The Nevada State Athletic Commission handed out some discipline to a California MMA fighter at their Monday hearing.
No, we’re not talking about Nick Diaz.
Welterweight Jake Shields received 50 hours of community service for his role in a controversial August fight at World Series of Fighting 22. In that fight, Shields’ opponent, Rousimar Palhares, apparently gouged Shields’ eyes and held a dangerous kimura submission after the tapout en route to a third-round submission victory.
After Shields lost and Palhares relinquished the hold, Shields punched Palhares. That was the action that led to the NSAC‘s community-service sentence.
The news was reported Monday by several media outlets, including Steven Marrocco of MMA Junkie. According to that report, Shields told the commission:
I think [Palhares‘ actions go] far beyond just holding the submission too long. Throughout the second round, he repeatedly took his thumbs and gouged my eyes. I was winning up until that point. By the third round, I couldn’t see; my eyes were gouged out. I was completely frustrated, and I’m asking for some leniency.
Based on the fact that Shields (31-8-1-1) was not fined or suspended, it appears the NSAC granted that lenience.
Jake Shields given 50 hours of community service as punishment. No fine and no suspension.
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) September 14, 2015
Palhares (18-6) also was scheduled to appear at Monday’s hearing, but he received a continuance because his wife is pregnant, according to the MMA Junkie report. Palhares will appear at a later date.
Palhares has an extended track record of endangering fighters by holding submission moves a bit longer than necessary—which is all it takes to cause injury in the case of a high-risk jiu-jitsu hold. In 2013, UFC officials banned Palhares from the Octagon for these behaviors.
After public furor from both fighters and fans in the wake of WSOF 22, World Series of Fighting officials stripped Palhares of his welterweight title and suspended him indefinitely.
Shields is a training teammate of Diaz, whose hearing made big news Monday when the commission suspended Diaz for five years and fined him $165,000 for failing multiple drug tests because of marijuana use, per Marrocco. Lawyers for Diaz have indicated they plan to appeal the NSAC‘s decision.
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