Torn knees, gouged eyes, wrenched shoulders. Palhares is perhaps the most controversial athlete in mixed martial arts stemming from what he has done inside the cage.
Palhares was cut by the UFC for holding onto submissions too long in 2013. The Nevada Athletic Commission suspended him for two years back in October for that same infraction because he held onto a kimura after the referee attempted to stop the fight in a win over Jake Shields last August.
Unable to fight in the United States due to the NAC ban, Palhares has ventured out to Europe, signing with fledgling Italian promotion Venator FC.