Jake Shields Expects To Fight Champ Rousimar Palhares With Win Over Brian Foster At WSOF 17 WSOF welterweight Jake Shields isn’t trying to waste any time in his new promotional home. The onetime UFC welterweight title challenger said if he beats Brian Foster (22-6) on Saturday at WSOF 17, he expects to get a shot at welterweight champ Rousimar Palhares (17-6). “Yeah, it’s my understanding that if I win, I’ll be fighting for a title,” Shields who headlines the card opposite Foster at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, said “That’s obviously what I’m looking at. I’m not looking past Foster, but Palhares is a good opponent.” WSOF 17’s main card airs live on NBCSN following prelims on WSOF . It’s a good opponent, indeed, if Shields wishes to test his submission mettle. The American jiu-jitsu practitioner is known for smothering opponents on the canvas, which presents an interesting stylistic foil to the fast-twitch leglocks of champ Palhares, who recently submitted onetime UFC title challenger Jon Fitch in just 90 seconds. Foster, though, has something to say about that potential matchup. The UFC vet has won his past four fights and is 6-1 since his departure from the industry-leader, which came after he wasn’t medically cleared to compete in the octagon (an irregular MRI prior to UFC 129 showed a brain hemorrhage). Shields would be wise to put to use his grappling skills, but he isn’t making any predictions about what’s going to happen when Foster comes at him. “It’s hard to say exactly what happens,” he said. “I just want to be aggressive and put pressure on him to get an early submission. It’s a fight I definitely want to finish, and in the first round.” Shields has to get moving if he wants to make an impact. At 36, he has a limited amount of time in the sport, and his peak years are likely in the rearview mirror. A title in WSOF, however, would provide another feather in his cap after holding belts in Shooto, EliteXC and Strikeforce. The veteran might not know how the fight is going to play out, but he does know what he’s going to try to do in the cage. “I try to force things,” he said. “Obviously, you can wait for things, but I like to make it happen. “Being a submission guy, you don’t have any submissions, it gets frustrating. The top-level guys are really hard to take down, really hard to finish, so it’s not easy. But I’m looking to get another one on Saturday night.”
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 05:28:27 +0000
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