World Series of Fighting president Ray Sefo says Jake Shields is out to get the promotion’s welterweight champion’s Rousimar Palhares title and prove a point.
Shields meets Palhares inside the cage this Saturday part of the WSOF 22 fight card airing on NBC Sports Network at 11 p.m. ET.
“That’s one fight you don’t want to miss,” he said. “That is one fight there. Jake Shields has come out and said he doesn’t like what he has done in the past. He is going to get out there and win the title. Shields has now trained in New York to work on leg locks. It’s going to battle on the ground.”
Although Palhares joined the promotion after being considered a dirty fighter and being released by the UFC, Sefo says he has served to be a great champion.
“He is a great champion,” he said. “Outside of the cage he is soft spoken. In the cage he has had people call him a dity fighter. But in his last fight against Jon Fitch people said he held the leg lock too long I went to the referee. He followed the rules. He is doing what he is being instructed.”
He later added, “Jake wants to put a hurting on him and win the title.”
Also on the fight card, bantamweight champion Marlon Moraes defends his title against an undefeated Sheymon Moraes.
“Sheymon is a Muay Thai champion and he Is 7-0 as an mma fighter,” he said. “Marlon
is a great champion and the guy has great stand up and will match up against any
top level striker. This fight depends on where Marlon wants to take it. When it comes to ground, I think Marlon has the edge. We haven’t see Sheymon’s grappling, but there is a reason why he is 7-0.”
To hear Sefo talk about the fight card, Palomino vs Gaethje II and coming back to Florida hear the complete interview below.