Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, NewsUFC president Dana White can finally stop having to answer questions about signing Jake Shields. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion is UFC bound, says the official website of Shields’ Cesar Gracie camp.
UFC president Dana White can finally stop having to answer questions about signing Jake Shields. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion is UFC bound, says the official website of Shields’ Cesar Gracie camp.
“Jake’s opponent is one of the UFC’s top contenders and will be announced shortly,” GracieFighter.com stated.
According to SI‘s Josh Gross, the contract isn’t finalized, but the money is agreed to. Gross expects the signing to become official most likely next week.
Shields will move down to the division where he spent the majority of his career, 170 pounds.
(Jake initially felt some trepidations about it, but Dana assured him that everyone who signs a UFC contract takes pictures like this. PicProps: Sherdog, obviously.)
It must add a certain amount of insult to injury for Strikeforce that the UFC is takin…
(Jake initially felt some trepidations about it, but Dana assured him that everyone who signs a UFC contract takes pictures like this. PicProps: Sherdog, obviously.)
It must add a certain amount of insult to injury for Strikeforce that the UFC is taking its sweet time signing Jake Shields. It’s almost like Dana White wants to remind Scott Coker (and everybody else) that the MMA world starts and stops at his convenience, not theirs. Yeah, just as soon as he rolls out of bed around 11 o’clock this morning, hits the gym, lunches at Delmonico’s, spends the requisite few minutes berating Marty Cordova and swings by Pinkberry for his snack, he might – if nothing else comes up – get around to locking down the excommunicated Strikeforce champ. Why be so leisurely about it? Because he can, motherfucker. Where else is Shields really going to go?
Despite reports this week from Shields’ own team that he’d finally slapped his John Hancock on one of the UFC’s notoriously draconian legal agreements, the company itself continues to deny it has formally come to terms with the Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu product. According to an MMA Fighting.com story published late Friday night however, Shields’ signing actually is looming and once it goes down, he could be looking at facing Martin Kampmann at welterweight in his promotional debut.
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsUFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting on Friday that Jake Shields has yet to officially sign with the UFC, but that doesn’t mean plans for Shields’ debut with the company aren’t moving forward.
UFC President Dana White told MMA Fighting on Friday that Jake Shields has yet to officially sign with the UFC, but that doesn’t mean plans for Shields’ debut with the company aren’t moving forward.
So confident is the company that Shields will soon be in the fold that his first opponent has apparently been selected. Two sources close to the situation have told MMA Fighting that Shields will likely make his first foray into the octagon against welterweight contender Martin Kampmann.
Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Shields’ signing is expected to be finalized in the next several days as the UFC moves to populate upcoming events.
Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, NewsLate Thursday evening, Graciefighter.com reported that Jake Shields had come to terms with the UFC, and would debut in the organization as a welterweight in the near future.
Late Thursday evening, Graciefighter.com reported that Jake Shields had come to terms with the UFC, and would debut in the organization as a welterweight in the near future.
However, when MMA Fighting contacted Dana White to confirm the report, the UFC president refuted it.
Yes, there’s a very good chance that in your internet travels today, you will likely not come across a more predictable headline than above (save something similar to ‘What Lindsay Will Learn in Jail’). Okay, to be fair, while everyone and their clairvoyant dog expected Jake Shields to sign with the UFC (the chances rose […]
Yes, there’s a very good chance that in your internet travels today, you will likely not come across a more predictable headline than above (save something similar to ‘What Lindsay Will Learn in Jail’). Okay, to be fair, while everyone and their clairvoyant dog expected Jake Shields to sign with the UFC (the chances rose to what? 99% or so after he was released by Strikeforce?) there had been some talk that he might consider staying at middleweight.
Well, according to a report on Graciefighter.com (which is run by Cesar Gracie– the dude that taught Shield’s much of his ‘that’s a wrap’ ground game), Shields has indeed finally inked a deal with the UFC.
Jake Shields will be debuting at the 170lbs weight division in the UFC. After careful consideration and consulting with UFC representatives it was determined Jake would be finally going back to his original fighting weight…Jake’s opponent is one of the UFC’s top contenders and will be announced shortly
Cool beans. As far as debuting at welterweight, really, for the time being, that seems like the best choice for both Shields and the UFC (Dana White never seemed too thrilled about the idea of the former Strikeforce champ remaining at 185). Shields is a natural welterweight, and although he’s taken out bigger dudes like Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson, there are some beasts in the UFC middleweight division. In other words, why put a huge free agent acquisition where he can’t be his very best? That can come later if need be.
So, it will be interesting to see which ‘top contender’ Shields faces first. If he wins- does he roll into a bout with the winner of GSP/ Koscheck II?
(Time to make the donuts. / Photo courtesy of Strikeforce.)
GracieFighter.com makes it official — and we can forget this nonsense about Jake staying at middleweight:
Jake Shields will be debuting at the 170lbs weight division in the UFC. After…
(Time to make the donuts. / Photo courtesy of Strikeforce.)
Jake Shields will be debuting at the 170lbs weight division in the UFC. After careful consideration and consulting with UFC representatives it was determined Jake would be finally going back to his original fighting weight. Jake’s opponent is one of the UFC’s top contenders and will be announced shortly.
It’s obviously the best way to go. If Shields can run through one or two prominent welterweights by the time Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck finish their little lover’s spat on TUF 12 (and subsequent title fight), he’ll be nicely set up for a shot at the belt. Any guesses as to who he’ll draw first?
UFC president Dana White can finally stop having to answer questions about signing Jake Shields. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion is UFC bound, says the official website of Shields’ Cesar Gracie camp.
UFC President 
Late Thursday evening, 
