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Jake Shields says he won't hold submission too long against Rousimar Palhares, but out to break something at WSOF 22
Jul 29, 2015 - 11:30:06 AM Jake Shields says he won't hold submission too long against Rousimar Palhares, but out to break something at WSOF 22

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Jake Shields is entering a very dangerous fight on Saturday night against Rousimar Palhares at WSOF 22, and he knows it. The longtime veteran has been outspoken in his thoughts on the WSOF Welterweight Champion, who's had a history of holding onto submissions and injuring opponents, and he says when it comes down to it he's out there to hurt Palhares in kind.

"I'm not gonna hold a submission too long, because I'm not a dirty fighter. 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," Shields said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. "...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."

Shields doesn't buy Palhares' incredulous act, as the UFC vet has continued to deny intentionally holding onto his submissions after the fact despite it continuing to happen. Shields thinks it's a front, and says it'd almost be better if Palhares simply came out and admitted his intentions.

"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.

"...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."

Penick's Analysis: Shields added in another recent interview that it's either Palhares enjoys hurting people or he's just stupid, and that's the two sides that have generally been presented. Palhares' coach has, in the past, defended his actions by saying he didn't realize what he'd done was wrong, or that he somehow wasn't getting why the reaction against him was so negative. If that's the case, there's another issue at hand with Palhares to address. But if he is simply feigning ignorance and just can't help himself, it's something that needs to be addressed by athletic commissions as it continues to happen. If Shields can avoid the leg locks and the damage that's come with them, that'll be great for him. If he can't, well, he has to hope Palhares has somehow learned from his past mistakes.