Jake Shields, as expected of a teammate, claims to believe that Nick Diaz should have been crowned the UFC interim welterweight champion instead of Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit in their recently concluded UFC 143 main-event tiff.
Just the same, he digresses from his controversial training partner in Team Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu—knowingly or not—when it comes to attitude towards a loss.
In the following exchange in his interview with Gregory Chase (B/R Exclusive: Jake Shields Talks UFC Japan, Condit vs. Diaz, and More), the man who will face Yoshihiro Akiyama in UFC 144 shows that he is the consummate sportsman in dealing with a loss—even when fighting fresh off a tragic family situation:
Gregory Chase: It was extremely unfortunate that your father passed last year as well, but even more admirable that you walked into the cage about two weeks after it had happened. Do you feel like the whole situation had an impact on your fight with Jake Ellenberger, and, if so, in what ways?
Jake Shields: You know, there was so much going on at the time. It was tough, but I felt like it was the right decision to go out and fight, and I made that decision to not make any excuse about the fight. I went out there and it wasn’t my night, so all I can do is move forward and try to bounce back with Akiyama.
You read it right: Shields “went out there and it wasn’t (his) night.” Period.
Shields can teach a thing or two to Diaz and the rest of their team about facing one side of the same coin in MMA fighting, which is the bitter opposite of winning.
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