Fresh off a massive TKO win over Jake Shields at the UFC’s 25th annual Fight Night event, Jake Ellenberger had a lot of interesting things to say on Ariel Helwani’s the MMA Hour.
MMA Fighting transcribed some of the juiciest details.
Ellenberger, only the second fighter to stop Shields and the first man to do so in nearly an 11-year span, still hasn’t really had the win sink in yet.
“It’s something I’m still definitely trying to wrap my head around,” Ellenberger said. “It happened quick, and Jake’s definitely one of the best guys I’ve ever fought so it feels great. It’s definitely a big win for me.”
Despite the surprise surround his victory, Ellenberger stated that he knew he could do it all along.
“I know he was looking to take me down and I really wasn’t that worried about it,” Ellenberger stated. “I saw openings and I knew I definitely had the potential to knock him out. But happening the way it did is still kind of surreal.”
Shields came in as a consensus top five welterweight despite a UFC 129 loss to Georges St-Pierre, so Ellenberger has immediately catapulted his name into the title conversation with his most recent victory.
“The Juggernaut” is 26-5 in his professional MMA career, winning five straight in the UFC after debuting with a tightly contested split decision loss to Carlos Condit back in September of 2009.
Ellenberger made it clear that he would like another fight before 2011 comes to a close and that he already has thought about a fight with reigning welterweight king, Georges St-Pierre.
The heavy handed wrestler said he feels good about the way his style matches up with GSP in the cage, and while he is one of the sport’s best, he is not invincible.
“GSP is phenomenal, if not the best fighter in world,” Ellenberger admitted. “He’s someone you have to pressure. You definitely have to pressure him. You can’t stay back on him and let him control the distance and the range. He’s definitely beatable.”
While Ellenberger did not go into detail, he claimed that he has some some weaknesses in GSP’s game, weaknesses he can exploit if the two ever meet in the Octagon.
“Him and Jake Shields had a great fight. He’s proven. I don’t know how many times he defended his title, but anyone can be beat. I’m confident I can beat him. Like I said, anyone can be beat, and to beat a guy like GSP, you’d have to keep pressure and look for some holes.”
“He may not have very many, but they’re there,” Ellenberger said confidently.
St-Pierre has defended his belt six times in a row and has not lost since the he was upset by Matt Serra, all the way back in April of 2007.
Interestingly, Ellenberger said that Condit has a great chance against GSP due to his “fearlessness and power,” and also later proclaimed that St-Pierre likes to “play it safe a little bit.”
St-Pierre’s next title defense comes against Carlos Condit at UFC 137. The event takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 29.
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