This Sunday, July 17th at the Roseland Theater in Portland, history will be made as Chael Sonnen and FLO Combat presents Submission Underground. This is the debut event for Submission Underground and it promises to bring excitement to the world of submission grappling with its submission-only format. The card features matchups with some of the top grapplers from the Pacific Northwest and beyond, as well as past UFC and Strikeforce champions. One of the most anticipated matchups on this card features two of the best submission artists in mixed martial arts history: Jake Shields and Chris Lytle. These two fighters have 34 combined submission finishes between them in their professional careers and only once has either been submitted in the cage. With numbers like that, it’s easy to see why this match is so highly regarded. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jake Shields this week about the Submission Underground tournament and his preparations for the matchup with Lytle.
Jake and I discussed the recent insurgence of major grappling events in the United States like Metamoris, The Eddie Bravo Invitational, and now Submission Underground. I asked him what he thinks about the sudden support for grappling tournaments like these.
“I think it’s great,” Shields told me. “I’ve always been someone who’s been a big fan of grappling but there just wasn’t much exposure or money in it or anything … it’s starting to pick up and it’s really exciting. I also think the format is good too. They are really pushing the submission only format and that makes it a lot more exciting.“
Submission Underground is using a modified version of the Eddie Bravo Invitational rules which forces fighters to avoid stalling for position or winning a match on points. Shields pointed out that these rules allow the grapplers to go for more submissions because they won’t be penalized if they are swept or end up in a bad spot, and that is very liberating for a grappler according to Shields.
Originally, Shields was scheduled to face former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson on Sunday. With Henderson withdrawn from the event, Shields will faceoff with Lytle. I asked him if the opponent switch had any impact on his training for the event.
“No, not really. I pretty much trained the same. I’ll make small adjustments for my opponent, but it’s one of those things where I am training the same,” said Shields.
The bigger issue to him was the inactivity of Lytle. “Lytle hasn’t competed in a while so I haven’t been able to watch what he’s up to. So I am just training to have myself ready for [anything].”
Even with the lack of current tape on Lytle, Shields seems confident that he will be able to force the match to play into his hand. Lytle is known for getting into scrambles and creating awkward positions, while Shields is known for controlling guys with his excellent top game. I asked Shields if he felt he would be able to impose his will against a fighter like Lytle, who has proven hard to control.
“Yeah, I think so. You never know until you get out there but I try to be as prepared as possible … I feel my training has been going good. I’ve been really pushing it the last couple of weeks and I feel I’m in good shape and I’ll be read for anything he throws at me.”
This tournament marks the first time Shields will be publicly competing since his controversial fight with Rousimar Palhares at World Series of Fighting last August. According to Shields, he’s ready to get back into the cage so this tournament is acting as a bit of a springboard for his return.
“I’m definitely ready to fight again. I’ve worked out my contract with World Series of Fighting … I’m hoping to be fighting in the next couple of months. I’m just waiting to hear a date right now. I will most likely be fighting Jon Fitch.”
Jake Shields is looking to get back into the winner’s circle and Submission Underground is the perfect place to do that. All eyes will be watching as Chael P. Sonnen, the gangster from West Linn, brings this tournament to his home state. Sonnen wouldn’t dare disappoint his fellow Oregonians so you know he has pulled out all the stops for this event. With Submission Underground being broadcast live on flocombat.com, it only makes the stage that much bigger. If Shields wants to secure some momentum heading into his next fight, he’ll have to do by submission, because as Sonnen puts it, ties are un-American.
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