Only 5’10”, Akiyama made the decision to drop to 170 pounds after falling in three straight fights including a brutal knockout loss to Vitor Belfort in August. He holds past wins in his career over Melvin Manhoef, Denis Kang, and Alan Belcher, as well as a number of exciting performances to his credit including a “Fight of the Year” candidate against Chris Leben at UFC 116.

Shields is also coming off a strike-based stoppage after Jake Ellenberger finished him off less than a minute into their headlining bout at UFC Battle on the Bayou. Prior to the defeat he had gone the distance against Georges St. Pierre, becoming the first fighter to win a round from the Canadian champ in years, and entered the title-fight coming off victories over Martin Kampmann, Jason Miller, and Dan Henderson.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Jake Shields

The wound is still healing for Shields but the process has been greatly assisted by the prospect of facing Jake Ellenberger in New Orleans at UFN 25 as he revealed in a moving interview with the UFC.

Though ultimately a “pretty easy decision” to carry through on his commitment, the former Strikeforce middleweight champ admitted he wasn’t initially so sure.

“Of course the first few minutes I was little in shock and I didn’t know if I could fight or not, but then I got my head clear and I figured it was a thing I needed to do for several reasons,” Shields explained. “One, him being my manager, my biggest supporter and fan, he would want me to do that. And I think I need to do it for myself too. I think if I would have pulled out of the fight it would have put me into a lot more of a depression. This way it gives me something to keep focusing my energy on and keep moving forward. Bad things happen in life, and we were really close, so of course it’s hard, but I can’t just stop my life and not do anything. It’s not what he would want, not what I want, and I’ve got to go on and continue doing positive things.”

Preparing for Ellenberger has also been therapeutic for the 32-year old Californian, who elaborated, saying, “I definitely think it helps a lot because, of course, I have those moments where it hits me. There have been times when I went to go call him about something, and I realize that he’s not there to call, and it hurts. But there’s so much going on with the fight that I have to stay focused. And when you’re sparring, you have to have your head together. You can’t go drifting off. So I’m able to put my head in the right spot every day, and it keeps me feeling better.”

While his heart may be a bit heavier than normal, Shields’ spirit certainly seems as lively as ever. When asked about what he expected to unfold in the Big Easy, Shields candidly replied, “I want to make a huge statement and I want to blow this kid out of the water. I want to show that I can beat him on the feet, on the ground, anywhere. I want to go out there hungry and put him away. I don’t want the fight to go the distance.”

Shields and Ellenberger will meet in the main event on Spike TV with the card’s broadcast starting at 9:00 PM EST with the preliminary card streaming through Facebook a few hours earlier.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

However, according to multiple outlets, rather than understandably withdraw from the September 17 bout against Jake Ellenberger, Shields has opted to maintain his commitment to the clash in the Crescent City with a decision echoing Brett Favre taking to the field on Monday Night Football in 2003 a day after his father’s passing.

“He will fight,” trainer Cesar Gracie commented to MMAWeekly.

Shields had won fifteen in a row before being outpointed by Georges St. Pierre last April at UFC 129. He holds past wins over Carlos Condit, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Robbie Lawler, Yushin Okami, and Dan Henderson.

In Ellenberger he faces a 24-5 competitor who has come away with his hands raised in four straight fights. Twenty of his victories have been the result of a stoppage.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 24-5 Ellenberger began lobbying for a match-up with Shields shortly after the Californian’s loss to St. Pierre and will get his wish on September 17, albeit one with a potentially steep price given Shields’ skill on the mat. However, “The Juggernaut” brings a lot to the table as well with past wins over John Howard, Pat Healy, and Mike Pyle, plus finishes in 20 of his 24 total victories including fifteen by way of TKO.

Wile Ellenberger’s accomplishments are certainly worth pointing out, especially in terms of finishing percentage, they somewhat pale in comparison to Shields’ who has beaten some of the sport’s best and been considered a “Top 5” welterweight for years. Among the twenty-six notches on his belt are wins over Martin Kampmann, Jason Miller, Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami, and current Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Dan Henderson.

The pair of Jakes will join a “Battle on the Bayou” card already set to feature appearances from two Ultimate Fighter winners, Jonathan Brookins and Court McGee, as well as the return of Alan Belcher from a potentially career-ending eye injury. Brookins is scheduled to face Erik Koch with McGee taking on Dongi Yang and Belcher in action against Jason MacDonald.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

St. Pierre will serve as a familiar face on the show after having been part of UFC Primetime specials for past bouts against Dan Hardy and B.J. Penn, while Shields is obviously a newcomer to the treatment as the match-up with GSP is only his second appearance in the Octagon.

Both fighters hold two of the more impressive winning streaks in MMA with St. Pierre having found success in eight straight bouts dating back to August 2007 and Shields nearly doubling the impressive mark at fifteen victories over a few more years. Among the former Strikeforce middleweight champ’s victims are Martin Kampmann, Yushin Okami, Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, Jason Miller, Paul Daley, and Dan Henderson. Comparably, “Rush” has taken out a number of notable adversaries as well including Penn, Hardy, Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves, and Jon Fitch.

St. Pierre’s previous in-ring outing came in Montreal, a dominating decision win over Josh Koscheck last month at UFC 124, and played a major role in drawing more than 23,000 fans to the Bell Centre to set the current record for attendance. “Rush” improved his record to 21-2 with the performance, his eighth straight victory in the Octagon.

Comparably, his challenger at UFC 129 has nearly doubled GSP’s streak of consecutive wins, as the former Strikeforce middleweight champ has emerged with his hands raised fifteen straight times including success against Dan Henderson, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami, Paul Daley, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Robbie Lawler, and of course Martin Kampmann in his UFC debut last October. Shields is 26-4-1 overall in his career with only a single loss by way of a finishing performance. He has not lost in more than six years.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

When I became an editor at Five Ounces of Pain, one of my first orders of business was to re-establish the site’s rankings. Throughout this week I will be providing a list of fifteen Mixed Martial Artists currently competing in a specific weight-class with the intention of subjectively sorting out the involved names from “exceptional” to “pretty frakkin’ good!”

As already alluded to, I’m well-aware that these kinds of lists are not doctrine and won’t insult you by pretending my set of names should be the mirror reflection of your own. In some divisions, it’s difficult to determine who the #1 fighter actually is and the reality is that a sport like MMA thrives on its unpredictable nature. When two finely-tuned individuals step into a cage and let loose the difference between consciousness and looking up at the ceiling is a matter of milliseconds no matter who is ranked where.

That being said, I invite you all to join in on the discussion in the “Comments” section below the article.

Welterweight is a tricky poundage to ponder. While a certain Canadian who recently got an ESPN commercial appears to be the easy favorite for the chief slot, even he has faltered in the past to lesser opposition and has a newly-signed, former middleweight champ hot on his heels. There’s also a sneering, sublimely talented Boilermaker and a son of Stockton to consider towards the top. The rest seem to be poised for “5A” and “5B” designations or are at least skilled enough to dethrone even the best 170er out there under the right circumstances.

And away we go…

1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)

Was there ever any doubt St. Pierre would be sitting atop the list? While GSP has recently earned a reputation for essentially being too good, and capitalizing on his ability to control opponents in an intelligent fashion, the truth is he’s turned in finishing performances in three of his last six fights and nearly submitted Dan Hardy. It would have also been hard to blame the corners of Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves had they thrown in the towel after the physical abuse each man took at the limbs of St. Pierre.

2. Jake Shields (26-4-1)

Shields receives a lot of criticism based on his approach to competition but his place in the division isn’t based on entertainment value; it’s the result of…well…results. The former Strikeforce champ has racked an impressive number of notches up on his record including wins over Yushin Okami – currently next in line for a middleweight title-shot – and former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit on the same night in 2006. Shields also has victories over respected 185-pounders like Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, and Jason “Mayhem” Miller. He may not have looked sharp against Martin Kampmann, but he was coming off an extended absence from 170 and still got the win over a “Top 10” adversary. He’s beaten other tough welters and hasn’t lost is nearly six years. Need I say more?

3. Jon Fitch (23-3)

The fan in me wants to rank Fitch at the two-spot but the realist in me doesn’t feel he deserves it. While I’m absolutely an avid supporter of the AKA front-man, he hasn’t shown the ability to finish fighters he should be a definite step above like Mike Pierce, Chris Wilson, or Kuniyoshi Hironaka. He’s a solid #3, but Shields has tapped or TKO’d eight of the last eleven individuals he’s fought and for that fact alone he deserves to come out a nose ahead in the race.

4. Nick Diaz (23-7)

As wonderful as it would be to judge “2010 Diaz” against the essentially 75% of this list competing for the UFC, I can only go by what he’s done outside of the Octagon and as such he definitely deserves to be in the “Top 5”. He’s won eight straight and twelve of his last thirteen while only having been legitimately finished a single time in his thirty-fight career. He’s a threat when standing, or if action hits the canvas, and is more rounded than Fitch or Shields in that regard.

5. Josh Koscheck (15-4)

This is the point the rankings become a little murky for me. Koscheck is only 4-2 in his last six fights and hasn’t beaten a consensus “Top 10” guy since perhaps Diego Sanchez in 2007 (while losing to the other three he faced). Still, he’s an extremely skilled wrestler with good submission skills and the ability to leave an opponent rubber-legged with ever-improving hands.

6. Carlos Condit (26-5)

Condit may deserve to supplant Koscheck in the “Top 5”, as the only blemish on his record since June 2006 is a split-decision loss to the #9 guy on these rankings. However, he hasn’t faced quite as many “Top 10” guys as the polarizing Ultimate Fighter alumnus/coach so it’s difficult to know exactly where he should fall. Still, Condit has won three consecutive fights since the Kampmann loss, including a first-round knockout of the man below him on this list, and had his hands raised in the end leven of the last twelve times he’s entered the ring.

7. Dan Hardy (23-8)

I’m not sure how I can justify Hardy in this spot with back-to-back losses other than to say his relative competition for the designation have also hit hard times over the last 12-18 months and each defeat came to a “Top 10” welterweight. Minus the two losses, and an accidental groin-kick DQ three years ago, the Brit hasn’t lost while racking up eleven victories during the span. He seems to be improving each time out in terms of wrestling and has an underrated ground-game to compliment his speed/striking. As long as he continues to progress, I wouldn’t say he’s too far away from putting it all together and making another legitimate run at the belt.

8. Thiago Alves (17-7)

Also victim of two losses in his previous pair of fights, Alves has beaten a number of highly touted opponents including a trio of competitors on this list. His main fault seems to be an ability to handle high-level wrestling (or the necessary weight-cut to make the 171-pound welterweight limit). If he can figure out a way to slim down without sacrificing his explosiveness, not to mention stuff a hotly-contested takedown, there’s no reason he can’t beat anyone he stands opposite from in the cage.

9.Martin Kampmann (17-4)

Kampmann’s only issue seems to be with taking power-shots to the chin and, frankly, how many fighters can eat leather without crumpling at some point? He took Shields to the limit at UFC 121 and has looked sharp at welterweight since dropping down from a successful stint at 185 pounds. The Dane’s Muay Thai is as crisp as a pretzel and sometimes overshadows his ability to tangle foes up like the baked snack too, as he’s never been tapped in twenty-one fights while having almost an equal number of submissions on his record as he does TKOs.

10. Matt Hughes (45-8)

Like many of you, I found myself starting to believe in Hughes divisional resurgence and was shocked, though satisfied, with the ending to his trilogy with B.J. Penn this past weekend. However, he did beat Ricardo Almeida and Matt Serra prior to the loss, not to mention Chris Lytle before running into GSP and agreeing to fight an overweight Alves on late notice. Hughes has found a lot of success against a number of tough opponents and will remain relevant as long as he fights due to his blend of strength, cardio, and wrestling. The 37-year old may not be able to take a clean strike as well as he might have 5-10 years ago but he will always be a major mountain for any welterweight to climb.

11. Diego Sanchez (22-4)

There’s no question Sanchez is a threat to be reckoned with when he’s focused on the task at hand. He brings great intensity in the cage along with multi-level stand-up and fast, powerful submissions. Still, “Nightmare” hasn’t QUITE been able to get over every highly-ranked hurdle he’s encountered in his career but has wins over some top names like Paulo Thiago, Ken Florian, and the afore-mentioned Diaz. He also took Fitch to a split-decision. I’m willing to write off the Hathaway loss to his return from 155 to 170 but Sanchez was smashed by Penn and still cleanly fell to Fitch, not to mention Koscheck, regardless of how the “L” came about.

12. Tyron Woodley (7-0)

Woodley is the only name you’ll find among the fifteen listed here who has earned his spot based on potential more than who he’s actually beaten. Though none of his seven victories have come against especially notable opponents, “T-Wood” has looked exceptional in every outing. The former Missouri State Champion wrestler has great takedowns, is quick, and can fight from any position. He also reminds me a bit of St. Pierre when the current divisional king first came into the UFC based on pure athleticism.

13. Paul Daley (25-9-2)

Regardless of what you think about Daley’s post-fight sucker-punch of Koscheck, “Semtex” is still a supremely talented striker who has taken out his share of tough fighters. He’s a great addition to Strikeforce and should turn in some classics starting as soon as next week with his upcoming match-up against Scott Smith.

14. Paulo Thiago (13-3)

Similar to a few of the folks who are ranked higher, Thiago is coming off consecutive losses to “Top 10” competition. Dropping decisions to Sanchez, Kampmann, and Fitch a few fights earlier has far less impact than it might if any of the defeats had involved a submission/TKO. It’s also worth considering that Thiago can’t train full time due to his commitments as part of a special Brazilian Police unit.

15. Chris Lytle (30-17-5)

Lytle is still seeking a “career defining” win in the Octagon, which is why he’s this low on the list, but I wouldn’t be surprised to seem him attain at least one of them over the next year or two. The Indiana fireman has won five of his last six fights and is stiff test in any area of the ring. Consider this – Lytle has never been cleanly finished in his 50+ fight career. He’s lost bouts due to cuts and fifteen based on judges’ scorecards but never by a submission or strike-based TKO. It’s a remarkable statistic and one I’d challenge anyone to top.

Honorable Mentions

B.J. Penn (16-7-1): Though Penn’s knockout of Hughes was jaw-droppingly impressive, it was his first win at 170 pounds in six-and-a-half years for Baby Jay. If he can beat Fitch in Februray at UFC 127, which is far from a guarantee in my opinion, he’ll obviously jump up a lot higher in the rankings.
John Hathaway (14-1): The British youngster may have been exposed against Mike Pyle in his first career loss last month, but Hathaway has taken out some tough foes in his short career and appears to have a ton of upside based on the skills he’s exhibited thus far, not to mention his size and age.
Jake Ellenberger (22-5): The 25-year old has won six of his last seven with the lone stumble being a razor-thin decision loss to Condit in which he nearly finished “The Natural Born Killer” on more than one occasion. He’s also beaten the likes of Pyle, John Howard, and Pat Healy, and has upside for days when it comes to how far he could go in MMA if he gets minimally better in all areas.

Dana White Discusses his Initial Meeting with Fedor Emelianenko (Versus.com)

UFC and THQ Extend Partnership for “Undisputed” Title (MMAConvert.com)

Martin Kampmann is Ready to Expose Jake Shields in the Ring (Heavy.com)

Claude Patrick Not Happy with UFC 120 Win (FIGHT! Magazine)

Joe Rogan Does His Best Mauro Renallo Impersonation (MMAScraps.com)

Mike Pyle Talks About Handing John Hatahway his First Career Loss (WatchKalibRun.com)

Chris Horodecki Could Be Fighting Donald Cerrone at WEC 53 (CagePotato.com)

Josh Barnett has a Message for Fabricio Werdum (MiddleEasy.com)

Tito Ortiz Talks Health, No Longer Drinking (MMAFighting.com)

Jake Shields and Jason “Mayhem” Miller may have settled things in the cage, but both are taking their fight to a new arena…Twitter.

There is no denying the dislike these two fighters have for each other. Prior to their match up at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, both had spewed verbal assaults to one another, but the bad blood was thought to have ended after the decision win for Jake Shields.

Not so fast.

Miller started the internet exchange by posting on his Twitter account:

Jake, the worst damage you did was give me staph, zit covered leg humper

Shields countered with a picture of himself next to his belt collection, tweeting:

You seem upset

Never one to be outdone, Miller struck back in obvious reference to the near fight ending rear-naked choke that was cut short by the bell in the pair’s match-up:

hugged your way to all those? Let’s do it again, I’ll hold on after the bell this time

Which prompted Shields to (stay with me here) tweet:

I’m on to bigger & better fights like always. I mean ur last real win was when you beat up your girlfriend and got arrested

Finally, Miller went all-out and posted a picture of, what he claimed was, “The lone damage from his fight- Staph Infection.”

While the Strikeforce Middleweight championship belt has been settled, it appears the beef between the two fighters will continue, at least on the internet….

The Strikeforce middleweight champion has officially stepped down from his position according to CEO Scott Coker in a report from MMAWeekly.com.

Cung Le, who has been busy making movies the past year or so, hasn’t defended the title since winning it against Frank Shamrock back in March 2008.

With the decision of Le stepping down, Jake Shields vs. Jason Miller will now decide the vacant middleweight title. The title bout is now set for the newly announced November 7th card on CBS. The event will be headlined by the heavyweight bout between Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers

Speaking on Cung Le’s decision, Coker said “I had a conversation with Cung and he has a lot of respect for Jake and Jason, and he’s got another movie coming up, so he’s asked me if he could step down, which we’re going to honor his request. By no means does that mean he’s going to be retired, but he’s going to be unavailable for the next two months.”

Recent reports that the two were going to meet in October gave fight fans a lot to be excited about. However, with a contract never officially signed the reports seem to be nothing but wishful thinking, and based on recent comments by Jake Shields, the fight might never happen.

Recently Miller took the opportunity during an interview with CagePotato.com to tell everyone who was listening what he thought of Jake Shields, saying,”Dude, I will beat the piss out of Jake Shields, and he knows it. If everyone thinks I’m gonna lose, that’s fine. I’ll prove them wrong when we get in the cage against each other. I do everything better than him, and I’m bigger than him and stronger than him! I don’t understand, people think that because he stomped out some 170-pounders and caught Robbie Lawler in a damn guillotine, that all of a sudden he’s the second coming of Christ. Well guess what, dude? I’m gonna smash him. When I fight him, I’ll smash him.

Shields came back with his own rebuttal recently to GracieFighter.com,”He’ll beat the piss out of me..? He’s the one that won’t sign the contract. I would sign that fight tonight but he just wants to talk and act tough, but he’s the one that won’t sign. His manager tells us the fight is on, Miller has agreed and then I’m hearing he’s decided he can’t fight in October but would maybe do it in December. He thinks he’s a star now but just like the show I was the only one doing the fighting while he just did the talking. He must think he’s Cung Le now.”

As the war of words heat up, FiveOuncesOfPain.com will continue to update you on if this fight will ever become a reality.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller

Miller recently confirmed the news on myfightteam.com, stating,”I’m set to take on Jake Shields for the middleweight championship of the world in Strikeforce.”

Of course Cung Le is the current Strikeforce 185 pound title holder, but hasn’t managed to defend the belt in a ridiculous amount of time in order to focus on his movie career. It seems as though Mayhem and Shields will be going at it for the interim title, with the winner possibly facing Le in the future.

Miller is the charismatic host of MTV‘s popular television series “Bully Beatdown“, as show where victims obtain revenge through watching their tormentor being brutalized by a professional fighter inside of a cage. Bully Beatdown is currently entering it’s second season.

Mayhem has put together an impressive record of 22-6 while fighting in dozens of organizations ranging from the WEC, DREAM and the UFC. Miller holds wins over the likes of Tim Kennedy, Robbie Lawler and Denis Kang during the course of his career.

Shields had previously been promised the opportunity to fight for the interim championship, it had just been a matter of determining his opponent until now.

Jake is a dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie Jr. He trains among the likes of Gilbert Melendez, along with Nick and Nate Diaz. With a record of 23-4 and having spent a large chunk of his fighting career at 170 pounds, Shields recently jumped up to 185 pound seeking larger challenges. His Strikeforce debut at the weight was a successful one as he slapped Robbie Lawler in a nasty guillotine for the first round submission in June.

The thirty year old Cesar Gracie trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has gone undefeated in the past four years, racking up a dozen consecutive victories over the likes of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit and Paul Daley.

A fighter too talented to be restricted by weight classes, Shields recently jumped from his comfort zone competing at welterweight, and moved up to submit former EliteXC middleweight champion Robbie Lawler in his own division.

As it stands now, Jake is looking at fighting for the Strikeforce interim middleweight championship in October against an opponent yet to be named.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com recently had the opportunity to catch up with Shields and gather his thoughts on the obstacles of being a single father and professional fighter, being tired of Frank Shamrock’s s*** and much more.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. Let start right out by asking how you got into MMA and what intrigued you most about the sport?

Jake Shields: I think I got into the sport much in the same way that many of the other fighters in MMA got into it. I was a wrestler in High School and college (Jake was a 2 time American Wrestler in college). After college I just met Chuck Liddell and began training at his kickboxing academy. Originally I just joined to work out but I found that the feelings I got from training were unmatched. I mean the competition inside the ring or cage is no purer than when it’s one on one between two men.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You are considered one of the premier ground fighters in the world, and one of the founders of “American Jiu-Jitsu”. Can you explain to us what “American Jiu-Jitsu” is?

Jake Shields: American Jiu Jitsu was created to specifically combine the positive aspects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the positives of wrestling. To me sometimes BJJ is a little to patient and waits too long for specific moves to develop while wrestling is to aggressive and doesn’t wait long enough for the openings to develop. I think with AJJ, there is a perfect combination of aggression and patience.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: At one point or another in your life you have defeated Hyato Sakurai, Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, and Robbie Lawler to name a few. Who do you consider the biggest win of your career, and what names want to add to this list?

Jake Shields: That’s pretty hard because each of those fights were big. A lot of those guys I fought outside of a cage so it’s hard to compare. If I had to say one it would be Hyato Sakurai. That was my first big win in Japan. I think that was the one fight that made me say I can be good at this. In regards to who I want to add to the list, I am willing to fight anyone. I believe in the old to be the best you have fight the best so definitely Georges St. Pierre. Oh, and Frank Shamrock because he’s been a dick to me for too long, and I am tired of his shit. I keep challenging and demanding to fight him, but he always has some pussy excuse not to fight me. It was a pretty good feeling when Nick destroyed him. I definitely want to add him to the list

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You are one of three guys to have earned a black-belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Cesar Gracie at the Cesar Gracie Academy. What was that journey like?

Jake Shields: It was a long tough journey but it was an extreme honor especially considering I am only one of three guys (Nick Diaz and David Terrell are the other two) to ever earn one from Cesar. It’s very difficult because Cesar has no specific criteria that he is looking for that you in advance. You just continue to fight and improve yourself until he tells you. The challenge, though, makes you appreciate how tough and how much of an honor it is to earn a black-belt from him.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: One thing that might surprise many of our readers is that you are a single father raising a beautiful little girl. What is that like balancing MMA and being a single father?

Jake Shields: It’s a hard thing to do. I am always very busy training, doing corporate speaking engagements, and shooting shows and promotions. I always make sure that I spend time with her. She’s started in Jiu-Jitsu now so we spend a lot more time with each other. She understands what I do for a living and is very accepting of it. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How does being a Vegan affect your fighting?

Jake Shields: I am not vegan. I am a vegetarian. A lot of people get those two mixed up. I don’t eat meat at all including fish. I do eat eggs but that’s only when I need more protein. I think because this is the way I grew up and not something I took on when I became older, my body doesn’t have as much difficulty as many of the other fighters who convert to being a vegetarian. To me, I think my body feels cleaner and healthier than if I were to eat meat. When it comes to eating though I enjoy it prepared in many different ways. I like Chinese, Thai, Indian. It just really depends on the day.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Your coming up on the one year anniversary of the opening of your own gym in Berkely. How has the experience of being a gym owner been for you?

Jake Shields: I love it. I love knowing that I always have somewhere to go day or night to train without worrying if someone is there to work with. It does present different challenges that I haven’t had to deal with before but it is entirely worth owning. I have most of my friends and guys I train with there. It’s just an awesome experience.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So when you aren’t fighting or training what do you do for fun?

Jake Shields: (laughs) Those days are few and far between. When they do come around I do enjoy spending time with my daughter and friends just hanging out or going hiking.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So how does knowing what Fedor was “offered” make you feel as a fighter?

Jake Shields: Honestly, I am not upset all by it. It really shows you how high the bars are set for MMA fighters now. I am glad to see that the paydays are starting to increase. I remember when I first started out fighting saying to myself if I earned $25 or $30 grand a fight I would be extremely happy. Now I see where the sport has gone and I am motivated to keep trying to be the best fighter in the world so when I do negotiate my contracts I can be paid well. I think this is what fighters have to strive for. So congratulations to Fedor for whatever he signed for and I’ll make mine when the time is right.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You, the Diaz brothers, Dave Terrell and Gilbert Melendez are called the “scrap pack.” If they made a movie called “The Scrap Pack” who plays you guys and why?

Jake Shields: (laughs) Never heard that one before. That’s a hard one. I know I’d want to be played by Brad Pitt that way when the ladies see the movie, they’ll be like, “If Brad Pitt played him he has to be a guy we want to meet” (laughs). I think Johnny Depp would play a great Nick because Nick is definitely a weird guy. He’s cool as can be, but he is definitely the strange guy in the group. While we’re at it, let’s have him play Nate too. That’d be pretty interesting. I have no clue about Gilbert and Dave. I’ll have to think about that one and go from there.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: So what’s next for you man?

Jake Shields: You know I have no clue. I am just sitting back waiting to find out when and where I’ll fight next. I am ready to go now but it isn’t like that in this sport (Since the interview Jake has been notified that he will fight for the Strikeforce Middleweight Interim Championship in October while Cung Le continues to focus on movies rather than defending his belt). I am filming another episode of Bully Beatdown. I am helping Nick and Gilbert train for their upcoming fights. So other than that not much else is going on right now.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

Jake Shields: I think that most people are amazed by the fact that although we fight for a living, most of us are pretty cool guys. I know there are certain fighters out there who are assholes, but most of us are cool guys.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Would you fight Nick Diaz if the price was right?

Jake Shields: You know I am going to have to say no here as Nick is a great personal friend of mine. I mean we train together as it is so I mean if we were to fight who would we train with? Now, I mean if we are talking Fedor money then I think Nick and I would come to an agreement to fight but I think yeah, I am going to say no here.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What’s your pick for Carano vs. Cyborg and do you think the 5 minute rounds are good for women?

Jake Shields: I am pretty torn here. I know Gina is a hell of a fighter and Cyborg is extremely aggressive and strong. Part of me wants to pick Gina and another part says Cyborg. If I had to bet I think I would probably go with Gina here. About the five minute rounds, I say if they want the same treatment that men get when they fight in the cage they should have to have the same rules. The only issue I have is that I think immediately jumping into 5 minute rounds could be a little bit much. If it was me I think I would have gone with three 5 minute rounds to start rather than five 5 minute rounds, but again if they want to be like the men then they will have to follow the same rules.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Thank you for taking time out of your day to talk with 5 Oz’s. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Jake Shields: Definitely. I would like to thank Tapout, Metal Mulisha, and all of my sponsors, friends and family who have helped me get to this stage in my career and the fans.

Strikeforce President Scott Coker recently confirmed the news Monday evening during an interview with TapouT Radio, explaining that the current Strikeforce 185 pound champion is a man of many obligations at the moment.

“With Cung, he has a couple of obligations,” Coker began to explain. “He has fight obligations for us, and then he has obligations for some movie deals that he has signed on to.”

However, luckily for us, the fans of the sport, Coker and Strikeforce are stepping up to do the right thing in this situation.

“What we will do for Cung is, in October, we’re going to let somebody fight for the interim belt,” said Coker.

“We’re going to offer it to Jake [Shields], and give Jake a chance at the interim belt. Then we’ll try to put Cung together with the winner of that before the end of the year.”

Sporting an impressive record of 23-4-1 and compiling wins over the likes of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit and Paul Daley, Shields rapidly earned a reputation as one of the most feared competitors at 170 pounds before recently jumping up to middleweight where he submitted “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in the first round at “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields” in June. The Cesar Gracie trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt has not suffered a defeat in his last dozen outings.

With Jake Shields now expected to face an undetermined opponent for the Strikeforce interim middleweight crown, and Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem both expected to make separate appearances on the same card, the October Strikeforce event is quickly shaping up to be the best in the promotion’s history.

Headliners Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields spoke to media on Tuesday about competing at a catch-weight of 182 pounds as well as a few other topics related to their upcoming bout.

“It is nice not having to diet all the time so hopefully I’ll go in there feeling stronger,” said Shields, who usually tips the scales at 170 pounds. ”Dieting and sucking water – all of that can take it out of you. There are positives and disadvantages to it. It’s always nice being the bigger guy but it’s also nice to not have to diet or cut water out. So there are two ways of looking at it. I’ll just have to go out there and see how I feel on Saturday.”

Lawler was a little less enthusiastic about the prospect of dropping down further than he normally does for a fight.

“I’m going to make it,” said the concrete-handed former/forever EliteXC Middleweight Champion. ”I don’t want to make it but I’m going to make it. This whole time off I was thinking of getting a little leaner and cutting a little more weight than normal so I think I’ll be fine.”

Considered among the best in their respective divisions, the mutual appreciation of skills between the two certainly appeared to be in place. Both seemed to have a realistic assessment of his opponent’s abilities and neither man talked trash towards the other. 

“I think Robbie’s a great wrestler,” Shield stated in regards to his strategy for the bout. ”He’s always been surrounded by good college wrestlers. He’s certainly not going to be easy to take down. His ground game is his weakest aspect but I haven’t been able to see it lately because not a lot of guys have been able to get him down.”

The California based vegetarian also has a backup plan just in case his grappling is neutralized.

“Punch him in the face,” said Shields. ”That always helps. If he takes me down I just have to punch back.”

Though as different in lifestyle as in-ring style, Lawler had a similar assessment to Shields on how the two stacked up against each other.

“I definitely don’t want him on top of me,” admitted Lawler. ”He’s got a great top game and he looks to finish – looks to mount and looks to improve position – so being on the ground is definitely not a good place to be.”

Does that mean he’ll be looking for a first round knockout?

“However I can get a win,” answered the man who is as soft-spoken as he is hard-hitting.

“Aoki is a guy I’d like to fight, and Strikeforce has mentioned him as a potential opponent,” Shields said.

Originally, Shields was very close to squaring off with former UFC fighter Joe Riggs. That was not a fight Shields wanted to have.

“Personally, I was never really excited about it,” Shields said. “I said I would do it because I’ll fight anyone they want, but the fight doesn’t get me too excited.”

Strikeforce has also talked about another possibility down the line for Shields.

“Strikeforce has brought up the name of Frank Trigg,” Shields said.

Trigg and Shields have had a war of words through various forums that has gone on for a few years. The two have never faced each other, and each fighter has mentioned the other when asked why the fight has not taken place.

Tan and former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields discussed why Shields requested a shot at Robbie Lawler, the adjustments he will have to make in preparing for Lawler instead of Joe Riggs, thoughts on a potential dream fight vs. Shinya Aoki, whether a showdown with Frank Trigg is possible, and more.

According a published report, Shields has agreed to fight former UFC veteran Joe Riggs in a welterweight matchup to be contested during Strikeforce’s April 11 event in San Jose that is to be telecast on Showtime.

The news was first reported by AroundTheOctagon.com and since has been confirmed independently by FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Soon after news spread of Strikeforce’s deal with ProElite earlier this month there had been published reports indicating that Shields was looking to contest any possible transfer of his existing EliteXC contract over to Strikeforce’s hands. It was believed that Shields was looking to get out of his deal so that he could pursue a new contract with the UFC.

However, those reports were never confirmed by Shields or Strikeforce Founding CEO Scott Coker, who expressed surprised when recently asked about reports that Shields wasn’t on board with Strikeforce.

“Jake’s dad and I are in dialogue and I feel that the dialogue is going very well, so I am surprised to hear that,” responded Coker during a recent interview with CBSSports.com in which he was asked to respond to the reports.

The move to Strikeforce also signals that Shields will no longer continue to be recognized as EliteXC’s welterweight champion. The EliteXC name and trademark was retained by ProElite during the sale of assets to Strikeforce and as such he will not be able to represent an EliteXC belt while under exclusive control to Strikeforce. However, Strikeforce currently does not have a welterweight title and Shields will most likely be given every opportunity to compete for a championship at 170 pounds.

Rated as a top ten welterweight by major rankings polls such as WAMMA, Sherdog, and MMA Weekly, Shields has not been defeated in his last 11 fights. Once slapped with a reputation for not being a finisher, the Cesar Gracie jiu-jitsu black belt has caused early stoppages due to TKO or submission in his last seven fights.

His formal Strikeforce debut will come against a formidable opponent in Riggs, who is 29-10 overall and 4-4 in eight career fights under the UFC banner. Known for being a top performer in the gym, his talents haven’t always translated to the ring or cage as he is just 2-2 in his last four fights. However, Riggs was victorious in his last fight, a second round TKO over Luke Stewart during a Strikeforce event that took place this past November. The 26-year old also holds notable victories in his career over Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle, Kendall Grove, and Joe Doerksen.

Strikeforce’s April 11 is set to emanate from the HP Pavilion and will be headlined by former Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock taken on Diaz at a catchweight of 179 pounds. Also confirmed for the show is a middleweight matchup between Benji Radach and Scott Smith. Coker has also gone on the record to state that he is looking to find opponents on the show for both Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson and former Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

Jake Shields is a former college all-american wrestler who made the jump to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has turned into a dominant grappler. A product of Cesar Gracie’s BJJ school, he is a world champion grappler who titles include first at the Pan Am Games and third at the ADCC open weight tournament. He is a very seasoned fighter for someone of his age, who has managed to fight the best competition available despite never having stepped into the octagon. Shields has high-profile wins over the likes of Hayato Sakurai, Mike Pyle, Yushin Okami, and Carlos Condit. After the 63 second drubbing he put on Nick Thompson in his last fight he is riding a 10 fight win streak that extends back to 2004. I think I can definitively say that Jake Shields is the best 170lb fighter in the world not in the UFC.

Shields’ strength is his grappling, as he can make a case for the best submission grappler in the world at 170lbs and not many would argue. Unlike many of his Gracie Jiu Jitsu brethren, he has adapted his BJJ quite well for the world of MMA with 4 of his last 5 victories by way of submission. To say that Cesar Gracie has made an impact on Shields’ life would be an understatement as he is 18-2-1 since joining the team. Shields’ standup is always a work in progress, while early in his career he used it strictly to get the fight down to the mat where he could dominate the fight he now can stand and trade with most fighters on the feet and still cause damage. As with all of the Cesar Gracie students, his conditioning is impeccable and can push a pace in a fight that few can tolerate. Shields has evolved into a complete fighter who can truly beat you anywhere in the fight.

Paul Daley is a kickboxer from Britain who sported a 10-3 kickboxing record with 10 KOs before making the jump to MMA. He is originally trained in Karate from an early age, but later in his career has fully embraced Muay Thai while training part time in Holland. While fighting almost solely in Britain, he has compiled an impressive KO ratio in his wins on his way to the current Cage Rage welterweight championship. He is a devastating striker with knockout power in his hands and feet as he has demonstrated time and time again. While flirting briefly with retirement, he has come back to take his first big fight on American soil and take his second welterweight belt home with him.

Daley is very well rounded striker with traditional Karate kicks and extensive Muay Thai at his disposal as well as very good boxing. His speed, athleticism, and sheer power often take opponents off guard even when they think they have prepared for it. As his striking has matured it has shown in his results, as none of the fights in his six fight win streak have gotten out of the second round. His ground game is still a work in progress as four of his six losses are via submission. His defensive ground game has shown some improvement but he is still very susceptible to taking damage in the guard as well as vulnerable to submissions. It’s a simple game for Daley. Keep it on the feet and he has a chance to win.

This is a striker vs. grappler matchup on steroids as you have maybe the best striker at 170lbs against one of the best grapplers in the world at 170lbs. The obvious applies here, whoever controls the flow of the fight wins the match. If Shields can stand and trade successfully long enough to set up a takedown and get Daley to the floor, this match is going to be over quickly. If Daley overwhelms Shields with his speed and athleticism and catches Shields thinking too much early, this will be a quick match the other way. I have to go in the direction of the favorite here, as Shields has shown a fantastic chin his whole career as he has never been knocked out. Shields should be able to handle Daley on the feet long enough to take him down and take an arm or choke him out. I think this is the best Elite could do and one more reason that Shields should be doing everything in his power to get into the UFC. I predict Shields via submission in round one.

“Jake Shields and Paul Daley have a date on Oct. 4,” MMA Weekly quotes EliteXC Vice President Jared Shaw as saying. “Both fighters have verbally agreed. Bout agreements are out and we’re just waiting for them to come back in.”

Shields won the then-vacant title following a first round submission over Nick Thompson during “Saturday Night Fights II” on July 26. He has won his last ten fights and has finished his last five opponents in the first round.

Following a brief retirement, Daley returned to competitive fighting on July 12 for the Cage Warriors promotion. In that fight he knocked out Bojan Kosednar at 4:53 of round 1. Daley had been slated to fight Lyman Good during EliteXC’s ill-fated “Showdown” card on Sept. 20 but now finds himself in a position to add another title to his collection that includes championships for Cage Rage and FX3.

The third installment of CBS’ “Saturday Night Fights” is scheduled to emanate from the Bank Atlantic Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and will featured Kimbo Slice vs. a yet-to-be named opponent and a female fight between Gina Carano and Kelly Kobald-Gavin.