After losing to UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, Jake Shields was left at a crossroads in his career. Now, life has thrown an even bigger curveball at Shields, who lost his 67-year-old father on Tuesday.
Jack Shields was not only a father to Jake Shields but also a manager. In fact, according to Sherdog, Jake Shields said that his father had been working on sponsorship deals for the fighter before sitting down and passing away on Tuesday.
According to Sherdog’s report, Jack Shields was diagnosed with congestive heart failure last year. At the moment, it is unknown whether or not that condition played a part in his death.
Jake Shields has been preparing for an upcoming fight with Jake Ellenberger, which is scheduled to take place in less than three weeks at UFC Fight Night 25. This bout will now take on a whole new meaning for Jake Shields, who will compete in the main event on the fight card.
While he is usually a fighter who draws mixed emotions from MMA fans, it is probably safe to say that there will be plenty of support for Jake Shields heading into this fight.
Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. Sean has also had his work featured on UFC.com and LowKick.com. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.
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