Rousimar Palhares' open letter to Jake Shields: Talk now, because you're running out of time

Earlier this year, Jake Shields admitted while he’s not a dirty fighter, he doesn’t mind teaching a lesson to someone he considers to be a bit of a liability in the cage. Well the subject of his scorn, WSOF welterweight champ Rousimar Palhares, has something to say about that.

In an exclusive open letter penned with Shields’ comments in mind, Palhares said he’s looking forward to teaching Shields a lesson.

“Hey Jake? How are you? My manager, Alex Davis told me about and translated what you said to MMAjunkie about me, how I am a monster, how you are going to hurt me and so forth. I don’t know how you come to think in this way about me considering we have never even actually met. But I get it – you want to make yourself the hero who submits the bad guy! No hard feelings. You need to justify yourself, and you should certainly talk it up now, because after the fight, I guess there won’t be much that you will want to talk about!

“And listen, if I do end up hurting you, it won’t be because I hate you. It’s just because this is MMA, and people don’t tap – like you probably won’t – until they are hurt! So guess what? I’ll give you a rematch in Metamoris if they will have us, and you can try again to defend my ankle and leg locks.

“Different then you, I have nothing bad to say about you. I will come into this fight, as I come into all of them, with respect for my opponent and wanting to win as fast and as definitively as I can. I look forward to seeing you Jake, and shaking your hand – or rather your foot!”

WSOF champ Palhares (17-6), who has often been criticized for his seeming unwillingness to let go of dangerous leglocks even after opponents have submitted, meets Shields (31-7-1) in the main event of WSOF 22, which is expected to take place on Aug. 1 at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The evening’s main card airs on NBCSN.

For more on WSOF 22, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.