Filed under: UFC, NewsNEW ORLEANS – In what was unquestionably the most emotional fight of Jake Shields’ career, the former champion ran into a buzzsaw in Jake Ellenberger.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, Ellenberger handed Sh…
NEW ORLEANS – In what was unquestionably the most emotional fight of Jake Shields‘ career, the former champion ran into a buzzsaw in Jake Ellenberger.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans, Ellenberger handed Shields the quickest loss of his career with a 53-second TKO. The loss comes just three weeks after the death of Shields’ father and manager, Jack Shields.
“It’s unbelievable – Jake Shields is a world champion, so I can’t explain how I feel right now,” Ellenberger said. “Just keeping the pressure – that was the strategy coming in here. I came out with the W and it feels great.”
Ellenberger (25-5, 5-1 UFC) landed a left and a right, then moved in on Shields, tying him up. He threw one right knee, then a second that landed on the button. Shields dropped to the canvas, and Ellenberger pounced and landed several shots from Shields’ back before the fight was stopped.
Shields (26-6-1, 1-2 UFC) appeared to go limp when the knee landed, then continued to look finished when he wasn’t covering up from Ellenberger’s strikes. But the former Strikeforce middleweight champion said after the fight he didn’t think it should have been stopped.
“I’m just frustrated,” Shields told Joe Rogan. “I got hit with a good hit. I thought I could still fight, but it is what it is. I thought I could keep fighting, but the ref thought it was time to stop it. There’s nothing I can do.”
Ellenberger’s win gives him five straight in the welterweight division. Champion Georges St-Pierre defends his title against Carlos Condit next month, and a fight between BJ Penn and Nick Diaz could determine the next contender after Condit. But Ellenberger’s quick win over Shields will have his name in consideration.
Ellenberger, though, said he won’t think about where he should fall in the division.
“It really doesn’t matter where I think I’m at. It’s up to the UFC, and whoever they tell me to fight, I’m going to fight,” Ellenberger said.
Ellenberger also said he was surprised he won the fight as quickly as he did. It was the fastest fight in Shields’ career, and obviously his fastest loss. It was only the second time in Shields’ career that he has been stopped, and the first time since 2000.
“I definitely could have envisioned myself winning this fight – but not that quick,” Ellenberger said. “It happened fast, but I trained hard for this fight and I knew I was ready. … The ref’s job is to stop the fight, so I’m going to go until he stops me.”
In the co-main event, Court McGee returned for the first time in 11 months and beat Dongi Yang by unanimous decision. McGee, the Season 11 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” was rocked in the third round, but held on to get the victory, winning by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 30-28.
And Alan Belcher returned for the first time in 16 months following a pair of eye surgeries and stopped Jason MacDonald in the first round. The win came just about an hour away from Belcher’s Biloxi, Miss., home.
“It felt great, man – the crowd definitely gave some energy,” Belcher said. “Even up until tonight, I was uncertain what I wanted to do. I was nervous as hell going into this training camp. I missed the feeling, and I feel like I can definitely continue down the path I was on and go for a title shot. I’ve got a feeling the title shot’s going to come faster than I want it now.”
Also on the main card, featherweight Erik Koch won his fourth straight with a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Brookins.
UFC president Dana White after the fight handed out $55,000 bonus awards to four fighters. Ellenberger took the Knockout of the Night, delivering the night’s only KO or TKO. TJ Waldburger, one of four submission wins, won Submission of the Night. And Lance Benoist and Matt Riddle won Fight of the Night for their preliminary card slugfest, won by Benoist in his UFC debut by unanimous decision.
Filed under: UFC, NewsNEW ORLEANS – In the battle of the two Jakes, Ellenberger dismantled Shields quickly in the first round, and he’s an extra $55,000 richer because of it.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans on Saturday, Jake El…
NEW ORLEANS – In the battle of the two Jakes, Ellenberger dismantled Shields quickly in the first round, and he’s an extra $55,000 richer because of it.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans on Saturday, Jake Ellenberger stopped Jake Shields with a 54-second TKO – his fifth straight win in the welterweight division. After the fight, UFC president Dana White awarded Ellenberger the Knockout of the Night bonus of $55,000.
The night’s other bonus winners were Lance Benoist and Matt Riddle for Fight of the Night and TJ Waldburger for Submission of the Night, a first-round triangle choke win over Mike Stumpf, who was making his UFC debut.
Ellenberger became the first fighter to stop Shields since 2000, Shields’ first pro loss in his third fight. Shields, the former Strikeforce middleweight champion, went more than six years without a loss before he fell to welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in April. Shields now has two straight losses for the first time in his career, and falls to 1-2 in the UFC – his lone win being a controversial split decision over Martin Kampmann in his debut last October.
Ellenberger’s fifth straight win was also his fourth KO or TKO in his last five fights. The win is likely to put him squarely into the welterweight title picture. St-Pierre defends his title against Carlos Condit next month, with BJ Penn and Nick Diaz also in consideration.
Waldburger recorded the night’s first submission, and it held up with three other submissions on the night, plus a verbal tappet. The former Shark Fights welterweight champion is now 2-1 since joining the UFC last year.
And Benoist and Riddle may have had little competition for their Fight of the Night win, a back-and-forth battle with plenty of blood that Benoist won by a 29-28 unanimous decision. Benoist was making his UFC debut and stays unbeaten in his pro career at 6-0.
Filed under: UFC, NewsJake Ellenberger scored the biggest win of his career Saturday by knocking out Jake Shields in 53 seconds at UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans.
Grabbing the Muay Thai clinch, Ellenberger landed a knee to the body and then a knee …
Jake Ellenberger scored the biggest win of his career Saturday by knocking out Jake Shields in 53 seconds at UFC Fight Night 25 in New Orleans.
Grabbing the Muay Thai clinch, Ellenberger landed a knee to the body and then a knee to the head to collapse Shields forward. Quick to capitalize on his stunned opponent, Ellenberger jumped in with fast left hands for the referee stoppage.
Shields expressed that he could have continued in the post-fight interview with announcer Joe Rogan, but he sure didn’t appear to be from the spectator’s standpoint, as he tried to take down the referee after the stoppage. The loss was an especially difficult one for the former Strikeforce middleweight champion considering he lost his father less than three weeks ago. Shields came into the fight having only been finished once in his career, a first-round TKO suffered against Marty Armendarez back in March 2000 — Shields’ third professional MMA fight.
Ellenberger, who hasn’t tasted defeat since his UFC debut in September 2009 against current No. 1 contender Carlos Condit, made the most his first high-profile fight and now finds himself in welterweight title contention with this win.
“Jake Shields is a champion,” Ellenberger said. “I can’t explain how I feel right now, it feels great.”
With his fifth straight UFC win, Ellenberger improves his overall record to 25-5. Meanwhile, Shields’ record slides to 26-6-1.
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger, the main event of tonight’s UFC on Spike telecast from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Shields (26-5-1, 1-1 UFC) is coming off his first loss in more than six years, a unanimous decision setback against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129 in April. Though Shields lost the fight, he snapped St-Pierre’s lengthy streak of 33 straight winning rounds. He also fights for the first time since the death last month of his father and manager, Jack Shields.
Ellenberger (24-5, 4-1 UFC) seeks his fifth straight win in the welterweight division. He hasn’t lost since his UFC debut, a split decision setback nearly two years ago to the day against Carlos Condit, St-Pierre’s next title challenger.
Round 1: Big ovation for Shields as Bruce Buffer announces him. The two Jakes look for position early, and Ellenberger lands the first takedown – though Shields pops right back up. Kick from Shields is countered by Ellenberger with with a left-right, and he then drops Shields in a hurry with a pair of big knees. He pounces and starts raining down strikes until it’s stopped. It’s a tremendously fast finish for Ellenberger and a fairly sizable upset – and the second straight loss for Shields more than six years without one.
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger, the main event of tonight’s UFC on Spike telecast from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Shields (26-5-1, 1-1 UFC) is coming off his first loss in more than six years, a unanimous decision setback against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129 in April. Though Shields lost the fight, he snapped St-Pierre’s lengthy streak of 33 straight winning rounds. He also fights for the first time since the death last month of his father and manager, Jack Shields.
Ellenberger (24-5, 4-1 UFC) seeks his fifth straight win in the welterweight division. He hasn’t lost since his UFC debut, a split decision setback nearly two years ago to the day against Carlos Condit, St-Pierre’s next title challenger.
Round 1: Big ovation for Shields as Bruce Buffer announces him. The two Jakes look for position early, and Ellenberger lands the first takedown – though Shields pops right back up. Kick from Shields is countered by Ellenberger with with a left-right, and he then drops Shields in a hurry with a pair of big knees. He pounces and starts raining down strikes until it’s stopped. It’s a tremendously fast finish for Ellenberger and a fairly sizable upset – and the second straight loss for Shields more than six years without one.
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger, the main event of tonight’s UFC on Spike telecast from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Shields (26-5-1, 1-1 UFC) is coming off his first loss in more than six years, a unanimous decision setback against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129 in April. Though Shields lost the fight, he snapped St-Pierre’s lengthy streak of 33 straight winning rounds. He also fights for the first time since the death last month of his father and manager, Jack Shields.
Ellenberger (24-5, 4-1 UFC) seeks his fifth straight win in the welterweight division. He hasn’t lost since his UFC debut, a split decision setback nearly two years ago to the day against Carlos Condit, St-Pierre’s next title challenger.
Round 1: Big ovation for Shields as Bruce Buffer announces him. The two Jakes look for position early, and Ellenberger lands the first takedown – though Shields pops right back up. Kick from Shields is countered by Ellenberger with with a left-right, and he then drops Shields in a hurry with a pair of big knees. He pounces and starts raining down strikes until it’s stopped. It’s a tremendously fast finish for Ellenberger and a fairly sizable upset – and the second straight loss for Shields more than six years without one.
NEW ORLEANS – This is the UFC Fight Night 25 live blog for Jake Shields vs. Jake Ellenberger, the main event of tonight’s UFC on Spike telecast from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
Shields (26-5-1, 1-1 UFC) is coming off his first loss in more than six years, a unanimous decision setback against welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129 in April. Though Shields lost the fight, he snapped St-Pierre’s lengthy streak of 33 straight winning rounds. He also fights for the first time since the death last month of his father and manager, Jack Shields.
Ellenberger (24-5, 4-1 UFC) seeks his fifth straight win in the welterweight division. He hasn’t lost since his UFC debut, a split decision setback nearly two years ago to the day against Carlos Condit, St-Pierre’s next title challenger.
Round 1: Big ovation for Shields as Bruce Buffer announces him. The two Jakes look for position early, and Ellenberger lands the first takedown – though Shields pops right back up. Kick from Shields is countered by Ellenberger with with a left-right, and he then drops Shields in a hurry with a pair of big knees. He pounces and starts raining down strikes until it’s stopped. It’s a tremendously fast finish for Ellenberger and a fairly sizable upset – and the second straight loss for Shields more than six years without one.
Ultimate Fight Night 25 goes down tonight in New Orleans, and all that hot sauce and bourbon has whipped us into a fight picking frenzy. Representing the home team will be Louisiana’s own Seth Falvo, who will be doing battle against Head to Head newbie (read: loser) Jared “DangadaDang” Jones. Which Jake will reign supreme? Will it be a good night for The Ultimate Fighter, or a complete disaster? Will the stars of Swamp Peopleget roped into a video interview with Joe Rogan? Find out all this and more, and then tell us what we forgot in the comments section.
Let’s skip the foreplay: Shields or Ellenberger, who ya got?
JJ: As unimpressed as I’ve been with Jake Shields’ UFC career thus far, I just can’t see how Ellenberger wins this one. Though his submission defense looked great, his takedown defense looked pretty exploitable against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, and if Dan Henderson can’t knock out Shields, then it ain’t happening, homie. I got Shields by UD in a match that I forget about quicker than every Saturday Night Live sketch of the past 10 years. The real question is, will the recent loss of Shields’ father have an effect on his game plan?
SF: In any other city, I’d be inclined to agree with you, Jared. But this is New Orleans. A city where the underdog has recently been able to thrive. A city renowned for its Voodoo culture. And, as anyone who has had one too many hand grenades and went home with a dress wearing local they found on Bourbon Street can tell you, a city where not everything is what it seems. Not that that’s ever happened to me or anything.
You’re only as good as your last fight. When we last saw Jake Shields, he was completely unable to take Georges St. Pierre to the ground and didn’t fare better trading punches with the champion until he managed to steal the fifth round. Jake Ellenberger, meanwhile, dominated Sean Pierson in a fight he took on only seventeen days notice. When you add on not only the death of Jake Shield’s father, but also that other distraction Team Cesar Gracie has been dealing with, it’s possible that Jake Shields isn’t as focused as he needs to be. This one has the potential to get interesting. Maybe not “Ellenberger pulls off the upset” interesting, but at least “watchable while sober” interesting.
Pictured: Seth giving Jared a tour of Louisiana.
Ultimate Fight Night 25 goes down tonight in New Orleans, and all that hot sauce and bourbon has whipped us into a fight picking frenzy. Representing the home team will be Louisiana’s own Seth Falvo, who will be doing battle against Head to Head newbie (read: loser) Jared “DangadaDang” Jones. Which Jake will reign supreme? Will it be a good night for The Ultimate Fighter, or a complete disaster? Will the stars of Swamp Peopleget roped into a video interview with Joe Rogan? Find out all this and more, and then tell us what we forgot in the comments section.
Let’s skip the foreplay: Shields or Ellenberger, who ya got?
JJ: As unimpressed as I’ve been with Jake Shields’ UFC career thus far, I just can’t see how Ellenberger wins this one. Though his submission defense looked great, his takedown defense looked pretty exploitable against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, and if Dan Henderson can’t knock out Shields, then it ain’t happening, homie. I got Shields by UD in a match that I forget about quicker than every Saturday Night Live sketch of the past 10 years. The real question is, will the recent loss of Shields’ father have an effect on his game plan?
SF: In any other city, I’d be inclined to agree with you, Jared. But this is New Orleans. A city where the underdog has recently been able to thrive. A city renowned for its Voodoo culture. And, as anyone who has had one too many hand grenades and went home with a dress wearing local they found on Bourbon Street can tell you, a city where not everything is what it seems. Not that that’s ever happened to me or anything.
You’re only as good as your last fight. When we last saw Jake Shields, he was completely unable to take Georges St. Pierre to the ground and didn’t fare better trading punches with the champion until he managed to steal the fifth round. Jake Ellenberger, meanwhile, dominated Sean Pierson in a fight he took on only seventeen days notice. When you add on not only the death of Jake Shield’s father, but also that other distraction Team Cesar Gracie has been dealing with, it’s possible that Jake Shields isn’t as focused as he needs to be. This one has the potential to get interesting. Maybe not “Ellenberger pulls off the upset” interesting, but at least “watchable while sober” interesting.
With 8 participants, this card is practically flooded (no offense Seth) with TUF alum. That said, who will have the best night? The worst?
SF: That’s cold-blooded, son. It’s not my fault your school isn’t cool enough to have its own campus swamp. Or, let me guess: You’re an Oregon Ducks fan.
I’ll go against the grain and say that Matt Riddle will have the best night. Matt Riddle has been out of action for eight months after losing to the aforementioned Sean Pierson at UFC 124. It’s more than likely win or go home in his tilt against UFC newcomer Lance Benoist, a 5-0 submission specialist who has never been out of the first round. Before you get too excited about Lance Benoist, keep in mind that only two of his past opponents have winning records. Factor in Matt Riddle’s grappling prowess and Octagon jitters for Benoist, and Matt Riddle is bound to have a pretty good night. As for the worst night, is there anyone reading this that actually thinks Shamar Bailey is going to beat Evan Dunham? Didn’t think so.
JJ: I want to say McGee has the best night, but I vowed never to bet against South Korea after watching Oldboyfor the first time. I’m going with the dark horse here and picking my boy Cody McKenzie for the win. Word is he’s been spending some time at Team Alpha Male since his loss to Yves Edwards, and if you combine the already lethal power of “The McKenzietine” with those Alpha boys’ well known guillotine, it’s a wrap for Vagner Rocha, who showed absolutely nothing against Donald Cerrone other than a willingness to take leg kicks. As for the worst night, that’s going to Jonathan Brookins. Say what you want about his grappling ability, but his stand up looked awful against Michael Johnson, and Eric Koch is a straight up beast on the feet.
And as for my school, we opted for indoor plumbing and a library over a glorified sinkhole. In other words, you chose poorly.
Since the main event most likely won’t win any awards, which match will take FOTN?
JJ: This one’s easy: Alan Belcher vs. Jason Macdonald. Both guys are looking to establish themselves, Belcher due to the layoff, Macdonald due to his somewhat lackluster Octagon run as of late, and both guys are known for putting on exciting fights each and every time. Expect a back and forth brawl until Belcher puts Macdonald’s lights out late in the second. And that’s that.
SF: Hard to argue with that. But you can almost say the exact same thing about Court McGee vs. Dongi Yang. McGee has been out of commission for almost a year, and has the TUF Winner expectations to live up to as well. Likewise, Dongi Yang has shown that he’s more than capable of living up to his reputation as a fight finisher, but a loss to Court McGee would put him at an uncomfortable 1-2 in the UFC. Don’t expect either guy to retreat during this one, folks. And don’t blink, either.
You’ve got $50. You could spend this money at Taco Bell, like you planned to, and eat for the rest of the week. Or, you could opt to feed your crippling gambling addiction. What is the safest way to do both tonight?
SF: Truth be told, there really aren’t too many “safe” bets on this card. But if you’re looking for “safe”, then why are you eating at Taco Bell in the first place? Cognitive Dissonance, anyone?
There are some pretty attractive underdogs on this card, such as Cody McKenzie and Dongi Yang. Even Clay Harvison, as mediocre as he’s looked, has a pretty favorable matchup against the one dimensional Seth Baczynski (especially given his conditioning issues). But if we’re going for “safe”, then the safest parlay I can come up with is Koch-Dunham-Riddle-Waldburger-Lopez. You won’t get rich off of this, but at least you’ll be able to upgrade to Raising Cane’s for the next week or two.
JJ: Am I really going to let someone from the land of fried squirrel and alligator attacks lecture me on safety? I think I’ll stick to triple steak burritos back here in civilization, thank you very much. I’d say that Evan Dunham is my ticket to the aforementioned taco glory, but at -500 there’d be next to no return on that bet, so I’m opting for a moderately safe parlay of Shields-Koch-Yang-Belcher. And with that, I’ll be resting easy on my pillow-sized tortilla shell while you are busy catching bullfrogs or whatever it is you people do for fun down there when it isn’t Mardi Gras.
NEW ORLEANS – In what was unquestionably the most emotional fight of Jake Shields‘ career, the former champion ran into a buzzsaw in Jake Ellenberger. 
NEW ORLEANS – In the battle of the two Jakes, Ellenberger dismantled Shields quickly in the first round, and he’s an extra $55,000 richer because of it. 
Jake Ellenberger
NEW ORLEANS – This is the 