Jake Shields has been nothing but a sportsman throughout his long, prodigious MMA career. In fact, his lack of flash and preference for efficiency is one of the main reasons he’s not in the UFC today despite a good amount of success.
Emotion? That has rarely played into the game of the calculated technician. Yet that is one of the main things driving him as he heads into challenging Rousimar Palhares for the World Series of Fighting welterweight title in the main event of WSOF 22 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
It’s not that Shields personally dislikes Palhares — he doesn’t know the man. But Shields, a fighter known for doing everything by the book throughout his career, is offended by Palhares’ propensity for holding onto submissions too long.
Shields, an accomplished jiu-jitsu player himself, is hoping to teach the Brazilian a lesson.
“I’m not gonna hold a submission too long, because I’m not a dirty fighter,” Shields told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “But if I get an armbar, if I get a heel hook or something, I’m gonna grab it and try to crank it as hard as I possibly can and try to break it.”
These are words Shields (31-7-1, 1 NC) has never uttered about an opponent, at least not in a public forum. The former Strikeforce and EliteXC champion really doesn’t like Palhares’ style. Holding onto leglocks too long got Palhares cut by the UFC and has altered the careers of former opponents.
Palhares has denied any ill intentions. Shields, for one, thinks his upcoming opponent is full of it.
“I can’t really say 100 percent, because I don’t know,” Shields said. “But I’m not really buying it. He’s done it over and over. I feel like it’s a cover up and he hides behind, ‘Oh, I’m Mr. Nice Guy, Mr. Jesus.’ That’s even worse. I think I’d respect him more of he was just like, ‘Yeah, I hurt you. Get over it.’ But the fact that he pretends that he’s so nice makes it even worse to me.”
Shields, 36, doesn’t need any extra desire. This is a bout that could add yet another gold belt to his already impressive collection. It’s also a way for him to cement himself once again as one of the best welterweights on the planet, regardless of promotion. But there’s also something more about this fight.
Shields has a major sense of urgency, which is why he has trained leglocks over the last few months with jiu-jitsu aces Dean Lister and John Danaher.
“Of course, in the back of the head you worry a little bit, because you know this guy is gonna try to hurt you,” Shields said. “There’s no doubt that if he gets a submission, he’s gonna try to break it. It gives me a little more motivation to take this fight seriously and make sure to win it. It also makes me go out there — like I said in the past — it makes me want to go out there and actually hurt this guy.
“I think maybe he just enjoys hurting people. Some people are sociopaths and they enjoy hurting people. I can’t say that for sure, not really knowing him, but that’s kind of how it seems. He does it in submission matches as well and supposedly he does it in training. He just goes out there and cranks it. Also, it might be a head thing, try to make people scared of him as well. People are gonna tap a little earlier if they’re scared he’s actually gonna break their knee.”
Shields doesn’t plan on being one of those people. He doesn’t plan on putting himself in that position, though it is tempting to try and beat Palhares at his own game.
“I would love to leglock him, but it’s probably not the best thing to go out there and play that game with him,” Shields said. … “That would be the best way to beat him. But it’s risky. I would love to go out there and heel hook him.”
An armbar, though? Or a kimura? Well, one of those would be a nice consolation.
“Im gonna go out there with the intention,” Shields said, “if I get something I’m gonna try to snap it.”