MMA top fighters Rousimar Palhares and Jake Shields are now facing the first step of the penalty that the Nevada Athletic Commission has taken.
Both fighters’ behaviors were unacceptable during and after their fight last August 1st at the Wold Series of Fighting 22 event; this event was held in Las Vegas. Due to this incident, Palhares and Shields will undergo a hearing during the next NAC meeting. The tentative schedule for this meeting is probably September 14th.
During the welterweight title bout, Palhares did a kimura submission but he held Shields for too long. This was not the first time that Palhares did such thing. Last 2013, the UFC fired Palhares for committing the same violation. Three years before that, Palhares was once again suspended for holding on to the submission for longer than the acceptable time.
Shields also claimed that mixed martial arts athlete Palhares had gouged his eyes during the fight and Palhares was given a warning several times by Steve Mazzagatti, the referee for the night, for the violation. However, there was no mention of the said violation during the NAC meeting.
Shields, on the other hand, received a suspension for punching Palhares after the last bell rang.
Christopher Eccles, the Nevada deputy attorney general of the said hearing, stated that he is still waiting for the drug results from WSOF 22 to be released before filing for a complaint on the fighters concerned.
Aside from the two fighters, the referee of that night has been receiving both negative and positive comments about his role on the said event. However, Bob Bennett, the NAC executive director, has released a statement recently that the commission has decided to go ahead and make Mazzagatti an official despite the controversy.
Aside from these two fighters, UFC fighter Caio Magalhaes will be suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct as well. Magalhaes spat blood on his contender Josh Samman and officiating referee John McCarthy last July 12th at The Ultimate Fighter 21 event. Samman won over Magalhaes by submission during the first round. Magalhaes, on the other hand, will also need to attend a disciplinary hearing after this month.
