Palhares and Shields (right) (photo via WSOF /NBC SN)

By FCF Staff

Following Rousimar Palhares’ controversial, submission win over Jake Shields at WSOF 22, the promotion’s vice president says the welterweight champ could be stripped of his title.

Palhares has been disciplined and suspended in the past for holding onto submissions for too long, and last night, the welterweight didn’t immediately let go of a fight ending Kimura. Shields also claimed afterwards that Palhares was eye gouging.

After Saturday’s card, WSOF vice president  Ali Abdel-Aziz had this to say about the situation (quote via MMA Fighting.com):

“You have to understand, I’m the guy who f**king stood up for him,” Abdel-Aziz said. “I don’t know if you remember or not, but I’m the guy who said, ‘you know what, I’m going to sign him.’ If I go back on tape and watch that f**king fight tomorrow, and if I see Palhares held too long, and did the eye poking a couple times, he might be stripped of the title. And Jake Shields would fight the winner between (Yushin) Okami and (Jon) Fitch for the title, and I would suspend [Palhares].”

Abdel-Aziz also noted that he believes Palhares did poke Shields in the eyes, and that the champion should have had a point deducted.

Palhares was banned by the UFC in 2013, after he did not immediately release a heelhook he secured on Mike Pierce, which injured the welterweight.