WSOF boss: Rousimar Palhares' submission win over Jon Fitch 'was perfectly clean'

Ray Sefo, Rousimar Palhares and Ali Abdelaziz

Did WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares (again) hold on to a submission for too long? His boss doesn’t think so.

Palhares (17-6), who made the first defense of his WSOF title in Saturday’s WSOF 16 headliner, tapped out fellow UFC vet Jon Fitch (26-7-1) during the NBCSN-televised bout. However, as has become the normal in recent years, the Brazilian was criticized for not immediately breaking the hold.

Check out the video for yourself:

Fitch clearly taps out, and as instructed, Palhares doesn’t break the hold until the referee intervenes. Even then, did he perhaps hold on to the kneebar a second or two too long?

“Palhares’ win over Fitch was perfectly clean,” WSOF President Ray Sefo wrote in an email to MMAjunkie. “Palhares amazes me every time he fights. Everyone knows he is a master at what he does, and even though his opponents know exactly what he’s going to do, they can’t stop him.

“He’s a scary guy for anyone in the world to fight.”

It’s that “scary” part that’s previously got Palhares in trouble. The 12-time UFC veteran received his release in 2013 following a submission win over Mike Pierce. UFC President Dana White criticized Palhares for not letting go of a dangerous heel hook immediately after his opponent both physically and verbally submitted. In 2010 the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board suspended Palhares for a similar offense.

Although Palhares got through his WSOF debut relatively clean, he’s got an image problem that won’t be fixed overnight, especially when he frequently relies on dangerous submissions with the potential for serious injuries.

As for Fitch, who was clearly in pain following Saturday’s 90-second loss, WSOF officials told MMAjunkie the vet was walking today and that the injury might not be as bad as initially thought.

Further medical evaluation is needed, but the initial indication is that Fitch is likely to be out of action for approximately six weeks but will not need to undergo surgery, officials said.

For more on WSOF 16, check out the MMA Events section of the site.