The only thing on Jake Shields‘ mind at the current time is Rousimar Palhares.
While the former Strikeforce middleweight champion turned welterweight contender under the World Series of Fighting banner would love to add another title to his already impressive resume, his upcoming bout against the Brazilian leglock master has all the feelings of something personal attached to it. The Team Cesar Gracie representative has forged a successful career out of being both a talented fighter and a sportsman alike, yet he doesn’t believe that honor lies in the current WSOF welterweight champion.
Between his failure to release submission locks and a past suspension for elevated levels of testosterone in a post-fight drug test, Palhares has earned his reputation of being a dirty fighter. The jiu-jitsu ace has amassed a highlight reel of controversial submission finishes where, despite referees jumping in to stop the fights, Palhares has injured his opposition by prolonging the hold.
It was that particular and curious behavior that led to the UFC releasing him back in 2013, yet it is also his arsenal of leg attacks that have made him one of the most feared welterweight fighters on the planet. And while both dominance and controversy have continued to hover over Palhares‘ performances en route to winning WSOF‘s 170-pound title, Shields is dead set on bringing the Brazilian’s run to an end.
Furthermore, the former UFC welterweight title contender is intent on teaching the current champion a lesson, and he can’t wait to mix it up with Palhares later this year.
“[Palhares] may not be a bad guy, but when he fights, he’s out there trying to hurt people,” Shields told Bleacher Report. “If he wants to play that game, then I’ll go out there and try to hurt him. I’m not going to hold anything back because this guy is not out there to be my friend. He’s out there to put me in the hospital. I’m going to go out there with the same mindset, and I’ll put him in the hospital.
“I’ve already shown how effective American jiu-jitsu can be against Demian Maia, and I’m going to do it again with Rousimar Palhares. They are two of the very best when it comes to fighting on the ground, and he’s going to be the second one of them I beat.”
The San Francisco native earned the opportunity to compete for WSOF gold by defeating scrappy knockout artist Brian Foster this past weekend at WSOF 17 in Las Vegas. It was the classic striker vs. grappler pairing, and Shields made quick work of the Oklahoma native when he locked in the fight-ending rear-naked choke in the early goings of the opening frame.
The quick first round finish over the resurgent former UFC veteran was his second under his new promotional banner, and Shields is in position to compete for the organization’s welterweight crown in his next outing. The Skrap Pack representative has spent his entire career chasing championship gold, and his elite level of skill secured yet another opportunity to add another championship belt to one of the best resumes in the current era of mixed martial arts.
“To be honest, I think my resume gets overlooked quite a bit,” Shields said. “You go down the list of fighters I’ve faced in my career, and I’ve fought the who’s who in either division I’ve competed in. Every promotion I go into, I go in to become the champion. I’m not here to be No. 2. I’m here to be the best and to get my hands on the belt.
“My last two fights were against good guys, and I put them away quickly. If you look at my record, I’ve pretty much spent my entire career fighting top guys. I’ve had a few more decisions than I’d like, but when you are fighting the best of the best that is going to happen from time to time.
“I go out there to make a statement, and I believe I’ve done that in my past two fights,” he added. “I’ve had some ups and downs in my career, but even in my downs, I was beating talented guys like Tyron Woodley. I feel like I’m in my prime right now and at the peak of my career. Hopefully, I can keep it up. I feel like I’m at my best right now, and I want to keep going out there and putting guys away.”
Throughout the course of his 16-year career, Shields has been a constant at the elite level of the sport. He’s mixed it up inside the cage with a wide range of champions, contenders and pound-for-pound greats, carving out his place as one of the sport’s best in the process. That said, fighting is a rigorous trade that is as unforgiving as they come in the professional realm, and Shields is no stranger to just how heavy uncertainty can hang when things inside the cage hit a downturn.
Nevertheless, the former Elite XC is still standing tall after and is feeling better than he ever has before. He’s handling business inside the cage at a rapid rate and doing so by sticking to an efficient and tactical game plans. While the savvy veteran doesn’t see the end of his career approaching any time soon, he’s also not willing to venture too far ahead to look for it either.
Shields is taking things as they come, and the love for the sport that allowed him to collect 15-straight victories and rack up a collection of titles has returned to him. That makes Shields a happy man, and that spells trouble for the rest of the welterweights in the world.
“I just love the sport,” Shields said. “There have been a few times I’ve been burnt out, but right now, I’m enjoying it again. I’m taking it one fight at a time. I really don’t know what the future holds. I’m 36 years old now, but I still feel super healthy. My body is feeling better than it has ever felt.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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