The name Jake Shields is very familiar to most fight fans. The 35-year-old Welterweight has been a pro since 1999 and has fought in just about every major organization. He was the only Elite XC Welterweight champion, and held the Welterweight belt in both Shooto and Strikeforce.
Born in Summertown, Tennessee he now fights out of San Francisco, California as part of Team Cesar Gracie. Shields holds a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and was formerly a NCAA Division II Wrestler. He also earned Bronze and Gold in both the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship and the Pan American Championships respectively.
Jake currently fights in the Welterweight division for the WSOF. I had a chance to sit down with Jake after his WSOF debut win over Ryan Ford.
Aaron Robbins: Jake thank you for sitting down with me. First, congratulations on your win. How are you doing, are you healthy?
Jake Shields: “Thank you, yeah everything went good. I didn’t get hurt at all and I’m already back to training. Now I’m helping Gilbert Melendez get ready for his fight.”
AR: It was a quick fight, you got the submission finish in the first round. It seems a little marred by the fact that Ford came out immediately and claimed he fought you with a broken arm.
JS: “Yeah personally I think its kind of B.S. He was doing push-ups and seemed fine during the weigh-ins; I think it’s a cop-out. If you take the fight and go into the fight you have to face the consequences. Most top fighters have gone into a fight injured. It’s happened to me and you just deal with it. It’s just a cheap cop-out.”
AR: I wasn’t in his corner so I can’t speculate, but it did look like he was swinging full power. He knocked you down with a quick punch early. It didn’t look like he was holding back.
JS: “He certainly wasn’t holding back, and like I said he was doing push-ups as a warm up. I don’t think he would’ve been doing that if his arm was broken. I’m sure it was hurt, but I doubt it was broken.”
AR: So you said you’re already back to training. What’s going over at Cesar Gracie?
JS: “I’m helping Gilbert Melendez train for his fight. He has a big fight coming up so I’ve been there helping him prepare. As far as my fights go I feel totally healthy and motivated so I’d like to get back in there as soon as possible.”
AR: It looks like Jon Fitch and Rousimar Palhares are going to go at it next. Who does that leave you open to fight next?
JS: “I don’t really know. I’ll have to talk with WSOF and see who they have for me. I do have the option of waiting for the title shot, but I would really rather get out there and get another fight. At this point who knows? I could sit and wait, but I’ll let my coaches decide what happens next.”
AR: I was disappointed when you were let go by the UFC, but very pleased to see you picked up by WSOF. Do you feel more comfortable over at World Series?
JS: “Yeah I really like being at WSOF. They treat me very well over here. I hope to help them continue growing the brand.”
AR: Prior to you leaving the UFC you had lost to Hector Lombard, but had come into that fight with a win over Tyron Woodley. Just recently Woodley refused to fight Hector. What are your thoughts on fighters that refuse to fight who is next in line?
JS: “I guess it was probably a smart move on Woodley’s part. I guess he can do what he wants. I’m not that type of guy. I’ve never dodged anyone. I’ll step up and fight whoever. Tyron is playing it safe. He wants to keep his ranking so that’s his move. It’s not the way I do things, but ultimately he has to do what he thinks is best.”
AR: That is a very diplomatic answer. Do you have a feeling that you will fight before the end of 2014, or do you think you’ll be waiting?
JS: “Probably not before the end of this year because there isn’t much time left. I would like to fight in December, but I don’t know what shows they have left for this year.”
AR: Do you have any predictions on the Fitch vs Palhares fight?
JS: “It’s a really interesting fight in many ways. Palhares has massive leg-locks, but Fitch is a smart fighter who is very durable as well. He is a fighter that can get you down and find a way to win. If I had to pick a fighter to win that one I would say Fitch, but either way I’m excited for the fight.”
AR: Who would you prefer to fight?
JS: “I would like to fight them both. Give me either guy. With Palhares, he has the stronger Jiu Jitsu so that’s a good match. Fitch is a tough well-rounded guy so that would be a great fight as well.”
AR: You were originally slated to fight Fitch for your WSOF debut, is that correct?
JS: “Yeah. I had a minor shoulder injury and I only had six weeks to rehab, so it wasn’t quite enough time for the shoulder to heal. It was minor and I was able to recover fast, but I missed out on that opportunity.”
AR: How is the camp going with Gilbert?
JS: “It’s fantastic. He is still a ways out, but he looks great. Everything is going perfect. If he keeps training like this and executes his game plan I think he is going to bring home that belt.”
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOS_chirodoc. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
Get more pictures like this from SHERDOG.COM
