Manager: 'Humble, hard-working' Rousimar Palhares is not going to give up

On the heels of Rousimar Palhares‘ Thursday release from the UFC, his manager said the fighter will not abandon his career, even though he’ll now be fighting outside the world’s largest MMA promotion.

The UFC cut Palhares (15-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) on Thursday, company president Dana White announced. On Wednesday, the Brazilian submitted Mike Pierce (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) just 31 seconds into their fight at UFC Fight Night 29 in Brazil.

But many believed Palhares did not release his fight-ending ankle lock quickly enough after the fight’s stoppage. Brazil’s athletic commission said it would immediately look into the matter. There was instant outrage over it, aimed at Palhares, on Twitter. And the fighter was denied a $50,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus due to “unsportsmanlike conduct.”

Palhares’ manager, Alex Davis, issued a statement to MMAjunkie.com in support of his client and said the fighter plans to move forward in his career, now outside of the UFC.

I just gave Rousimar the news. He was very sad to hear Dana’s decision. He is not a bad person or dirty fighter, and he is not trying to hurt people. Somehow, he just doesn’t hear or feel things at these moments. He worked very hard to get this far in his  career, and he is not going to give up on it. He loves fighting. This is what he does. He apologizes to his fans, and will work hard to resolve these issues and fight in another event that would be interested in having him.

I can understand Dana’s perspective, but I need to reiterate that this kid does not do these things out of maliciousness. The people that live with him and train with him every day love him, and anyone else that meets him ends up doing the same. The UFC is a company and has both the right and the obligation to do what is in its best interest. I, myself, am extremely sad that it came to this, but I will continue to help and support Rousimar in his life and career. He is an awesome fighter by any standards – dedicated, humble and extremely hard-working. He will surpass this bump in the road and continue on with his fighting career.

Had the incident with Pierce been the first one of its kind for Palhares, there certainly wouldn’t have been the amount of attention that’s been paid to it. But the Brazilian with a penchant for leg submissions has a history with holding on too long. Three years ago, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board suspended Palhares for 90 days when it was determined he held a heel hook too long against Tomasz Drwal, though other infractions took place outside the UFC.

He also tested positive for elevated testosterone levels this past December in Australia following a loss to Hector Lombard. So he already was on shaky ground with the UFC in the discipline department.

Davis did not say where Palhares might be looking to catch on outside the UFC. “Toquinho,” who made his welterweight debut against Pierce after dropping from middleweight, exits the promotion with an 8-4 record, six submissions and two “Submission of the Night” bonuses.

More coverage of Palhares’ ankle-lock offense:

For more on UFC Fight Night 29, check out the UFC Events section of the site.