Shields upset NSAC ignored Palhares’ eye-gouges

Last month Rousimar Palhares answered to the NSAC for holding a kimura submission after Jake Shields tapped out at WSOF 22. Following the bout Palhares was immediately stripped of the WSOF championship.

Palhares was suspended for 2 years for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ given that this isn’t the first time he has held a submission after his opponent tapped out.

The man on the other end of the submission, Jake Shields, wasn’t too happy that the NSAC ignored all of Palhares’ eye-gouging throughout the fight.

Shields spoke to MMAJunkie:

“I’m not big on long suspensions, but he’s a case where it’s so extreme that he needs something. Obviously the holding submissions has gone on multiple times. To me, the eye-gouging was even worse. He was trying to gouge my eyes out. That was absurd and obscene. It’s kind of ridiculous that (referee Steve) Mazzagatti never got anything.

“Even the Nevada case, when they were hearing the case against him, they never mentioned the eye-gouging. It was only holding the submission too long. I think having to admit to eye-gouging would be admitting that the referee didn’t do anything. And they wanted me to come and testify against him. But I’m not going to come on there and be a part of it when they’re not even addressing the real issue.”