Palhares: Shields is an @$$hole, and greased
Rousimar Palhares: “Jake Shields is unbelievable. He’s a total @$$hole. I couldn’t believe someone could be such an @$$hole … He’s dishonest.”
World Series of Fighting stripped Rousimar Palhares of his title, following his submission win over challenger Jake Shields on Saturday night. Palhares is also suspended, pending an investigation by the Nevada Athletic Commission. This was precipitated by Palhares holding a submission for too long, and by charges that he gouged Shields’ eyes, repeatedly.
Rather than express contrition, in a recent interview with MMAFighting.com, Palhares expressed outrage.
“Jake Shields is unbelievable. He’s a total a–hole,” said Palhares to Guilherme Cruz. “I couldn’t believe someone could be such an a–hole. He has no respect for me, for the sport, for anyone. He’s dishonest. He had Vaseline all over his body, he was more slippery than a okra. I couldn’t grab a hold of him for nothing.”
“I wasn’t mad at him before the fight, but the things that happened during the fight made me pissed. He’s calling me a dirty fighter, but he’s the one with Vaseline all over his body. That’s dirty. And he also threw things at me while I was talking to the media after the fight. I was upset with things he said before the fight, but I became pissed with everything that happened in the fight.”
“I never gouged his eyes. I was pushing his face because he was hitting my eyes with his chin. He says his eyes were like that because I eye gouged him, but how about my kicks and punches? Is he crazy? I beat him up, tapped him, and he’s saying I did that because I eye gouged him? That’s pure crap.”
“He was so slippery I had to be fast or he would escape. It was impossible to finish him like that. I told the referee he was slippery, but the referee didn’t even take his gloves off to check. I said ‘I’m going to catch this guy and I have to be fast’, and that’s what I did. I didn’t hold it. I was right, in my opinion. My goal was to win the cleanest way possible.
“He can make up any excuses he wants with those lies, but the world knows. He can’t run away from this.”
“I saw he wants a rematch… If he had told me right after the fight that he wanted a rematch, I would do it right away. However, I will only agree to fight him after they check his body for Vaseline before the fight. He’s dishonest.”
“It’s not fair, I’m upset, but Ray Sefo is my boss. How am I going to disagree with him? I have to obey. I don’t agree, but I have to obey. I work for him.”
Palhares is temporarily suspended, pending a hearing at which a formal punishment will be determined.