Video: Jake Shields has 'every intention to hurt' WSOF champ Rousimar Palhares

Jake Shields is willing to play WSOF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares’ sometimes-dangerous game.

Following Saturday’s WSOF 17 victory over Brian Foster (22-7), who tapped out to a first-round rear-naked choke in the NBCSN-televised headliner, Shields has strong words for Palhares, who’s earned a reputation for holding onto submissions too long and injuring opponents.

With his win, which earned him a title shot with the fellow UFC vet, Shields say he’s ready to take a page out of the champ’s playbook.

“He may not be a bad guy, but he’s out there putting people in the hospital and trying to hurt people,” he told MMAjunkie after the bout. “So I’m going to go out there with the same mindset. I’m not going to like someone like this. Screw this guy. If he’s going to be dirty, I’ll be dirty back. I’ll go out there with every intention to hurt him.”

Palhares has won three straight fights, all via submission, since his 2012 UFC release. Shields thinks many opponents are already defeated by the time they enter the cage, but he says he won’t make the same mistake.

“He’s so used to being a shark and going out there and guys being terrified, when he gets there, when someone goes and plays it back, he doesn’t like it,” Shields said. “It puts him out of his element.”

Check out the full conversation above.

And for more on WSOF 17, check out the MMA Events section of the site.