Jake Shields knew Rousimar Palhares was 'a dirty cheater, but I wasn't ready for eye-gouges'

LAS VEGAS – Once or twice? Perhaps he could overlook it. But at least eight “blatant” eye-gouges? That’s where Jake Shields drew the line with WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares.

Shields suffered a controversial submission loss to champ and fellow UFC vet Palhares (18-6) in Saturday’s WSOF 22 main event.

However, the fight, which aired on NBCSN from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, was the latest in a string of controversial performance from Palhares, who received his UFC walking papers in 2013 after holding onto submissions too long.

Shields suffered the same fate as past Palhares opponents after the Brazilian secured a kimura and continued torquing it even after referee Steve Mazzagatti waved off the fight and tried to pry open the champ’s grip. Yet, Shields, who was a on a 5-1 run before the title loss, wasn’t even most annoyed by that part of the fight, though he quickly threw a post-fight punch once Palhares finally broke the hold.

Instead, Shields said, he was incensed by the repeated eye-pokes he suffered while he had Palhares on his back (watch the Palhares vs. Shields video highlights.

“I was catching his thumb, and he was digging in both my eyes, over and over,” Shields told MMAjunkie after the fight. “I kept telling Mazzagatti, ‘Hey, look at the eye-gouges.’ And he wasn’t just saying anything about it.

“It wasn’t once, twice. It was at least eight times. In over 40 fights, never once has anyone ever done that to me. These weren’t like semi-eye-pokes. They were blatant, trying to dig and gouge. … What he did was absolutely blatant cheating.”

While Palhares could face disciplinary action for his latest unsportsmanlike incident, Shields said he’s anxious to get back in the cage with the champ.

“I would (like a rematch),” he said. “I hate this guy. I’ll be ready for the eye-gouges this time. I knew he was a dirty cheater, but I wasn’t ready for eye-gouges.”

Check out the full conversation above. And check out Palhares’ comments below.

And for more on WSOF 22, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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