Rousimar Palhares, the notorious submission grappler banned by both the UFC and World Series of Fighting, lost by first-round knockout Saturday at Venator FC 3, a small MMA promotion based in Italy.
At the same event, UFC veteran Jason “Mayhem” Miller, known more these days for erratic behavior and repeated run-ins with the law, lost by submission in his first professional fight in four years.
Miller’s loss came a day after he missed weight by an astounding 24 pounds in advance of a scheduled middleweight bout with Luke Barnatt. After Barnatt chose to face a new opponent, Miller received a new opponent at light heavyweight—a division in which he had competed once before, in 2006.
Miller’s new opponent, Italian Mattia Schiavolin (13-2), submitted Miller (28-10-1) by rear-naked choke at 3:10 of the second round.
Although the performance and result were surely disappointing to Miller, they may not have come as a shock to every observer. Miller’s arrests in recent years far outnumber his pro fights. Most recently, he was arrested in March on charges of vandalizing a tattoo shop, with authorities setting his bail at $1 million.
In Venator’s main event, Palhares (18-7) was favored to throw on one of his signature heel hooks. Palhares is known for holding the devastating submission move after his opponent has already submitted, causing injuries and ultimately his release from the UFC and indefinite suspension from WSOF. He is also serving a two-year suspension handed down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
But the favorite didn’t prevail Saturday. Unheralded Emil Weber Meek (8-2-1) instead scored the upset, knocking out Palhares in only 45 seconds after Meek swarmed him with strikes as Palhares went in for a takedown.
Palhares, 36, had previously won four straight, all by submission. Only one of those, against elite grappler Jake Shields, went past the first round. After the bout, Shields said Palhares blatantly poked his eyes, in addition to holding the fight-ending kimura longer than necessary.
Miller, 36, last won in 2010, when he defeated then-41-year-old Kazushi Sakuraba by submission in a novelty match in Japan.
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