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Jake Shields Officially Returns to Middleweight, Faces Ed Herman at UFC 150

(That’ll teach Antonio Banuelos to try and fingerbang Ronda Rousey.)

After compiling a 2-2 octagon record at welterweight (well, 1-3 depending on how you personally scored the Martin Kampmann fight), it looks like former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields will be returning to 185 this summer, and will be taking on the resurgent Ed Herman at UFC 150, which goes down on August 11th from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. UFC President Dana White was the first to break the news, via his Twitter:

UFC 150 Sat Aug 11 Denver, CO Middleweight Bout Ed Herman VS Jake Shields. I like that fight!

Shields is coming off a unanimous decision victory over the struggling Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144 in February. Although he was able to walk away with the victory and snap a two-fight losing streak in the process, he did find himself on the wrong end of more than one fantastic Judo throw. So you tell us who the real winner was…

…still Shields? Fine, let’s move on.

TUF 3 runner-up Ed Herman, on the other hand, has looked pretty spectacular as of late, and will be looking to build upon a current three-fight win streak that includes wins over scrappy TUF 7 veteran Tim Credeur and TUF 11 alum Kyle Noke. Is it just us, or does it seem like nearly everyone in the UFC can be tied back to The Ultimate Fighter at some point in their career? It’s like the Kevin Bacon of MMA these days. Anyway, Shields should be a considerable favorite coming into this one, but given Herman’s growing trajectory, as well as Shields’ rather mediocre performances in the octagon thus far, “Short Fuse” could be a solid pick for you gamblers, who should already be rolling in the green if you followed our advice.

And in other fight booking, or rather, fight shuffling news…

(That’ll teach Antonio Banuelos to try and fingerbang Ronda Rousey.)

UFC 150 Sat Aug 11 Denver, CO Middleweight Bout Ed Herman VS Jake Shields. I like that fight!

…still Shields? Fine, let’s move on.

And in other fight booking, or rather, fight shuffling news…

Those of you hoping to see Michael Bisping and Tim Boetsch throw down at UFC 148 are in for some shitty news, because MMAWeekly reported last night that the middleweight showdown between “The Count” and “The Barbarian” has been moved from UFC 148 to the UFC 149: Clusterfuck event which goes down in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on July 21st. The reasoning for this shuffle has yet to be revealed, but we’ll let you know if any specific details arise.

And in incredibly vague fight booking news, it’s looking like the rumors that Jon Jones could be defending his belt yet again at UFC 149 against Dan Henderson are all but a complete fabrication at this point, as Jones’ manager, Malki Kawa, told MMAFighting that Jones would not be participating on the Calgary card, stating, “It’s just probably a little too soon. There’s been no timetable yet but July probably isn’t going to happen.” It is now rumored that an August or September return is likely for “Bones,” who has been an absolute workhorse this past year, knocking off four consecutive former champions (three of them by way of stoppage) in just over 11 months.

So who do you like for Shields’ return to middleweight, Potato Nation?

-J. Jones

UFC 150: Jake Shields to Make UFC Middleweight Debut

Jake Shields has finally received a date for his long-awaited return to the middleweight division— and an opponent.The former Strikeforce champion will make his UFC middleweight debut in August at UFC 150 against longtime MMA veteran Ed Herman. &…

Jake Shields has finally received a date for his long-awaited return to the middleweight division— and an opponent.

The former Strikeforce champion will make his UFC middleweight debut in August at UFC 150 against longtime MMA veteran Ed Herman. UFC President Dana White confirmed the bout via his Twitter account last night:

Shields last fought at UFC 144 in February, taking a unanimous decision victory over Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama in his home country.

The win broke a two-fight losing skid that included a 53-second technical knockout loss to Jake Ellenberger last September and a unanimous decision defeat against UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in his title bid at UFC 129.

Before joining the UFC, Shields last fought at middleweight against former Strikeforce and Pride champion Dan Henderson at Strikeforce: Nashville. Shields won the bout via unanimous decision to successfully defend his title.

The event, however, was marred by the infamous “Nashville Brawl,” as some of Shields’ teammates got into an altercation with Jason “Mayhem” Miller, who entered the cage to call out the then champion.

Meanwhile, Herman is currently riding an impressive three-fight win-streak, with his latest victory coming over Clifford Starks at UFC 143 via second round rear-naked choke. The win was Herman’s second straight submission victory, having previously defeated the Ultimate Fighter season 11 alum Kyle Noke last August via first-round heel hook.

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10 Fighters Who Have Lost Their Star Power

It is the inevitable life of a fighter. The hard work, rise to fame and inevitable decline back into mediocrity. At times, it is painful to watch our favorite fighters go from an intimidating icon to somebody who looks like each fight could be the…

It is the inevitable life of a fighter. The hard work, rise to fame and inevitable decline back into mediocrity.

At times, it is painful to watch our favorite fighters go from an intimidating icon to somebody who looks like each fight could be their last.

The fighter’s name can only carry them for so long until fans begin to look at their career objectively and see that the end of the road is near.

Star power is something fighters obtain during their career, which leads one to becoming a bigger draw at the gate, higher TV ratings, and more pay-per-view buys. This star power also creates a dedicated fanbase, which eventually brings new fans to the UFC.

Here are 10 fighters who have lost that star power.

Begin Slideshow

MMA Matchmaking: Who’s Next for Jake Shields in His Return to Middleweight?

When former Strikeforce middleweight champion and EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields joined the UFC in late-2010, there was plenty of debate about which division he should compete in.Ultimately, Shields chose to fight at 170 pounds, where he ev…

When former Strikeforce middleweight champion and EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields joined the UFC in late-2010, there was plenty of debate about which division he should compete in.

Ultimately, Shields chose to fight at 170 pounds, where he eventually earned a shot at UFC welterweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre.

Though he came within one round of dethroning St-Pierre on two judges’ scorecards, Shields quickly fell out of the welterweight title picture due to a knockout loss against Jake Ellenberger in his following appearance.

Shields bounced back from his loss to Jake Ellenberger with a win over Yoshihiro Akiyama, but the Cesar Gracie-trained fighter recently announced that he would be returning to the middleweight division after a 2-2 run as a 170-pound fighter in the UFC.

By moving to the 185-pound division, Shields will hope to eliminate what has been a somewhat rough weight cut from his fight preparations. The change will also allow Shields to make a fresh start in a rather shallow division, meaning a quick run at another title shot is a distinct possibility.

Coming off of a notable win over Akiyama, Shields should be given a big fight for his return to the middleweight division. Of all his potential foes, two middleweights stand out as particularly intriguing opponents for Shields.

If Brian Stann can best Alessio Sakara in mid-April, a bout between Shields and the U.S. Marine would make for an interesting matchup.

The fight would immediately test Shields’ ability to deal with one of the larger middleweights in the UFC, while Stann would have the chance to show improvement in his ground game against one of the most well-rounded grapplers in the sport.

Should Stann lose to Sakara, a heated rematch against Jason Miller would draw plenty of interest if “Mayhem” can defeat C.B. Dollaway in his next fight.

Shields and Miller first met in a title bout for the vacant Strikeforce middleweight title. After five rounds, Shields was awarded the decision victory and took home the belt.

Five months later, after Shields defended his title against Dan Henderson, Miller confronted Shields inside the cage and asked for a rematch. Miller’s actions stirred up Shields’ teammates, who attacked Miller in one of the uglier scenes in MMA history.

A rematch between Shields and “Mayhem” would reignite the rivalry between Miller and the Cesar Gracie team, which would lead to some interesting pre-fight drama for a bout that would likely launch the winner toward the top of the 185-pound division.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, Follow Sean Smith on Twitter

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Jake Shields Moving Up to Middleweight

Jake Shields will be moving up to Middleweight sometime later in 2012, according to an announcement made on “UFC Tonight” last night (via UFC.com). After having a successful run at 185 in Strikeforce, Shields has since moved to the UFC and into the Wel…

Jake Shields will be moving up to Middleweight sometime later in 2012, according to an announcement made on “UFC Tonight” last night (via UFC.com).

After having a successful run at 185 in Strikeforce, Shields has since moved to the UFC and into the Welterweight division. After his first fight with Martin Kampmann, he won a shot at champion, Georges St. Pierre, but lost after five rounds of fighting.

Shields then took on Jake Ellenberger, but was stopped quickly in the first round. After taking two losses in a row, many were wondering if he were on the chopping block, since three in a row can earn a fighter their pink slip in the UFC. However, his next fight was against Yoshihiro Akiyama in the Asian superstar’s WW debut. Shields managed to win a decision, and get back to his winning ways.

Now, it seems that his career path may switch again. He will be going back up to MW to test his skills against some of the talent there, and add another strong name to the perceivably weak division.

But how will he fare there?

Shields’ biggest criticism is his striking, a facet of his game that he continues to work on as time goes on. With new directions, he is taking his striking game to the next level and feels confident he eventually will be able to strike with some of the best. He will certainly want to make that happen, since he is looking to go into a division ruled over by one of the greatest strikers of all time.

Anderson Silva stands as king of the 185 lbs hill, but theoretically if you were to have the right formula to beat him, you would need a strong wrestler, with great submissions and submission defense. This describes Jake Shields, but assumingly, many people don’t foresee him getting to that point any time soon.

Since he doesn’t have the hype and statistics he had coming over from Strikeforce, he won’t be looking to go right into a title shot or a title eliminator. He will have plenty of great fighters to be matched up with, and many fights that his “American Jiu-Jitsu” will be interesting to see applied in.

Having Shields face someone like Rousimar Palhares would be an interesting style matchup, since both fighters’ level of BJJ is high. Demian Maia, had he not dropped, would have been another good fight. But Shields will have others such as Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort, Cung Le, Chris Leben, and Chael Sonnen to deal with. Sonnen might be one of the best potential fights for Shields, based on Sonnen’s style and abilities.

Another great fight would be to see Shields face Jason Miller again, but this time in the Octagon. The UFC brass would probably keep Nick Diaz out of the corner though to be on the safe side.

Shields will find himself in a division with a diverse group of fighters probably more tailored to his style. The Welterweight division has many great strikers, which may have been why Shields had some trouble there. Given his losses were against two of the best in the division, his striking should fare better at Middleweight though.

If Shields can improve his striking and stay true to what works for him when it is wise to do so, Shields could find great success at 185 in the UFC.

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Jake Shields Heading Back Up to Middleweight, Plans on Late-Summer Return

(Damn. We had completely repressed this memory.)

As confirmed on last night’s episode of UFC Tonight, Jake Shields will be returning to middleweight for his next fight, and will make his Octagon debut as a 185’er in the late summer. According to the report, Shields feels healthier at the higher weight and plans to add muscle to his frame during the transition. Making 170 has been a struggle for Shields in the past, and the difficulty of the welterweight cut was a factor in the decision.

As a UFC welterweight contender, Shields has somewhat fallen short of expectations. His four appearances have resulted in a 2-2 stretch highlighted by an anemic split-decision win over Martin Kampmann, a failed title-challenge against Georges St. Pierre, and a 53-second knockout loss against Jake Ellenberger. Most recently, Shields won a unanimous decision against Yoshihiro Akiyama, who was making his welterweight debut that night.

During his brief stint as a middleweight in Strikeforce, Shields won the promotion’s vacant middleweight title by out-pointing Jason Miller, then defended his belt in a stunning comeback against Dan Henderson. Will Shields be able to recapture some of that old magic in the UFC’s middleweight ranks? And who would you like to see him fight first? We know one guy who’s still waiting for his rematch, buddy…

(Damn. We had completely repressed this memory.)

As confirmed on last night’s episode of UFC Tonight, Jake Shields will be returning to middleweight for his next fight, and will make his Octagon debut as a 185′er in the late summer. According to the report, Shields feels healthier at the higher weight and plans to add muscle to his frame during the transition. Making 170 has been a struggle for Shields in the past, and the difficulty of the welterweight cut was a factor in the decision.