Joe Rogan has seen some truly terrifying fighters during his time as a UFC commentator, but one stands out to him more than most.
UFC icon Joe Rogan has been the heartbeat of the commentary team since 2002, when he made his color commentary debut with the promotion.
During that time, Rogan has become one of the most recognizable voices and names in the sport and has witnessed some incredible moments inside the Octagon.
However, there is one fighter who stands out more than most for Rogan and that is Rousimar Palhares.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Who is Rousimar Palhares and what happened to his UFC career?
In 2008, the UFC signed a 28-year-old Brazilian prospect nicknamed “Toquinho,” who wrestled his way onto the regional scene in Brazil.
Palhares made his UFC debut later that year against Ivan Salaverry, announcing himself in the promotion with a dominant first-round victory via armbar.
However, it was Palhares' background and story before joining the UFC that made him so feared among fighters.
'Toquinho' grew up in abject poverty outside the city in Brazil, supporting his family by working in the countryside from the age of seven.
The jiu-jitsu specialist previously said there were times when there was not enough food for everyone and he had to eat pig dung to feed himself.
Palhares was considered one of the most naturally gifted wrestlers of his generation and was known to have one of the most vicious leg locks in MMA.
'He came from a very bad childhood, and he's talked about it at length about growing up on a farm and having to eat pork porridge as a little boy. He had to close the cut he has on his chest with glue,” said Joe Rogan in an episode of his podcast.
However, he was released in 2013 after a relatively successful run in the UFC against Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt, following a series of unsportsmanlike displays.
Rousimar Palhares was released from the UFC for consistently sticking to submissions
During his impressive career, Palhares unfortunately became known as one of the “dirtiest” MMA fighters in the history of the sport, as on several occasions he held submissions for far too long despite his opponents tapping out.
It happened for the first time in the UFC during his victory over Lucio Linhares in 2009, and after clinging to Linhares' leg, he would not part despite his compatriot's tap.
In 2013, Palhares scored another heel hook submission, this time over Mike Pierce, and despite this being the only submission victory at UFC Fight Night 29, he was denied a Submission of the Night bonus for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Just a day after that event, UFC CEO Dana White announced in an interview with ESPN that the promotion was cutting ties with the Brazilian grappler due to his continued antics.
“When he takes part in a competition, he just doesn't want to let it go. They made him let it go, and he tried, even though he knew they would get mad at him if he didn't let it go, he still didn't let it go completely,” Rogan said.
“And then they said, 'Get out of here,' they kicked him out of the UFC, the first guy ever to get kicked out of the UFC for sticking to submissions.
“He was especially scary when he fought because he was so strong and his body was so well designed for heel hooks, he could just grab your body and tear you apart, man,” Rogan continued.
Many fighters in the UFC are hated/hated for petty reasons, but the one fighter we can all agree deserved all the hate was Rousimar Palhares.
Some of you may know him, some of you may not.
For those of you who don't, let me introduce you to Rousimar Palhares. pic.twitter.com/0hZ1VLCU8G
— MartialMind 🇳🇬🇺🇲 (@MartialMind1) May 15, 2022
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Palhares then signed with World Series Of Fighting (now the PFL), where he won their welterweight title, but his unsportsmanlike behavior didn't stop there.
In 2015, after submitting Jake Shields in his title fight, Palhares was released from WSOF, again for holding on to submissions for too long, tarnishing his career from then on.
However, the 44-year-old is controversially planning to return to professional MMA as he has been signed by the Global Fight League, who announced that their first event will eventually take place in 2025.
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