It’s been a rough couple of years for decorated mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran Jake Shields.
The former Strikeforce middleweight champion holds wins over some of the biggest names in the sport, including Dan Henderson, Tyron Woodley, and Robbie Lawler, just to name a few. But life after Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he once fought for the welterweight title, has not been kind.
Is it time to hang ‘em up?
“I’m in a kind of unsure phase right now,” Shields told BJPenn.com. “I still like training and enjoy the sport. I don’t want to make a decision so quickly, I want to sit down and give it a thought. I’m still under contract for one more season (with PFL), so we’ll see how that goes.”
After a successful run for the now-defunct World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promotion, Shields (33-11-1, 1 NC) transitioned to Professional Fighter’s League (PFL). In four appearances, the American Jiu-Jitsu master has been stopped twice by Ray Cooper, part of a dreadful 2-4 run dating back to early 2015.
Perhaps it’s time for a change of scenery?
“Definitely,” Shields told Cole Shelton about a possible jump to Bellator MMA. “They seem to have a lot of momentum and me and Scott Coker got along good before. It’s not something I would rule out because Bellator seems to be getting bigger and bigger. It’s a good time for them.”
Shields and Coker worked side-by-side in Strikeforce before UFC came calling. As luck would have it, Coker replaced the since-deposed Bjorn Rebney to helm the Spike TV Paramount TV ship, and it’s certainly a buyer’s market.
It should be noted that Shields turns 40 in less than two months.