fighter Abubakar Nurmagomedov got involved in a crowd brawl. As the mess unfolded, it appeared Nate Diaz threw the punch which turned the words into a war in the seats, endangering the safety of loyal WSOF ticketgoers watching the event. While it was not clear who or what started the brawl, it was clear what the intent of it was: to start a riot, sabotage the event and ruin it during the live NBC telecast during the main event. Fortunately the brouhaha was stopped.
Celebrities in attendance included: boxing trainer and former world cruiserweight boxing champion King Arthur Williams; Ring Magazine number four worldwide lightweight contender Sharif Bogere, expected to be fighting for a world title later this year; and Muhammad Ali’s daughter Rasheda Ali Walsh.
Result: Rousimar Palhares Kimura Lock Submission Round 3 Jake Shields
Palhares retains 170 Pound World Series of Fighting Welterweight Title
Referee: Steve Mazzagatti. Time: 2:02 of Round Three, Shields Taps Out
Palhares was warned for eye gouging by the referee in round two.
Main card
Rousimar Palhares def. Jake Shields via submission (kimura) at 2:02 of R3
Marlon Moraes def. Sheymon Moraes via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:46 of R3
Clifford Starks def. Mike Kyle via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Abubaker Nurmagomedov def. Jorge Moreno via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Islam Mamedov def Jimmy Spicuzza via TKO (punches) at 4:47 of R1
Undercard
Jake Heun def. Davin Clark via submission (arm triangle choke) at 2:46 of R3
Donovan Frelow def. Carlos Garcia via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:49 of R1
Marco Simmons def. Jimmy Jones via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:23 of R1
Cory Hendricks def. Julio Hinojosa via submission (guillotine choke) at 1:08 of R1
Gil Guardado def. Pete Martin via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:31 of R1
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