Sherdog’s Top 10: MMA’s Most Dangerous Weapons

Few holds are as devastating as a Rousimar Palhares heel hook. | Photo: Sherdog.com

To be fair, Palhares actually possesses a wide variety of leg locks that he can utilize to finish a fight, but it is the heel hook that appears most often in the win column beside his name. Of “Toquinho’s” 13 career triumphs, nine have come via submission. Five of those have come by way of heel hook, including three of the Brazilian’s last four wins in the UFC.

A powerfully built 5-foot-8, Palahares appears to have all the physical tools to be a threat in the middleweight division for years to come, but it is his mentality that is even scarier. If Palhares gets a hold of a leg, he has a nasty streak. Against Tomasz Drwal at UFC 111, Palhares needed less than a minute to make his foe tap to his submission of choice. Toquinho was not satisfied, however, and held on well after referee Kevin Mulhall had intervened to stop the fight. The result was a 90-day suspension issued by the UFC for failing to release the submission in a timely manner. Palhares later stated that he did not feel Drwal tap and apologized.

Rather than risk injury at hands of a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, future Palhares foes would be wise to consider the Nate Marquardt approach. A nice lather might be the best defense against his heel hook prowess.

Lights Out