Jake Shields is next in line for a  title shot at World Series of Fighting welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares.

The former Strikeforce middleweight champion defeated former UFC fighter Brian Foster on Saturday night in Las Vegas by rear naked choke, 2:51 in the first round.

After beating Brian Foster, Shields promised to submit WSoF welterweight champion Rousimar Palhares.

Shields told  Nate Wilcox for BE:

“He’s holding my belt for me. I’m going to go out there and whip his ass. He’s a dirty fighter breaking everyone’s legs and ankles. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to take his knee out. I’m not scared of him and I’m going to bring it to him.”

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!”