Rousimar Palhares’ Drug Screen Comes Back Clean, “Toquinho” Set To Fight For WSOF Belt This Saturday
Former UFC middleweight and welterweight Rousimar Palhares received an expedited exit from the Octagon following his quick UFC Fight Night 29 submission win over Mike Pierce, a bout in which “Toquinho” cranked a brutal heel hook long after Pierce had tapped.
It wasn’t the first time that Palhares had come under fire for the exact same transgression, as he was suspended for 90 days for a similar attack on Tomasz Drwal back at UFC 111.
Dana White and the UFC had seen enough and Palhares was released. He soon found a new home in the welterweight division of World Series of Fighting, and was scheduled to fight the promotion’s 170-pound champion Steve Carl for the belt at WSOF 9 this Saturday, March 29, 2014, from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Palhares had his chance at redemption, but he wasn’t out of the woods quite yet.
The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) instructed Palhares to fly from his home in Brazil to Las Vegas for a random pre-fight drug screen (most likely given the submission grappler’s tepid history) in order to fight for WSOF gold this weekend.
Palhares did as he was asked, and NAC chairman Francisco Aguilar told MMAFighting.com today that the embattled fighter passed the test and will be able to fight Carl for the belt.
WSOF Executive Vice President Ali Abdel -Aziz was none too happy about the inconvenient testing, noting that he is more than willing to have his fighters acquiesce to the screens but would like a bit of prior notice, especially for fighters based in other countries:
“To be honest with you, I support the testing 100 percent. I think all fighters should be tested. But please give me a heads up or a notice, especially when you know the fighter is in Brazil. Or at least recommend somebody in Brazil for me to go to. Rousimar was kind enough to get on the plane and to bring his camp and finish his camp here, and I know this is going to be difficult and stressful for him too.”
It may have been stressful to make the trip and finish his camp in the States, but at least for now, Palhares has been cleared for a big fight provided he makes the division’s 170-pound weight limit tomorrow.
Newly minted champion Carl, who defeated Josh Burkman to win the belt late last year, recently said he’s facing his fears by fighting Palhares, but hasn’t been focusing solely on defending “Toquinho’s” lethal leglocks.
Will that lead to a more effective gameplan for Carl, or will he fall victim to the same fate so many others have before him?
Photo: Jason Silva for USA TODAY Sports
