Introduction
UFC Fight Night 29: Maia vs. Shields took place on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at the Ginásio José Corrêa in Barueri, São Paulo, Brazil — broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 to 638,000 average viewers. The card is remembered almost entirely for a single moment that had nothing to do with the main event: Rousimar Palhares’ submission of Mike Pierce in 31 seconds, and his refusal to release the heel hook after Pierce had tapped. The referee was required to physically intervene to remove Palhares from the hold. UFC President Dana White fired Palhares the following day.
The main event was a grappling-heavy affair between two elite jiu-jitsu practitioners. Jake Shields defeated Demian Maia by split decision across five competitive rounds in a fight that lacked the finishing attempts and scrambles many had expected. Dong Hyun Kim’s second-round knockout of Erick Silva earned Knockout of the Night. Raphael Assunção and TJ Dillashaw shared Fight of the Night in a split-decision contest that Assunção won.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013
📍 Venue: Ginásio José Corrêa, Barueri, São Paulo, Brazil
👥 Attendance: 6,621
📺 Broadcast: Fox Sports 1 — 638,000 avg. viewers
🏆 Main Event: Jake Shields vs. Demian Maia — Welterweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Shields def. Maia via Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
The Palhares Incident: Fired the Next Day
The fight that defined UFC Fight Night 29 lasted 31 seconds. Rousimar ‘Toquinho’ Palhares secured a heel hook on Mike Pierce in round one. Pierce tapped — once, twice, repeatedly. Palhares kept cranking. The referee physically jumped on Palhares and pried his arms away before the hold was released. The sequence was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1.
The UFC’s response was immediate. The Submission of the Night bonus was withheld, pending investigation by the Brazilian Athletic Commission (CABMMA). Dana White described the hold as “despicable.” The following day, October 10, White announced that Palhares had been released from his UFC contract and banned from competing in the Octagon. The Brazilian Commission subsequently added a 120-day suspension on top of a medical suspension already in place for Pierce. It was not Palhares’ first offence: he had received a 90-day suspension from the New Jersey SAC after a similar failure to release a heel hook in 2010, and had been suspended nine months for an elevated testosterone positive after UFC FX.
Main Event: Shields vs. Maia
The main event was a five-round welterweight clash between two of the sport’s most accomplished submission grapplers. Maia entered on a strong UFC run with six consecutive wins; Shields was a former Strikeforce welterweight champion who had given Georges St-Pierre a competitive fight at UFC 129. The fight went to the judges. Shields’ wrestling-control approach — landing 35 of 112 significant strikes to Maia’s 24 of 75 — gave two judges the nod, producing a split decision. The result was surprising but defensible: Shields had been more active on top, while Maia had generated more submission threat from the bottom.
Full Results
Main Card (Fox Sports 1)
Jake Shields def. Demian Maia — Split Decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — Welterweight (5 rounds)
Dong Hyun Kim def. Erick Silva — KO (punch) — R2, 3:01 — Welterweight (Knockout of the Night, $50,000)
Thiago Silva def. Matt Hamill — Unanimous Decision (30-27x2, 29-27) — Catchweight 208 lbs (Thiago weighed 2 lbs over; Hamill received 25% of Silva’s purse)
Fabio Maldonado def. Joey Beltran — Split Decision — Light Heavyweight
Rousimar Palhares def. Mike Pierce — Submission (heel hook) — R1, 0:31 — Welterweight (SotN WITHHELD; Palhares fired next day for holding past tap)
Raphael Assunção def. TJ Dillashaw — Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — Bantamweight (Fight of the Night, $50,000 each)
Preliminary Card
Igor Araújo def. Ildemar Alcântara — Unanimous Decision — Welterweight
Yan Cabral def. David Mitchell — Unanimous Decision — Lightweight
Chris Cariaso def. Iliarde Santos — TKO — R2 — Flyweight
Alan Patrick def. Garrett Whiteley — TKO — R1 — Lightweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Raphael Assunção vs. TJ Dillashaw — $50,000 each
🥇 Knockout of the Night: Dong Hyun Kim — $50,000 for the R2 KO of Erick Silva
⚠️ Submission of the Night: WITHHELD — Palhares denied for unsportsmanlike conduct (held heel hook past tap)
Legacy & Impact
Fight Night 29 is remembered as the event that ended Palhares’ UFC career. His pattern of holding submissions past the tap — which the UFC had previously tolerated — was finally treated as a firing offence after it happened for the third documented time in major competition. The incident provoked widespread discussion about referee training, about the UFC’s responsibility to protect fighters from unsportsmanlike finishes, and about Palhares specifically, whose heel hook game was elite but whose conduct had repeatedly endangered opponents. For TJ Dillashaw, the Assunção loss was the last defeat before his remarkable title run — he avenged it via TKO at UFC 200 in 2016.
FAQ
What exactly happened with the Palhares vs. Pierce heel hook?
Palhares secured a heel hook in round one and cranked it with explosive force. Pierce tapped verbally and physically — more than once, clearly and unmistakably. Palhares continued to crank. The referee intervened, calling a stop and physically grabbing Palhares to separate him from the hold. Even with the referee’s hands on him, Palhares applied one final crank before releasing. The video evidence was unambiguous. Mike Pierce was subsequently given a 180-day medical suspension. Palhares received a 120-day suspension from the Brazilian Commission on top of a UFC ban. This was his third documented similar incident in professional competition.
Was Shields vs. Maia a competitive fight or a dull one?
The MMA community was divided. The fight was a grappling chess match between two elite submission fighters who spent five rounds trying to neutralise each other’s best weapons. Shields landed more takedowns and controlled from top position; Maia threatened from the bottom and generated more submission attempts. Neither man finished, and the striking output was minimal. For fans who appreciate grappling strategy, it was compelling; for fans who wanted a fight with action and pace, it was frustrating. Dana White was critical of both fighters’ performances at the post-fight press conference.
What happened to TJ Dillashaw after his loss to Assunção?
The Assunção loss proved to be the last defeat before one of the most impressive championship runs in UFC bantamweight history. Dillashaw won five consecutive fights after Fight Night 29, culminating in a stunning head-kick TKO of Renan Barão for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 173 in May 2014 — considered one of the biggest upsets in UFC title fight history at the time. He went on to be a two-time bantamweight champion, avenging the Assunção loss via TKO at UFC 200 in 2016.
Was this the first time Palhares had been disciplined for holding a submission?
No. Palhares had received a 90-day suspension from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board after a similar failure to release a hold in his 2010 win over Tom Correia. He had also received a nine-month ban after testing positive for elevated testosterone following his loss to Héctor Lombard at UFC on FX. The Fight Night 29 incident was the third time unsportsmanlike submission holding had been documented against him in professional competition. Dana White’s stated reason for the firing was the pattern of conduct rather than any single incident.
Why did Dong Hyun Kim’s KO of Erick Silva matter?
Erick Silva had been one of the most hyped welterweight prospects in Brazilian MMA, with devastating finishing power and aggressive forward pressure. His UFC run had been marked by controversial stoppages and split decisions as well as some spectacular wins. Dong Hyun Kim — the South Korean ‘Stun Gun’ — was a grappling-focused welterweight who had not been seen as a significant KO threat. His second-round counter punch that put Silva flat on the canvas on his home soil was the upset result of the card and earned a well-deserved Knockout of the Night.
What was the broader consequence of the Palhares incident for MMA?
The Fight Night 29 Palhares incident became a reference point in ongoing discussions about referee training and fighter responsibility in submission grappling. It accelerated conversations within athletic commissions about whether MMA-specific protocols should be added for leg-lock submission holds — which engage more quickly and catastrophically than arm or neck submissions. Palhares’ subsequent career in Rizin, WSOF, and other smaller promotions was marked by multiple further incidents, reinforcing the UFC’s decision to act. The case is now regularly cited in MMA journalism and combat sports ethics discussions as the definitive example of unsportsmanlike submission conduct.