Heading into Jake Shields’ final Strikeforce bout against Dan Henderson, there was a lot of speculation that the middleweight champion was being set up to lose before exiting from the promotion, an view which was fed ‘all you can eat buffet’ style by UFC Pres Dana White. Of course, Shields earned the UD win over the decorated fighter, and is reportedly a pen stroke or two away from signing with the UFC.
Well, now that Shields has been officially released from the promotion, the fighter has begun to talk a little more openly about his former employers, and in an interview with BJ Penn.com, he wasn’t exactly overly warm…In fact, Shields offered this, while talking about the futures of his Cesar Gracie teammates Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez.
“I don’t want to knock Strikeforce because that’s not my style even though they did treat me like shit which was unnecessary because I never talked bad about them. Honestly I would love to see Gilbert and Nick in the UFC. Even though Strikeforce is a good show, everyone knows it’s the number two show. They have a handful of good fighters but all the top competition is in the UFC and I feel that Nick and Gilbert are good enough to fight at the highest level. I would love to see them come over and once I get signed I’ll have to put that in Dana’s ear.”
For more from the interview head here.