World Series of Fighting welterweight contender and grappling O.G. Jake Shields is returning to his jiu-jitsu roots to take on a bitter rival and headline Submission Underground 4 on Sunday.

The former UFC title challenger will be stepping back into the SUG cage to take on rising star Dillon Danis in the main event of the evening live from the Roseland Theatre in Portland, Oregon.

Although there is no love lost between the two grappling greats, Shields respects the immense skill set of the younger up and coming challenger. He fully expects plenty of fireworks once the cage door shuts behind them this weekend.

"I want to go out there and try to break him," Shields said. "I don't care for him as a person, but Dillon is a very talented grappler. He's a guy who goes for it. I don't think he will go out there and stall. He is going to come right at me and I am going to go right at him. It should be a really good match."

The bad blood between the two men and their respective camps hit and all-time high when all hell broke loose at the UFC 202 press conference.

Shields, a founding father of the notorious Skrap Pack, was in attendance to support his friend and teammate Nate Diaz. Danis was rolling with SBG Ireland's Conor McGregor as his jiu-jitsu coach. A near riot broke out, where various beverages were thrown by both men with Shields' coffee offering hitting the target.

Shields is looking forward to finally getting his hands on Danis this weekend.

"The beef is definitely real," Shields said. "I wouldn't say I hate Dillon. I don't have animosity towards him but there has been some real beef. It was real when I was throwing things at him and he was throwing things at me, mouthing off. He is really cocky. He's not a guy you want to lose to. I want to go out there and teach him a lesson and humble him a bit."

Shields, a Cesar Gracie black belt, is a highly accomplished ground wizard, with numerous championships, medals and world titles under his black belt. The NorCal resident is approaching legendary status in the ground arts while Danis is still establishing himself on the highest level within the community. Shields has no intention of being a stepping stone or a career highlight for young New Jersey native.

"I can't let him go out there and make a name off me," Shields said. "He has beat some good guys but he hasn't beat anybody on my level. I have to make sure I go out there and put him in his place I need to show him he has a ways to go."

The animosity between the two grapplers is multi-layered. The ill will between camps has been established. Going one step further, Danis is a Marcelo Garcia black belt while Shields has recently spent time working under Renzo Gracie and John Danaher in New York City. There is a certain level of growing tension between the two jiu-jitsu camps in the Big Apple.

"It's like a double rivalry," Shields said. "He's tied in with the camp we have trouble with (SBG Ireland). Not only that, now that I train with John (Danaher). Some of John's guys have had issues with him (Danis) and his camp. That makes it a really interesting situation."

With the combat sports world eagerly awaiting any update on the potential Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather boxing match, it seems that the world is the iconic Irishman's' oyster. As he steps outside of MMA for a huge opportunity in the sweet science, Shields would be more than happy to welcome him to a grappling only contest like SUG in the near future.

"Of course I would like to," Shields said. "I don't think he is anywhere near that level. I think I would go out there and submit him easily and look good doing it. For him, he would look stupid. His grappling is OK. He is better off sticking with MMA. Unless he is a lot better than I think he is, he needs to stay away from the submission grappling."


*Note: SUG 4 streams LIVE Sunday, May 14, on FloGrappling.com. Annual FloCombat subscribers can watch at no additional charge. Monthly FloCombat subscribers will need to upgrade to an annual plan or sign up for FloGrappling on a monthly basis. 

How to Watch Submission Underground 4

On TV: Now Available on Roku and Apple TV 4—download the FloSports app now.
STREAMING: Only on FloGrappling with a PRO subscription. A yearly PRO subscription provides access to ALL FloSports sites.

JOIN NOW