Dana White Banned Fighter From UFC on Live TV After Using 'Dirtiest' Submission

Dana White banned an MMA fighter from the UFC for life on live TV after cutting him following a 'despicable' act.

White has headed the UFC since acquiring the company in 2001 and quickly gained notoriety for his ruthless approach.

He's no stranger to wielding the axe, having recently released three fighters ahead of this weekend's UFC 322, including a fan favourite.

White has also issued lifetime bans in certain instances over the course of his tenure as UFC president and CEO.

Rousimar Palhares felt the wrath of White following his victory over Mike Pierce at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields back in October 2013.

Palhares beat Pierce in just 31 seconds of the first round of their welterweight bout.

He locked in a devastating heel hook, forcing the tap.

But the Brazilian refused to let go of the submission despite his opponent tapping furiously.

Rousimar Palhares refused to let go after Mike Pierce tapped to his heel hook. Image: Getty

White immediately cut Palhares from the UFC roster, which surprised the submission expert, leaving him 'perplexed'.

But days later, White doubled down on his stance as he banned Palhares from the UFC for life.

"He's not perplexed. He's not perplexed at all," he began. "The bottom line is anybody who is involved in Jiu-Jitsu knows that's the nastiest submission you can put somebody in... it's the dirtiest, nastiest submission in Jiu-Jitsu or in the sport of mixed martial arts and when you get it and you know you got it and the guy taps, you let go and if you don't, I will cut you."

Rousimar Palhares was banned from the UFC after his fight against Mike Pierce. Image: Getty

Asked whether the door is still open for Palhares to return to the UFC, White replied: "He has a history of doing this. He did it in Abu Dhabi and he knew what he was doing. That night apparently there was some talk where Mike Pierce had said some bad things and everything else.

"There's no place for that in this sport," he added. "You don't hold a leg lock that long while the guy is tapping and you know he's tapping and especially that's what Palhares is known for. He's the best in the world at leg locks and what he did was wrong and really despicable. He won't be back, he can go fight in another organisation. We don't put up with that stuff here."

What happened to Rousimar Palhares after he was banned from the UFC?

Palhares won eight fights inside the famed Octagon, beating the likes of Jeremy Horn, Dan Miller and David Branch.

He also fought the likes of Dan Henderson and Hector Lombard during his infamous UFC career.

After he was cut and then banned by White, 'Toquinho' joined World Series of Fighting before venturing to Europe, where he competed under several different MMA promotions.

Palhares hasn't fought since his defeat to Florent Betorangal at Kongs FC 2 in March 2024.