Joe Lauzon debunks idea Rousimar Palhares holds submissions 'just' an extra second

WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares holds on to submissions for just an extra second? No big deal, right?

Let veteran and fellow submission specialist Joe Lauzon debunk that notion (via Facebook).

Palhares (18-6) defended his welterweight title and earned a submission victory in this past Saturday’s NBCSN-televised WSOF 22 headliner. However, opponent Jake Shields (31-8-1) complained of persistent eye-gouges from the champ – and then threw a post-fight punch when Palhares appeared to hold the submission too long (watch the Palhares vs. Shields video highlights).

Palhares has a history of controversial submissions, and WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdelazi said the latest incident could force WSOF to strip him of the title. They actually forced the UFC to release Palhares – after a win – in 2013.

Over the past few days, Palhares has been under fire from fight fans due to the latest incident, though a few supporters argue that the UFC vet held the Shields submission for just an extra second. However, as Lauzon explains in his above Facebook video, that one second can make a world of difference.

Lauzon, who’s earned 17 submissions in 25 career wins, took a submission sampling from both his career and Palhares’. As he wrote: “A second may not seem very long… but its an eternity in cases like these.”

In Lauzon’s own fights, he calculated that just .199 seconds passes between the time a ref touched him to stop a fight and when Lauzon actually lets go of the submission. But with Palhares, it climbs to 1.074 seconds.

Check out the video evidence above to see the stark difference.

And for more on WSOF 22, check out the MMA Events section of the site.