Jake Shields
Jake Shields Interview
Hi Jake,
Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions:
MMABay - Ok, there have been a bunch of top names linked with fighting you over the past couple of months. How does it feel to be the source of so much interest, both from fans wanting to see the fights and fighters wanting to fight you?
Shields - It feels good to get some recognition. I’ve been doing this awhile. It’s now been confirmed I’ll be fighting Jason Miller for the middleweight title on Nov. 7th and will air on CBS.
MMABay - There has been a lot of talk about Cung Le’s decision to relinquish the Strikeforce middleweight crown. What’s your opinion on the situation and do you think fighters should be forced to defend or relinquish their titles?
Shields - Well, I can’t blame him for doing movies, but you do have to defend the title. I believe he’s going to step down, but still do ‘superfights’ from time to time.
MMABay - You have appeared on an episode of ‘Bully Beatdown’ on MTV in the past, opposite your opponent ‘Mayhem’ Miller. What’s your relationship like with ‘Mayhem’ and is this a fight your looking forward to?
Shields - We're friends, but neither of us have any problem fighting each other. Ya, I look forward to this fight. Miller's a good opponent and it should be a battle.
MMABay - What do you think to his recent comments that he’s going to “beat the piss” out of you and how much do you think he said that to try and hype up the fight with you?
Shields - Well, maybe he believes it, but it'’ll be the other way around. And as I told someone else, on the show he does the talking and I do the fighting. This will be another case of that.
MMABay - What’s your schedule in terms of training like between fights?
Shields - It definitely helps to have a date and good opponent. That’s what motivates a fighter. It's a lot of work even in between fights. I never stop training, but the training gets really stepped up for the actual fights.
MMABay - Let’s talk about your weight for a second. You recently moved up to fight Robbie Lawler at a 182lbs catch-weight, now it seems that your next opponent, whoever that may be, will be at 185lbs. Is fighting at middleweight something you’re doing because you want to, or do you feel that a lack of opponents at 170 right now is forcing the move?
Shields - Right now I feel Strikeforce has higher profile fights for me at 185 pounds.
MMABay - Long term, where does your future lie in terms of weight-classes? Are you looking at a permanent move to 185lbs, or do you see yourself moving back to 170? Do you see yourself maybe competing in numerous classes, a la Anderson Silva?
Shields - 170 pounds is my natural weight, but I think I can compete at either weight, so we’ll see how it goes.
MMABay - Your team-mate Nick Diaz is another fighter who has jumped between weight-classes and competed at catch-weights in order to get good fights. There has been some debate recently regarding team-mates Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida refusing to fight each other; what’s your take on the situation and is there any chance that we could see you and Nick face off in a catch-weight bout?
Shields - No, Nick and I won’t fight. We’ve been training together for about 10 years and are good friends. Don’t see any need to fight each other. But there are people I train with, like at AKA, and we’ve all agreed we would fight.
MMABay - You’re a highly ranked fighter, so at some point, the question of competing in the UFC is bound to come up. Is this something that you are looking at in the future? How do you see yourself stacking up against the current crop of UFC welterweights and middleweights?
Shields - I think I’m right there with any of the UFC fighters. Right now I'm with Strikeforce and being treated really well. We'll just have to see what’s in the future, in the future.
MMABay - Are there any sponsors you'd like to mention before we wrap it up?
Shields - Yes, thanks to my sponsors Tapout, Champion Nutrition and Rockstar. And check out my Signature T-shirt by Tapout on their website. And thanks to all my fans for all their support.
MMABay - Thanks for your time Jake, and good luck with your next fight!
Shields - Thanks.(An exclusive interview for MMABay.co.uk)
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