Tag: Jake Shields

UFC: Jake Shields: ‘I’m Ready to Call the UFC and Ask Who They’ve Got for Me’

Following a tough loss in late April—which was only the fifth of his professional career—Jake Shields, although disappointed, views UFC 129, its lead-up, and fallout, as positive experiences and is hungry to make his way to the top of the d…

Following a tough loss in late April—which was only the fifth of his professional career—Jake Shields, although disappointed, views UFC 129, its lead-up, and fallout, as positive experiences and is hungry to make his way to the top of the division once again.

The defeat, which came at the hands of UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, albeit disappointing to Shields, was a long time coming.

“I really liked fighting right away. I think, initially, I thought it was a one- or two-time thing, but I think after four or five fights, I thought that I could make it,” said Shields in an exclusive interview with Ed Kapp, “Of course, it took longer than I thought; I thought that I’d be fighting for UFC titles in just a few years. It took a bit longer, though [laughs].”

Despite dropping two out of his first five matches, Shields, from February 2001 to October 2010, only lost a pair of bouts and registered notable victories over Hayato Sakurai, Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Nick Thompson, Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler, Jason Miller, Dan Henderson and Martin Kampmann before falling to St. Pierre in Toronto.

“Losing sucks—I broke my huge winning streak—but to go out there and fight GSP for five rounds in front of 60,000 people was quite a cool experience.”

“Of course, it’s a little disappointing; when you go out there and lose, it’s always disappointing. I look back at a lot of things that I did wrong and wish I did it differently, but you can’t dwell too much on the past. All you can do is move forward, try to learn from your mistakes, and get prepared for your next fight. “

As for Shields’ next match, although he is unsure when he will return to the Octagon, the Cesar Gracie student admits that he, once again, is feeling “the itch to compete.”

“I’m starting to feel that again. I was a little burnt out after the last fight from the long training camp and all of the media. Plus the letdown of losing really had me burnt out for a month afterwards, but two months later, I’m ready to call the UFC and ask who they’ve got for me.”

Shields, although ready to make a call to the UFC, in an effort to establish another impressive winning streak and an eventual title shot in the Octagon, is ready and willing to take on all callers.

“It’s not up to me who I fight—I’m willing to fight whoever—so I’m just waiting for the UFC to call me, so I can get back on the winning track. I’ve just got to get back on track. I still want that belt, so I’ve got to go on to win a couple fights and, hopefully, I can get a title shot, again.”

Although many fighters, following disappointing losses, question their future in the sport, Shields’ lofty ambitions in mixed martial arts, after more than a decade of professional competition and championships in Shooto, EliteXC and Strikeforce, are yet to waver.

“My goal—even though I fell short last time—is to hold the UFC belt. That’s the most honourable belt that anyone can hold in this sport.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 132: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber Fight Breakdown

Yes, the time is close, for Dominick Cruz to defend his Bantamweight title against Urijah Faber on July 2 at UFC 132. In all honesty, this Bantamweight bout isn’t going to get the whole MMA world overexcited initially.Recently the UFC has co…

Yes, the time is close, for Dominick Cruz to defend his Bantamweight title against Urijah Faber on July 2 at UFC 132.

In all honesty, this Bantamweight bout isn’t going to get the whole MMA world overexcited initially.

Recently the UFC has come under heavy criticism for their lackluster main events which have failed to impress of late. The Georges St-Pierre vs. Jake Shields fight was overshadowed by some much better battles that night (Mark Hominick and Jose Aldo spring to mind). UFC 132’s main event however should prove to be a more exciting clash between Cruz and Faber.

Let’s take a look at how the fight might unfurl round by round.

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UFC 137 Fight Card: 5 Reasons Nick Diaz Is Georges St-Pierre’s Biggest Threat

Love him or hate him, Nick Diaz is one of the best fighters in MMA today. Diaz is currently on a ten fight winning streak, which includes wins over Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, and Paul Daley.Diaz recently followed in the footsteps of his teammate Jake …

Love him or hate him, Nick Diaz is one of the best fighters in MMA today.

Diaz is currently on a ten fight winning streak, which includes wins over Frank Shamrock, K.J. Noons, and Paul Daley.

Diaz recently followed in the footsteps of his teammate Jake Shields, dropping his Strikeforce title to challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. 

Although many may not give the former Strikeforce welterweight champ much of a chance against St-Pierre, he may actually be his biggest threat.

Here are 5 Reasons why the former Strikeforce Welterweight champion should not be underestimated.

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Video Tribute: MMA’s Eight Greatest Public Service Announcements

(Look, we only have this at the top because we couldn’t find that clip of Krazy Horse telling kids to “stay in school, and don’t f*ck with drugs.”)

By Matthew “The Fight Nerd” Kaplowitz

The public service announcement has been part of American culture for decades. Popularized by the perpetually foxy Nancy Reagan in the ’80s, the PSA has taught us everything from not smoking crack to not dumping a pot of boiling oil on your face, and a whole bunch of other not’s. It has also served as a way to punish celebrities and athletes who did something incredibly stupid and got caught.

MMA fighters eventually began to get roped into this as the popularity of the sport rose; some are good, while others should be avoided as much as strangers in pick-up trucks who offer to let you see their puppy. That is why today I present to you the top eight public service announcements featuring MMA fighters. Why? Because knowing is half the battle…

8. Randy Couture VS Crystal Meth

Just say no to drugs! Randy Couture enters the battle against Methamphetamines in this PSA, because when you think crystal meth, think Randy Couture. For a video that is meant to appear sad and claustrophobic, it comes off like an amateur snuff film and loses its impact with the soft-spoken UFC veteran.

Couture has done plenty of these ads, so don’t be surprised if he pops back up on this list. Am I saying he will for sure? No, but if I did, would you stop loving me? I can’t handle any more rejection…oh man, sinking back into that pit of despair. I need some meth. But if I do that, then Randy won’t love me either. Argh, what a vicious cycle! But seriously kids, don’t do drugs. If you feel yourself losing power to your addiction, go punch a hobo instead. It’s much more fulfilling, but don’t take my word for it.

Oh, and I lied. Randy does not appear again on this list. That was the crystal meth talking.


(Look, we only have this at the top because we couldn’t find that clip of Krazy Horse telling kids to “stay in school, and don’t f*ck with drugs.”)

By Matthew “The Fight Nerd” Kaplowitz

The public service announcement has been part of American culture for decades. Popularized by the perpetually foxy Nancy Reagan in the ’80s, the PSA has taught us everything from not smoking crack to not dumping a pot of boiling oil on your face, and a whole bunch of other not’s. It has also served as a way to punish celebrities and athletes who did something incredibly stupid and got caught.

MMA fighters eventually began to get roped into this as the popularity of the sport rose; some are good, while others should be avoided as much as strangers in pick-up trucks who offer to let you see their puppy. That is why today I present to you the top eight public service announcements featuring MMA fighters. Why? Because knowing is half the battle…

8. Randy Couture VS Crystal Meth

Just say no to drugs! Randy Couture enters the battle against Methamphetamines in this PSA, because when you think crystal meth, think Randy Couture. For a video that is meant to appear sad and claustrophobic, it comes off like an amateur snuff film and loses its impact with the soft-spoken UFC veteran.

Couture has done plenty of these ads, so don’t be surprised if he pops back up on this list. Am I saying he will for sure? No, but if I did, would you stop loving me? I can’t handle any more rejection…oh man, sinking back into that pit of despair. I need some meth. But if I do that, then Randy won’t love me either. Argh, what a vicious cycle! But seriously kids, don’t do drugs. If you feel yourself losing power to your addiction, go punch a hobo instead. It’s much more fulfilling, but don’t take my word for it.

Oh, and I lied. Randy does not appear again on this list. That was the crystal meth talking.

7. Rich Franklin wants you to support veterans and rock out

This one is actually very well-made, and I have no humorous or offensive comments to add to it. I will say that it made this top ten list purely because “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult is the background music. How many other PSA’s can claim that they have a soundtrack that is not a few sad piano notes with Sarah McLaughlin mournfully singing about Angels. Screw that. Rich Franklin, rock on!

6. Andrei Arlovski knocks out dog fighting

Have you ever wanted to hear Andrei Arlovski talking seriously with lullaby music in the background? I know you have, and this video finally delivers on that. “The Pitbull” talks about the dangers of dog-fighting accompanied by his actual pitbull, Maximus. Arlovski makes some great remarks about the topic and does his best to push through the dialogue, which probably had to be edited together very tightly to deal with his English-speaking abilities — hence all the b-roll footage — but it’s a good PSA nonetheless, and on an important topic.

Many other MMA fighters worked to fight against dog fighting, including Cung Le, Josh Thompson, “Razor” Rob McCullough and Brett Rogers. None were as incoherent as our favorite fighter from Belarus.

5. VOTE!

I am jealous of other states. Here in New York, MMA is the equivalent of two roosters pecking at each other while people place bets. In other places, it is widely accepted as part of the lifestyle and culture. Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller joined up with several UFC fighters in this 2008 campaign video to attract younger viewers to vote. Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, and even UFC President Dana White all have their voices heard in the video, although the fighters only say one line, which is a very forced “vote” muttered from each of them.

This one lands high up on the list just for having so many UFC fighters in it, as well as utilizing a ton of licensed Zuffa footage of those fighters pounding their opponents. Only in Nevada can we get awesome political ads like that, because according to New York lawmakers, this stuff is too violent and brutal. Frikkin’ stupid politicians.

Smack that “next page” link to learn about street-fighting laws, seatbelt usage, and…cigarette-eating?

The Top Five Biggest Moments in UFC History — According to Google

By CagePotato contributor Jason Moles

During the illustrious eighteen-year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, we’ve witnessed countless brutal beatings, killer knockouts, and spectacular submissions. Simply put, we’ve witnessed a ton of holy $&*% moments!

I’m sure you have your favorites that you’ll share with your grandkids when you’re sitting in the old man’s chair. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself which moments in the past two decades were the biggest on a large scale? Well I did and I went to the largest scale imaginable: the almighty Google and here’s what I found. Remember, Google doesn’t have emotional or monetary interest at stake here. These moments are the ones that have generated the most web traffic via searches, not which ones impacted the sport the most.

5.) St. Pierre Beats Shields at UFC 129 – 04/30/2011

Why it’s ranked: Jake Shields left Strikeforce as champion so essentially casual fans and mainstream media alike viewed this as the first major inter-promotional, champion vs. champion fight. Georges St. Pierre, reigning UFC Welterweight champion and winner of nine straight came out on top of Shields who was riding a fifteen-fight win streak over the past five years.

The UFC went all in on this one hyping this event with the normal Countdown shows in addition to a pretty sweet commercial, the Primetime series, and a flyer in my mailbox reminding me to order the PPV. It was a huge moment in both men’s career primarily because it was the first tough competition either had faced in quite some time up to that point.  The underlying reason this mattered so much is that we all wanted to see the GSP vs. Silva super fight.

By CagePotato contributor Jason Moles

During the illustrious eighteen-year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, we’ve witnessed countless brutal beatings, killer knockouts, and spectacular submissions. Simply put, we’ve witnessed a ton of holy $&*% moments!

I’m sure you have your favorites that you’ll share with your grandkids when you’re sitting in the old man’s chair. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself which moments in the past two decades were the biggest on a large scale? Well I did and I went to the largest scale imaginable: the almighty Google and here’s what I found. Remember, Google doesn’t have emotional or monetary interest at stake here. These moments are the ones that have generated the most web traffic via searches, not which ones impacted the sport the most.

5.) St. Pierre Beats Shields at UFC 129 – 04/30/2011

Why it’s ranked: Jake Shields left Strikeforce as champion so essentially casual fans and mainstream media alike viewed this as the first major inter-promotional, champion vs. champion fight. Georges St. Pierre, reigning UFC Welterweight champion and winner of nine straight came out on top of Shields who was riding a fifteen-fight win streak over the past five years.

The UFC went all in on this one hyping this event with the normal Countdown shows in addition to a pretty sweet commercial, the Primetime series, and a flyer in my mailbox reminding me to order the PPV. It was a huge moment in both men’s career primarily because it was the first tough competition either had faced in quite some time up to that point.  The underlying reason this mattered so much is that we all wanted to see the GSP vs. Silva super fight.

4.) Lesnar Submits Carwin at UFC 116 – 07-03-10

Why it’s ranked: This was Brock Lesnar‘s first fight since giving Diverticulitis the F5. (Too bad it was only a two count.) No one knew what to expect. How much cage corrosion would Lesnar have? What about his cardio? Would Shane Carwin win another fight in the first round? That was all answered in the first five minutes as ‘The Engineer’ laid out the blue print for not only how to beat the UFC heavyweight champion, but also what a 10-8 round looks like.

Looking back, it was such a noteworthy night because it capped off, or so we thought, the trials and tribulations of the biggest draw in MMA and left us all with a warm fuzzy feeling. Not Shane, though, he was still sucking wind worse that Roy Nelson a few weeks ago. Regardless, the first round and the shocking result raised a lot of eyebrows, hence it’s spot on the list.

3.) UFC – WEC Merger Announced – 10/28/10

Why it’s ranked: Finally! Something that actually deserves to be on this list, right? I know, I know, settle down scooter.  Remember, Google analyzes what EVERYONE is searching for, not just the hardcore fans that spend their free time commenting on a niche website trying to provoke a flame war. Now where was I? Oh yeah, this is the first moment that actually has long-term significance to most of us.

The WEC was home to some of the best fighters in the game today and sadly, they were gobbled up by the UFC like the last piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Usually when one promotion is consumed by another, much larger and well known promotion, heads turn and people seek out any little nuggets of truth they can. It marked the beginning of a new chapter for the mma world as a whole. Little did we know at the time that the WEC was just the appetizer.

2.) Anderson Silva Stops Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 – 02/05/11

Why it’s ranked: Honestly, I think it’s high on the list merely because some crackpot former pseudo badass named Steven Seagal claimed to have taught UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva the single most lethal front kick in all of combat sports. Seriously, WTH? It was a joke. No, no it wasn’t. It was just a media stunt to get more attention. For real now, I most definitely taught him that kick and to prove it I trained my dragon to do the same thing.

This is a classic example of what a holy $&*% moment is because when you first see it your instinct is to yell out “Holy $&*%!!!” and then look at the guy next to you and repeat. Unforgettable moment + delusional B-list Hollywood celeb = mass hysteria.

The single biggest moment in UFC history according to Google is (drum roll please)…………..

1.) UFC 100 – 07-11-09

Why it’s ranked: UFC 100 was the biggest, baddest, most heavily promoted fight card up to that point and it smashed records left and right including gross revenue, tickets sold, and PPV buys. Two title fights including transcendent fighters Brock Lesnar and GSP plus the culmination of Michael Bisping writing a check his chin couldn’t cash after an entire season of trash talking Dan Henderson on The Ultimate Fighter. Everyone and their mother heard something about the epic event thanks to ESPN and others mentioning it leading up to fight night. Oh yeah, there was that little incident after the main event that got a little attention too.

It seemed like the mma community was stricken with an ailment that prevented the poor soul from acknowledging anything outside of UFC 100 the week of and after the event. We just couldn’t help ourselves. It was our Super Bowl, granted it didn’t kick0ff an annual pop-cultural mega event, but it was significantly larger than anything else we had seen. There’s just something magical about the number 100. We did it, err, they did it. They fought the politicians, PPV blackouts, and the economy while nearly going bankrupt in the process. MMA soared out of the shadows and boldly announced its presence that night putting everyone on notice; in case you weren’t aware, MMA is here to stay.

I know. You know. I know you know. I know you know I know. Don’t get all pissy at me, I didn’t make the list.  All I did was try to make sense of what the data said and make you laugh in the process. Double fail, right? But go ahead; tell me what should have been on this list in the comments. Do you want a follow up with what CagePotato thinks are the biggest moments in UFC history? How about the biggest moments in PRIDE FC’s history? Strikeforce? Ah, who am I kidding? You stopped reading after you saw Steven Segal mentioned.

Nick Diaz Challenges Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137 in October

After a month of speculation that started after UFC 129 in Toronto, it’s official: UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will defend his title against Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.

UFC president Dana White made the news official …

After a month of speculation that started after UFC 129 in Toronto, it’s official: UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will defend his title against Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz.

UFC president Dana White made the news official on Wednesday afternoon through his Twitter account, saying, “U wanted it! U GOT IT!!!” White said the fight will take place on Oct. 29 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for what will be UFC 137.

St-Pierre defended his title with a unanimous decision victory over Jake Shields at UFC 129 in Toronto at the end of April. After the post-fight press conference, White talked about potential interest in a GSP-Diaz bout with a small group of reporters. And fans and analysts have been calling for it ever since.

Through the last month, White has been insistent that there have been obstacles in the way of Diaz simply coming over to the UFC to fight St-Pierre. And one of those obstacles was Diaz saying he was interested in trying his hand at boxing – even hooking up with a promoter before pulling back and deciding to stick with MMA.

White met with the Strikeforce champion, who after a TKO win over Paul Daley in April seemed to have run out of challenges in the promotion, which is now owned by the UFC. White and the UFC needed to clear the hurdle of Diaz’s Strikeforce contract – and there have apparently been enough inroads made for White to make the fight announcement.

The initial announcement leaves several questions lingering, though. White was not immediately available for comment on what Diaz’s return to the UFC means for his Strikeforce welterweight belt and how the promotion will fill it, assuming he vacates the title.

But Diaz’s manager, Cesar Gracie, told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani on Wednesday that under Diaz’s new multi-year, multi-fight deal, Diaz will also be able to return to fight for Strikeforce – though Gracie said if that were the case, it would likely mean he would have lost to St-Pierre.

One of the initial barriers, White said, in Diaz coming to the UFC was Strikeforce’s deal with the Showtime premium cable channel, which broadcasts the promotion’s events. White said on Saturday after UFC 130 in Las Vegas that Diaz’s Strikeforce deal wasn’t a “Showtime contract,” per se. But he has indicated throughout the last month that the Strikeforce-Showtime deal did present a hurdle the UFC would have to cross to make the superfight with St-Pierre a reality.

St-Pierre (22-2, 16-2 UFC) had his streak of 30 straight winning rounds snapped by two of the judges in his win over Shields in Toronto. But he has remained the most dominant champion in the sport the last three years. Since winning the UFC 170-pound title back from Matt Serra at UFC 83, the Montreal native has defended it six straight times against Jon Fitch, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy and Shields. After winning the belt the first time, against Matt Hughes at UFC 65, St-Pierre lost it to Serra in his first defense in what is regarded as arguably the biggest upset in the sport’s history. But since then, GSP has been unstoppable.

Diaz (25-7, 1 NC, 6-4 UFC) returns to the promotion for the first time since UFC 65 in November 2006. Since leaving, he has gone 11-1 with wins in the now-defunct EliteXC, Dream and Strikeforce. He took the promotion’s welterweight title from Marius Zaromskis in January 2010 and has defended it three times with wins over KJ Noons, Evangelista Santos and Daley.

Diaz joins his brother, Nate, in the UFC. Nate Diaz was the Season 5 lightweight winner of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Last year, Nate moved from lightweight to welterweight. He has lost two straight unanimous decisions, but prior to that slide he won six UFC post-fight bonus awards in eight fights. When he moved to welterweight, he indicated he would like to fight in both weight classes. His brother’s return to the UFC might force him back to lightweight.

St-Pierre is currently regarded as one of the top two pound-for-pound fighters in MMA, most often flip-flopping the No. 1 or No. 2 spot with UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva. In MMA Fighting’s most recent welterweight rankings, St-Pierre is No. 1 at 170 pounds; Diaz is No. 4 on the list.

Diaz becomes the second high-profile Strikeforce fighter to migrate over to the UFC following Zuffa’s purchase of its rival promotion in March. Jason “Mayhem” Miller signed with the UFC not long after, booking a fight against Aaron Simpson for UFC 132 in July. But White last week announced that Miller will coach against Michael Bisping on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” then face him on the TUF 14 live finale.

But while Miller’s new deal appears to be UFC exclusive, Diaz’s contract could open the door for other fighters to sign new Zuffa deals that would allow them to fight under both banners.

White’s announcement of the Oct. 29, event, a certain pay-per-view, as UFC 137 sets up a busy stretch for the promotion, which has already announced a UFC Fan Expo and event in Houston on Oct. 8. And in April, MMA Fighting was first to report that the UFC was set to return to England for an Oct. 15 event. There are also plans in place for an event in Denver on Sept. 24, plus a return to New Orleans for a Spike special show on Sept. 17.

 

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