5 UFC fighters who broke rules inside the octagon

MMA is constantly evolving and growing. The UFC is the pioneer of this growth and has revolutionized the sport in many ways. Take, for instance, Fight Island, an entire complex built in a matter of months.

It is situated in an isolated part of Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The complex is a bio-bubble that enables the UFC to organize its events in a Covid-free environment. Thanks to Fight Island, the UFC was able to conduct business as usual at the height of the pandemic in 2020. When every live sporting event was suspended, the UFC kept MMA on air.

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However, even during growth, some fundamentals must remain constant. Over the years, the UFC has created a framework of rules for the octagon. Among the earliest set of rules was the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, established in 2000. It provided set guidelines for governing MMA bouts fairly. In 2009 it was unanimously adopted by the Association of Boxing Commissions.

Breaking these rules would result in penalties ranging from point deductions to disqualifications. Most recently, Petr Yan paid a heavy price for violating one such rule. At UFC 259, Yan hit Aljamain Sterling with a knee to the head while he was grounded. The fight was immediately stopped and Yan lost his title via disqualification.

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However, in some rare cases, fighters have suffered even worse consequences for breaking rules. In this list, we'll take a look at five fighters who were severely punished for their actions inside the octagon.

#5. UFC Fight Night 95: Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva

Roy Nelson is a veteran with 19 fights in the UFC. He has also fought in multiple promotions, including Bellator. With 23 wins and 19 losses, he doesn't have a great record. However, he was a power puncher with 15 KO/TKO wins. Nelson has also fought almost every notable heavyweight in UFC history including Stipe Miocic, Daniel Cormier, Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.

Throughout his career, 'Big Country' was nearly always been composed inside the octagon. Unfortunately that was not the case in 2016, during UFC Fight Night 95.

Nelson fought Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva and ended the fight via knockout in the second round. Referee John McCarthy did not immediately stop the fight, as Silva seemed to be conscious after being dropped. However, Nelson seemed to disagree. After the stoppage, he went across the cage and kicked McCarthy.

Having been friends with 'Bigfoot', he was unhappy with the late stoppage. The American later explained:

"It just hurt me... that I've got to keep on hitting a guy that doesn't need to be hit."

The Brazilian Superior Justice Court of MMA handed him a nine month suspension and fined him $24,000. His actions also angered Dana White and Nelson was lucky the UFC did not ban him permanently.

#4. UFC Fight Night 42: Jason High vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Jason High made his first UFC appearance in 2010 against Charlie Brenneman. He lost his promotional debut and decided to try his luck elsewhere. He was part of the Strikeforce roster when the UFC acquired the company.

High found himself back inside the octagon in 2013. Riding high on a seven-fight winning streak, he took on Erick Silva, who submitted him in round one. The lightweight bounced back, winning his next two bouts and displaying a good ground game. In 2014, he got booked to fight Rafael dos Anjos. The future lightweight champion controlled the pace of the fight and TKO'd High in round two.

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Immediately after referee Kevin Mulhall stopped the fight, High got to his feet and shoved him. The incident did not escalate further and the veteran later apologized. However, the UFC president was having none of it. He immediately released the former collegiate wrestler from the promotion and said:

"You don't ever, ever f****** touch a referee, ever. You're done here."

Since his dismissal, High has drifted from promotion to promotion with mixed success. He is the current FAC welterweight champion.

#3. Paul Daley vs. Josh Koscheck at UFC 113

Paul 'Semtex' Daley had already fought in multiple promotions before signing with the UFC. The Englishman made his UFC debut in 2009 and defeated Martin Kampmann via TKO in round one. He continued to impress by beating Dustin Hazelett via KO, again in round one.

He soon found himself matched up against Josh Koscheck. 'Kos' had established himself as a top contender for the welterweight title. The pair had developed some animosity towards each other in the build-up to the clash. During the fight, Daley struggled to find success against Koscheck's wrestling. He lost via unanimous decision after three frustrating rounds.

Koscheck had also taunted 'Semtex' throughout the fight. Unable to outwrestle 'Kos', Daley sucker-punched his opponent after the final bell.

A furious Dana White soon released the welterweight. He told the press:

“I don’t care if Daley fights in every show all over the world and becomes the best, and everybody thinks he is the pound-for-pound best in the world, he will never fight in the UFC again.”

Since then, the English fighter has found some success in promotions such as Bellator and BAMMA.

#2. Renato Sobral vs. David Heath at UFC 74

Renato 'Babalu' Sobral started fighting professionally back in 1997. The light heavyweight won 16 of his 18 fights before making his UFC debut.

He got off to a winning start against Maurice Smith in 2000. From 2002 to 2005, Sobral fought in multiple promotions. In 2002 he fought three times in the UFC and won only once. His final loss was against future champ Chuck Liddell. The submission specialist returned in 2005 and won twice. However, he lost the rematch in a title bout against Liddell, who won via KO.

The fight with David Heath turned out to be his last in the UFC. 'Babalu' dominated Heath and sunk in an anaconda choke in round two. When his opponent tapped, Sobral refused to let go, even after the referee intervened. In the post-fight interview, he admitted to doing it intentionally. Sobral added that Heath had disrespected him and had to be taught a lesson.

The veteran's antics did not sit well with Dana White. He soon announced that the Brazilian had been cut from his contract. Sobral retired in 2013 after a brief stint at Strikeforce and then Bellator, with a record of 37-12.

#1. Rousimar Palhares gets banned after UFC Fight Night 29

Rousimar Palhares turned pro in 2004 and lost his first fight. Over the next few years, he won 8 of his 9 fights. He made his UFC debut in 2016 at UFC 84 and defeated Ivan Salaverry via submission. Palhares was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace and won nearly all of his fights via submission.

The middleweight knew how to out-grapple his opponents and catch them in deadly holds. However, letting go was a different matter. Following his UFC 111 win, he was suspended for 90 days for holding on to a heel hook for too long.

The submission specialist did not learn his lesson. In 2013, he faced Mike Peirce and secured a heel hook in round one. Unable to slip out, Pierce winced in agony and tapped a total of eight times before Palhares let go. Dana White was not pleased and had seen enough. Palhares was released and banned from competing in the UFC.