Minotauro (Photo) says he is monitoring Toquinho's situation closely. Photo: UFC
Rodrigo Minotauro plays a fundamental role in the continuity of Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares’ MMA career. Fired from the UFC after a submission over Mike Pierce, where he allegedly held a heel hook for longer than necessary, the Minas Gerais, Team Nogueira athlete, recently signed to compete in the North American World Series of Fighting event.
Ray Sefo, president of the organization, stated that Minotauro had great influence in the negotiations, as the former PRIDE and UFC champion guaranteed that he will help Toquinho avoid controversy.
In an interview with SUPER FIGHTS granted during an event at the Team Nogueira branch in Londrina (PR), Minotauro explained his role in the conversations with the WSOF. “The person who actually negotiated was Alex Davis, who is his manager. But I participated, too. We were between this event and another in Asia, but Toquinho himself and we chose Las Vegas due to its proximity to the UFC, with greater visibility. It was Toquinho’s option, as it is also closer to Brazil”, detailed Minotauro.
The leader of Team Nogueira once again defended his athlete and assured that, despite recent events, Toquinho does not act in bad faith. “Ray Sefo told us that he liked Toquinho, but he was afraid. But Toquinho has no intention of hurting. I know the guy, he’s a religious guy, a good guy,” he commented. “He has an absurd, different physical explosion, he is a little clumsy. If he passes here, he'll push someone [laughs]. But there is no bad faith at all. And I'm going to try to go to his fights and stay in the corner to try to control that momentum before the fight, the nervousness a little more”, he commented.
However, despite recognizing the situation in which Toquinho finds himself, Minotauro believes that the impact of what happened was exaggerated. For him, the nature of the heel hook prevents the position from always being released immediately. “It's a submission that if you hesitate, the guy leaves. And Toquinho was often harmed both in the UFC and ADCC. He lost a submission against Nate Marquardt because he didn't want to hurt him, not to mention when he lets go when he hits and his rival says he didn't hit him”, he exemplified.
“[Against Mike Pierce] In that position, Toquinho had his back to the referee, so he didn’t see it. And when the referee got in front of him, he held on for less than a second. But there was the adrenaline. It often happens that one fighter knocks out another and then throws another punch. And that takes longer”, continued the heavyweight.
Furthermore, Minotauro considers that the procedure used by the UFC makes submissions difficult, and, therefore, Toquinho needed to hold the position more tightly. “It's that story, even a little controversial to talk about. Back in Japan, we didn't put Vaseline on our bodies, so if you got an armlock or a heellock, it wouldn't come off. Nowadays, the Vaseline on your face falls down your body with sweat and it's like grabbing a fish in an aquarium. It’s much more difficult, so much so that there are more knockouts nowadays,” he commented.
Therefore, Nogueira is confident that the new step taken by Toquinho will be important for the recovery of his reputation. “Life goes on, let's go to another event and turn things around, if possible again in the UFC. He wants to come back, he wants to apologize, but it's Dana White's choice. He sees this as Toquinho’s evil, but I don’t see it”, he concluded.
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