After dominating the competition in Strikeforce’s middleweight division, Jake Shields made the bold choice to drop down to welterweight for his UFC debut at UFC 121. The move paid immediate dividends, as Shields was able to squeak past Martin Kam…
After dominating the competition in Strikeforce’s middleweight division, Jake Shields made the bold choice to drop down to welterweight for his UFC debut at UFC 121.
The move paid immediate dividends, as Shields was able to squeak past Martin Kampmann and earn himself a shot at Georges St-Pierre in just his second UFC bout, but Shields came up short against the champion and was forced to move to the back of the line of welterweight competitors.
Following a loss to rising contender Jake Ellenberger, Shields was in a must-win situation against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144, and he delivered a decent showing and earned a decision win.
But the fact is, Shields has never quite looked like the world-class fighter he was made out to be when he joined the UFC roster, and he seems to feel that deciding to avoid cutting the extra 15 pounds to welterweight will bring him back to the form that once had him ranked among the pound-for-pound best in the world.
With the majority of the top competitors in the middleweight division currently locked into fights, there aren’t a whole lot of options for Shields at this point, but there are a few matchups that make sense for the former Strikeforce champion to take in his return to 185.
If there’s one surefire way to keep your job in the UFC as a fighter, it is by impressing Dana White and the fans. We’ve seen it occur multiple times where a guy who obviously doesn’t have the skill set to be in the UFC remain employed for simply being…
If there’s one surefire way to keep your job in the UFC as a fighter, it is by impressing Dana White and the fans. We’ve seen it occur multiple times where a guy who obviously doesn’t have the skill set to be in the UFC remain employed for simply being an exciting and fan-favorite fighter.
The fighters on this list need to rebound in impressive fashion in their next fight. There is no way a fighter can be totally focused on their bout when having to worry about being handed their pink slip for losing.
Some of the fighters on this list even won their last fight, but still need to come back strong to put any doubters to rest.
If there’s one thing fans and fighters can relate to, enjoying it’s job security, and the fighters on this list can ensure some measure of that by coming back in impressive fashion for their next bout.
Jake Shields is one of the best grapplers in mixed martial arts, and yet he seems to be focused on the idea that he can eventually compete with other great strikers in the welterweight division.As Shields told HeavyMMA.com Duane Finley:
Working b…
Jake Shields is one of the best grapplers in mixed martial arts, and yet he seems to be focused on the idea that he can eventually compete with other great strikers in the welterweight division.
Working behind top-notch grappling and his “American Jiu-Jitsu,” Shields has made the canvas the last place his opponents want to find themselves. But in order to claim championship gold in the UFC, he knows it is going to take solid striking and the ability to use his standup for transitions. While that portion of his game may not be exactly where he wants it, Shields is confident everything will come together and he will become the UFC welterweight champion.
My striking still has holes, but it has gotten a lot better, Shields said. I am going to continue to work and develop my skills and I believe in the next year I’ll be able to stand with the best strikers out there. I still have a little ways to go, but we have definitely made big improvements.
I came so close to the title and fell short. Now I feel like I’m close again. I’ve beaten the current (interim) champion, Carlos Condit, and Martin Kampmann, who is a top contender right now. I know I can beat these guys, and it all depends on me working my way back up and getting my shot. I’m not sure what’s next, but hopefully the UFC will give me a contender so I can get back up where I want to be.
Much like Demian Maia, Shields is a fighter who seems willing to vacate the powerful skill that got him to the top of the welterweight heap—his world-class grappling—in favor of standing and trading punches with guys who are much better at that aspect of the game.
It’s one thing if Shields wants to shore up his striking game so that he can rely on it as a fail-safe if his takedowns aren’t working.
That’s an admirable thing.
But I’m hoping Shields doesn’t completely abandon his grappling game like Maia has in recent years. Shields’ striking should never be his go-to in a fight—that honor should always be reserved for his attempts to get the fight to the ground, where he’s as deadly as anyone in the sport.
Still, I give Shields kudos for wanting to become a more well-rounded fighter.
Sure, he didn’t win his UFC 144 bout with Jake Shields, but that didn’t mean Yoshihiro Akiyama went down without a sexy fight.
Although he wasn’t able to capitalize on the positions he created with his superior judo throws, “Sexyama” made the normally sedate Japanese crowd “ahhhh” in unison with these two tosses.
(“I make this look good.”)
Sure, he didn’t win his UFC 144 bout with Jake Shields, but that didn’t mean Yoshihiro Akiyama went down without a sexy fight.
Although he wasn’t able to capitalize on the positions he created with his superior judo throws, “Sexyama” made the normally sedate Japanese crowd “ahhhh” in unison with these two tosses.
First, Akiymama employed the Osoto Gari, or large outer reap — a simple outside trip-toss timed perfectly to negate Shields’ Condit-esque leg jab. Had he followed him to the ground faster he may have been able to take Jake’s back, but because he didn’t get his hooks in, Shields easily escaped.
Next, Yoshihiro went with the Uki Goshi, also known as the floating hip throw,” but couldn’t keep Shields down with the front headlock or lock up a choke.
UFC 144 is done, and an interesting event it was. We saw a great comeback, a brutal five-round slugfest and unfortunately what could be the final fall of a legend. After an unprecedented seven-fight main card, some are debating whether this is one of t…
UFC 144 is done, and an interesting event it was. We saw a great comeback, a brutal five-round slugfest and unfortunately what could be the final fall of a legend. After an unprecedented seven-fight main card, some are debating whether this is one of the best UFC cards ever.
While I believe that more time will be needed to debate that topic, what can be discussed now is who were the biggest winners and losers of Saturday’s event.
Winners
Ben Henderson
The new UFC lightweight champion put on an impressive display against Frankie Edgar. While it could be debated that Edgar should’ve won the fight, Henderson’s performance can not be argued.
He fought hard, negated Edgar’s efforts to gain any advantage on the ground and landed some powerful shots, including one of the most vicious up-kicks this writer has ever seen.
Henderson’s abilities continue to evolve with each fight and his future inside the Octagon is wide open.
Jake Shields
Riding a two-fight losing streak, Jake Shields needed an impressive outing to prove that he is more than another UFC import who couldn’t hack it.
Against Yoshiro Akiyama, Shields used effective striking to will his way to a unanimous decision win. He withstood Akiyama’s takedowns and defeated “Sexyama” on his feet.
According to FightMetric, Shields landed more strikes than Akiyama by a margin of nearly 2.5 to 1. It was a much-needed win for Shields who is now looking to climb back up the welterweight ranks.
Anthony Pettis
“Showtime” showed why he is one of the best fighters at 155 lbs. Had it not been for his off-the-cage kick versus new champion Henderson, this would’ve been arguably the best highlight kick of his career.
Pettis started the fight off using his southpaw jab to keep Joe Lauzon at bay. Then, at the 1:21 mark of the first round, he sent Lauzon crashing to the canvas with a devastating head kick which all but ended the fight.
Pettis has staked his claim as a lightweight contender. Don’t be surprised to see him attempting to strip Ben Henderson of another championship belt in the near future.
Losers
Frankie Edgar
Frankie Edgar is one of the toughest fighters that I have ever seen. In his last three fights, he has been beaten like a slab of meat by Rocky yet he keeps coming back. Unfortunately, he didn’t have quite enough for Henderson.
Although he landed more strikes than Henderson, Edgar just couldn’t inflict enough damage and took a lot of punishment in return.
Frankie now must decide between two options: stay at lightweight and lobby for a rematch, or drop down to featherweight for a shot at Jose Aldo. Either way, Edgar will bounce back.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t saddened by Jackson’s performance. “Rampage” pleaded to UFC President Dana White for the opportunity to once again fight in Japan.
He then proceeded to miss weight by six pounds. Next, he followed that up with the absolute worst performance of his career.
Jackson appeared out of shape and soft around the mid-section; not to mention he was gassed four minutes into the opening stanza. Jackson would be best served by doing some soul-searching and deciding if he even desires to enter the Octagon again.
In a previous article, I questioned whether the UFC’s Japanese fighters would give a performance in Japan similar to the Brazilian showing at UFC 134. Unsurprisingly, the UFC’s Japanese fighters failed to impress in the return to their home country.
Posting a 4-5 record on the night, the most impressive performance was by featherweight Hatsu Hioki who put on a dominating ground display against Bart Palaszewski.
With Akiyama possibly on his way out of the UFC and Okami being knocked out in a fight he was on his way to winning, Japan’s hope for a happy homecoming was anything but.
It is almost conclusive that Japanese MMA is no longer the force once demonstrated in the days of PRIDE.
Ryan Bader
Yes, I am aware that “Darth” Bader won the fight. Regardless, I still found his performance lacking any real depth. All Ryan Bader did was prove that he will never be a title contender.
“Rampage” was out of shape and sucking wind for two of the three rounds. Bader never really hurt Jackson and fought scared for the first five minutes. A better fighter would’ve finished off Jackson, who was clearly in no condition to compete.
Although Bader is strong and a skilled wrestler, his game just hasn’t evolved and at this pace will never be good enough to compete with the division’s elite.
Follow Walt J. as he gives his no-holds-barred opinions on the NFL, MMA and other sports topics on his blog, “Live From AREA 49.” You can also follow him on Twitter @area49sports.
As Jake Shields stiffly welted away at Yoshihiro Akiyama in their UFC 144 feature bout, I turned to the friend I was watching the fight with and offered up a thought: “Jake really needs a little more Diaz in his style.” We went on to discus…
As Jake Shields stiffly welted away at Yoshihiro Akiyama in their UFC 144 feature bout, I turned to the friend I was watching the fight with and offered up a thought: “Jake really needs a little more Diaz in his style.”
We went on to discuss how baffling it is that Shields could work with the Diaz brothers so regularly and yet still be so robotic with his striking, and that the Diaz brothers could work with Shields and still be so faulty in their wrestling.
On paper, it’s a match made in heaven for training partners—insane boxers work with insane wrestlers, both sides develop two remarkable skills instead of just one. In reality, it’s become one of the greatest puzzles in MMA.
It’s a puzzle because Shields can take a punch, which is the foundation of that Stockton Slap style that’s become so prominent in the Diaz brothers’ combat approach.
Everyone raves about their hands, but it’s their chins which gives them the chance to be so open and aggressive. From there, it’s all about accurate punches in high volume and a stalking footwork that gets you from point A to point B long enough to dish out punishment.
Trash talk, optional.
Shields also has the cardio to adopt the punches-in-bunches style, and the athleticism to make it work. Any man who has NCAA wrestling titles, a Cesar Gracie black belt and a trophy case of MMA titles is a good athlete, and Shields has all of those things. Why hasn’t he tried to bring such an effective style of striking into his game?
The logical answer is that he continues to be hell bent on taking his man to the ground at all costs. Neither Diaz brother is interested in a ground fight, and as a result, they’re much more free with their hands.
For Shields, he wants to get people down and rough them up, so he needs to be a little more guarded with his standup to be in position to capitalize when a chance to shoot or clinch presents itself. As a result, he relies on slapping kicks from the outside and an underrated jab to set up his takedowns.
It’s hard to argue with that reasoning, because it’s worked for Shields for so long. He’s beaten the likes of Dan Henderson, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami and Paul Daley, and that’s only a few of the big names on his hit list. But still, it’s hard to understand how a man could spend so much time working with elite strikers and still be so uncomfortable striking.
No one can stick a finger in his chest and tell him what to do, but most fans would probably say that a little bit more Diaz in his game wouldn’t be the end of the world for Jake Shields. He has all the tools to be as explosive and impressive on his feet as his Skrap Pack cohorts, so maybe that’s the thing to look into during training camp for his next tilt.
