» Fighter: Jake Shields

Fighters.com second-ranked middleweight and current Strikeforce champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) will be a free agent on April 17 regardless of if he wins or loses his next fight.

That next fight will be his first title defense and comes against high profile Strikeforce import “Hendo” Dan Henderson (25-7). Typically we see organizations use the “champion clause” in contracts to keep their investments with them once they become a champion.

Shields told MMA Junkie that his fight with Hendo is in fact his final obligation on his Strikeforce contract.

This leaves him in a very unique position. When Jake appeared on MMA Gospel Radio with myself and Gary Friedman, who mentioned that he really wanted a chance to fight Fighters.com and UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2). Georges has stated that he would also welcome a fight with Shields as he feels that he is one of the best in the world.

Shields has recently been a coach on the soon to air UFC program The Ultimate Fighter 11 which leaves many to wonder if this is a step towards him heading to the UFC to get bigger fights with some of the top fighters in the world.

Obviously Jake would like to test the waters to see what he is actually worth on the open market. This could be a tool he can use to get a bigger contract with Strikeforce. The UFC can make him an offer and he could allow Strikeforce to counter if he decides he really wants to stay there.

However there are a few problems with all of this. First, he has to face Henderson before becoming a free agent and a loss would dramatically drop his stock on the market. However, even with a loss the UFC may decide to strike and make him an offer that Strikeforce just can’t match. After all, Dana White seems to love to kick Strikeforce any chance he gets and this would be a Shogun style kick if he can steal Shields.

Even more of a kick in the pants to Strikeforce would be if Shields were to beat Hendo and then leave for the UFC. This would leave them without a champion and one less fighter that they can use to promote big fights. He has been a cornerstone of many of the major cards they have put on to date.

This is without a doubt a very high risk, high reward for Shields and I know all of us will be watching to see just how this unfolds.

“It’s the 17th and it’s full steam ahead,” said Strikefore CEO Scott Coker in an MMA Junkie interview Friday. “The 17th was always a good day when we chose it. We still feel the same way, and so does CBS.”

Rumors had surfaced that the date of the second Strikeforce event to air live on CBS could be moved depending on the UFC’s decision to air counter programming coinciding with the Strikeforce broadcast.

Read More About Strikeforce in Nashville Set for April 17…

In an interview with MMA Weekly Radio, Fighters.com second-ranked middleweight and Strikeforce champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) called former baseball all-star turned fighter Jose Canseco (0-1) “kind of a scumbag”.

Read More About Strikeforce Champ Jake Shields: Jose Canseco is a Scumbag….

Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) might fight next for Strikefore in Nashville on April 17, according to an MMA Junkie Report.

Read More About Strikeforce’s Fedor Emelianenko, Jake Shields Likely Heading to Nashville According to Report…

There were no fights in the mixed martial arts welterweight top ten in January and, therefore, no movement in the rankings for February.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) are set to battle for the top spot at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  Predictions range far and wide, from Hardy has one foot in the grave to Hardy is the man to upset St. Pierre like “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) di at UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.

Read More About Predictions on Georges St. Pierre Versus Dan Hardy at UFC 111 Run the Gamut – Fighters.com’s February Welterweight Top Ten…

“I think [Vitor Belfort] is a great fighter,” Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked middleweight “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) told MMA Weekly Radio recently.  “I don’t necessarily agree with him getting a shot or whatever, just because he really hasn’t fought at 85,” he added.

Read More About Strikeforce’s Jake Shields vs. Dan Henderson Title Fight is Better Than UFC’s Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort – Fighters.com’s January Middleweight Top Ten…

Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) has one chance at beating Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  It’s a slim chance, despite the hype that is being spun to convince us that the Hardy versus St. Pierre matchup is competitive.

Read More About UFC’s Dan Hardy, Ben Saunders Surging – Fighters.com’s January Welterweight Rankings…

The main event of UFC Fight Night 20 on January 11 is Fighters.com fifth-ranked lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) versus Nate Diaz (10-5) in a battle for title contention. Many questions will be answered in this fight about these two fighters who are both searching for that title shot against Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion ”Prodigy” B.J. Penn (15-5-1).

Read More About UFC Fight Night 20 Preview: Gray Maynard is a Stronger Fighter than Nate Diaz…

“I finish fights,” declared Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4) soon after losing a unanimous decision to then UFC lightweight champion “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) at UFC 64 in Las Vegas in 2006.

Read More About UFC’s Jon Fitch Needs a Makeover – Fighters.com’s December Welterweight Rankings…

MMA Gospel Radio presents another amazing show this week. Reverend Turk and Gary Friedman welcome Hermes Franca (19-8) as the first guest on the show. Hermes has signed with MAX Fights DM where he will fight for the interim lightweight belt against January 8.

Read More About Tonight on MMA Gospel Radio: Hermes Franca, Tyron Woodley and Jake Shields…