Former Elite XC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields is just one of the many fighters who are looking to free themselves from their contracts with the now defunct Pro Elite.
Showtime Networks Inc. — who partnered with Pro Elite to air over 14 Elite XC events over the last two years — planned on auctioning off the remaining assets from the promotion in an attempt to recover nearly $6 million in defaulted loans. Among the main items listed at the auction were the contracts for guys like Jake Shields and a number of other top mixed martial artists.
A team of managers and agents from the MMA world, including Ken Pavia, Monte Cox, Cesar Gracie and others banded together shortl thereafter to ensure these fighters futures weren’t just auctioned off to the highest bidder.
The auction, which was scheduled for today, was called off by Showtime Networks only a few short days ago. However, the futures of all those contracted fighters are still up in the air and nobody really knows what’s going to happen next.
Cox had this to say about the unusual situation:
“I’ve never run into this before, not since I’ve been managing. We’re looking around like what do we do about this? We signed up with ProElite for a reason. We wanted to get on CBS, get that kind of exposure, and all of a sudden, they can sell [contracts] to something else that doesn’t offer the same thing.”
One thing is sure for Shields though, if he had his choice of which organization he fought for next would be, it would be the UFC hands down. He has not been shy recently about saying that. And he has never been shy in the past about saying he wanted to test and prove himself against the best the sport had to offer.
Here’s a snip from him during a recent interview with Newsday.com:
“For me, I’m looking for top competition. I want to prove I’m the best fighter in the world. Georges St. Pierre, it’s an opportunity to fight him and show I’m the best. I think I’m gonna be the top 170-pounder there. I wanna be the best. I wanna go there and take the belt. I wouldn’t be happy with anything less.”
Obviously, Shields is just one of an entire roster full of fighters with their careers stuck in neutral until this mess gets sorted out. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later because he would be a great addition to an already stacked UFC 170-pound division.
79 Comments »
jake shields first fight in UFC against GSP equals shiels 0-1 in the UFC
well, newfie…..that about sums that up!
I’m a shields fan, but GSP stops him in the 1st. Go improve that stand up Jake, by the way, BJ schools you too!
aswell as Karo, Fitch, Alves and Koscheck
he was horribly misquoted here… hes basically just saying he wouldnt be happy with himself if he cant become a champ, not that he wont fight in the UFC if he cant fight GSP
hey allamerican, a younger crowd is only an hour north. go to siesta key, nicest beach in the country, thongs gallore and good bars!
i’ll be there! yeah i go to miami or lauterdale a lot.
the bars are open til 6. its like an hour from where i am. any time i go we just stay at the hard rock. like i said though, i’m probably moving back to mass. but i’m young, got no kids(that i know of)and had nothing to lose moving here. we just wanted to check it out and see if we liked it more than 6 months of cold every year. it would be mint if i could do 6 here, 6 in mass. like a lot of people do, but i aint that fortunite. like i said though, its more about the people. i left a lot of friends and family back home, plus a lot of the people here are strange…..
my dad has a place on the beach in lauderdale, but siesta key is nice and close! You got my daiquiri deck message earlier? it’s all slush drinks, for a buck more you get a test tube of grain alcohol added. My wife and I went there all the time BC (before children) Tampa is fun too, bush gardens and the hard rock casino (if you gamble!
dude, i sent a comment back to you like an hour ago, but it hasnt made it up yet.
I would like to see Koschek vs. Sheilds. I know how good of jits Sheild has but he always fights with top position. Kos would put him on his back and I am curious to see his guard!
I think that would be a good first fight in the UFC john. I see Kos as a sort of gate keeper…or karo.
was that the real you in the next thread?
He got reversed by Daley at the end of the first round and in the 30 seconds he was on his back he took some big elbows from Daley. In addition, he didn’t look to catch Daley with any submissions from his back. Albeit a very small sample to judge from, but not very impressive.
Kevin: Nah that aint the real me! what up Kev, you pompous ass? Running your mouth and bombarding me with comments with out letting me respond. YOu know me better than to provide BS information. Anytime I am not sure about the info I classify it as a rumor and let it be known. 1st of all, I dont read your BS Muscle fag magz. I read mma magazines. and the magazine I find the most prominent out of all the mma magz is FightSport. Just so happens that I picked up the new issue of it this morning, its red and it has BJ on the cover. I read the interview and thats exactly what it said Hater! Accusing me of mis info is a new low even for you kev. You know me better than that!
pick up the issue, then appologize, and then Change your name you Klown!
-The mma Gospel of John, Bitches!!!!!!
kos would keep that fight standing and beat him up on the feet…kos might have got out struck by alves but then again what welterweight wouldnt, he did hold his own though and would own sheilds when the fight is on its feet also shields had trouble taking down daley and kos is such a dominate wrestler or use to be astleast as i think he has stopped working on his wrestling
I got another good idea! I would like to see Sheilds vs. McLovn Hazlette in his 1st UFC fight. That way, I can really find out of good Jake’s jits really is. Dustin is a ground wizard and if Jake can hang with him on the ground he will give plentty of top UFC fighters problems.
Dustin’s stand up is much improved and is probably better than Jake’s. so if Jake can beat Dustin I will be very imressed.
U guys are knocking Jake for his stand up against Paul Daley, but wht do u expect? Daley is a world class Tai Boxer! if Daley were to come to the UFC he would probably instantly be the best striker in the UFC welterweight division besides Alves!
He would get killed by everyone in the top 5 in the UFC. He has the ground game but no one was wowed by the striking clinic he was putting on against Daley.
LOL just what I was thinking, Hey Jake, you were in the EXC for a reason …
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GSP would own Shields in the 1st!!!!!
Glad to see Shields wants to test himself! But a UFC WW Champ? No I dont think he will ever be that! Diego Sanchez would be a good first fight! Diego would destroy him IMO!
your right diego probally would beat him, i think a good place for him to start is with karo.
I didnt even think of Karo! Karo would definitely be a more even fight!
Start him off against Karo
I would rather she Shields face someone on his level……like say…..Diego Sanchez or Kos. Please don’t send him straight to GSP.
Sanchez is a good fight. Kos is a terrible matchup for him IMO.
Sanchez would ruin this egomaniac.
GSP will destroy Shields.
he’d have to wait till at LEAST next April or September. April if BJ beats him at 94, GSP should be ready by April, although I’m not sure Jake would keep his statement if Georges wasn’t champion. And September if GSP gets past BJ, and then Alves around April/May.
Bottom line, Jake has a while, which may give him enough time to TRY and establish himself and earn a title shot. I personally don’t think he’ll get it off the bat. I think Kos, Fitch, and Sanchez can handle him, Swick too.
If I’m Showtime, I’m making the fighters buy their way out of the contract. I now own the contracts due to default on the debt, I spent money on EliteXC, why would I not want to reduce my losses by selling the only real remaining assets.
In reality for the top fighters, is that the UFC would have most likely picked up those contracts during the auction, giving the fighters their wish.
how, if showtime doesn’t schedule an event within 30 days, the contracts are void. Why would a fighter “buy himself out” of a contract that is due to expire? I called this auction not happening by the way!
It all depends how you define “scheduling an event” and what the time period is for that. Showtime could just announce that they’re holding a fight in six months. They’re just trying their best to get some cash for the contracts–if they can’t, they’ll walk away.
And you did call it…
I agree, but their only a few days from even being able to schedule it. I also said it wouldn’t surprise me if they scheduled an even for march or april just so they could hold the contracts up!
Wow, looks like Shields is suicidal. He must have personal problems right now.
Is JS on Crack? Kos, Pitbull, Fitch, Sanchez, Karo, GSP will beat the Crap out of him, even Danny Abbadi will beat him.
What a cocky loser. Guy comes from a loser organization and he wants GSP. F you, go climb the ladder like everyone else. KOS, GSP, Sanchez, Marquart would all pretty much woop his @ss good
Marquardt eh? In that case, then so will Maia, Banha Cane, Jardine, and Mir. Since we’re jumping weight classes and all.
Jake Shields vs Chuck Lidell!
JAKE SHEILDS VS FEDOR
Shields vs Bob Sapp & Brock Lesnar at the same time!
Shields vs Alves for the title shot. Everything should be sorted out with his contract by the time GSP beats BJ. If shields can actually get past Alves which i dont see happening then he will beat GSP, but as i said i doubt that happens.
JS better work on his standup soon
stand up wouldn’t matter. GSP would ground and pound that bitch into the.. uh. ground.
oh my….LMFAO! st. pierre would end the fight in the first round with relative ease! shields thinks he’s a lot better than he really is. he’s a middle-of-the-road 170-pounder in the UFC.
This guy really made me upset because a champion comming form Elite XC is not a real champion…Robbie Lawler got his @ss handled in the UFC and he is an elite xc champ. Their poster boy bumbo slice or whatever got wooped by a loser from the UFC with pink hair. Their other champ kept ducking diaz who is the only fighter they had that was able to woop butt good in the UFC. Diaz is the best fighter out of that org and if UFC didnt have problmebs with him he would never fight there…what a loser this jake shields guy is.
alvarez is better than diaz IMO.
If Fedor ever said what Shields was quoted as saying, than Fedor wouldn’t attract haters.
That’s because Fedor has the skills to back it up. Shields wouldn’t beat anyone in the top 10 in the UFC. I think he’d have trouble in the WEC against Condit.
He has beated Condit, and Okami, Sakurai, and Nick Thompson who was top ten recently. Quality wins over Paul Daley, Mike Pyle, Dave Menne, Charuto Verissimo, Akira Kikuchi…
That’s because Fedor has beaten both the former champ and the UFC current interim champ…twice.
Shields is gonna have to get through Fitch first. I’m pretty sure thats who Dana would make him fight. So I doubt he would even get a chance to fight GSP.
Everyone who is Marcus Davis or better would beat Shields.
there is about 10 guys in the UFC WW division who would school him.
Didnt he beat Okami and Condit in the same night.
Give him Jon Fitch, it’ll take up to the end of the first rnd for him to realise maybe he needs some more training,and more fights. PS Has STINKY EVER PAID THE BETS HE LOST? Havent been able to get ahold of him since he lost our bet, If id have lost id pay up I would expect any one else to aswell.
Think he beat Sakurai, and Daley was an ex champ. Might be a little better then you guys are giving him credit for.
he should go to the WEC first and fight 2 fights.the first one could be against Brock Larson or someone else in the WEC top 5.then if he wins that fight then he can fight Carlos Condit.if he can beat him then give a shot in the UFC.I would like to see if he can handle the Nightmare Diego Sanchez,or maybe the Heat Karo Pariyan.or even both in cosecutive fights.if he can win those 2 fights then he just might be ready for a title shot against who ever the champ is.
dude why does this guy keep calling out GSP, IMO he looked horrible in his last fight against Daley, It was i dont want to be disrespectful towards him but, i cant find a word to describe it other than “pathetic” how he looked when he was just trying to take him down and was unsuccesfull his expression afterwards and his boxing skills were either off that night or they have never been on.
If Daley were better in the ground he would of taken Shields belt. Now someone please tell me how in the hell does Jae plan on Getting out of the 1st round against GSP
It’s nice to have goals and all…but he has a way to go before he can talk about a title fight vs. GSP, he needs to start by proving he can beat guys like Davis, Kos, etc.
Matching him up with GSP with be a joke. Maybe give him to Diego so he can get a good reality check. This guy is on DMT if he thinks he can beat GSP
if he is so good at subs then put him in agenst finch, if he subed finch i would be a beliver but as it stands now finch, kos, sanchez, karo, alvez, even serra and huges would kill him
I think Dustin “McLovin” Hazelette would beat shields, maybe no Tamdan well he does thorw some nice combos and is good in ground, also yeah dude, make him fight even guys like Burkman, Lytle, then Davis, Swick, Kos, Diego,Karo and then the ultimate sacrifice in Fitch, Alves and GSP … WOW I think all these guys would beat Shields.
Oh shit forgot Serra and Hughes
i wouldnt mind seeing an all grappling match between shields and gsp it might be closer then everyone thinks, the MMA aspect is st pierre all day dominating him like butterbean on a turkey for thanksgiving
your gunna need more than a good ground game to challenge st.pierre….
GSP wins it. Doesn’t matter if it’s by KO or submission. Actually he could keep it standing since Shields’ standup isn’t so great.
Shield’s is a dick weed! GSP would destroy him. He should start with Kos and even then I think he would be over his head. WAY TO GO BROCK!!!!!!!!!! Gonzaga will be champ within 1 yr.
where can i watch the strikeforce fight?
shields couldn’t stand with Paul Daley, G.S.P would absolutely murder sheilds
Sorry to be off topic guys, but im looking for some advice??
What are the bests seats to purchase in order to get a good feel for atmosphere and obviously a good view of the fights?? UFC95 will be my first live event and i cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is chuck def fighting?? Please help me out guys!!
1st Row of the 2nd Level
Its a rumor that Im 50/50 on because its adangerous fight for Chuck but, If he beats Silva holli shit wil he be back on top.
And depends how much your willing to spend, Im going to UFC94 and bought $200 tix they arent great but oh you still get the crazy ass electrifying feling altjough im sure the more expensive the better expirience
hey allamerican i live in aurburndale fl. more of redneck part of town but its ok. what kevin was saying about seista key was right. check out my myspace.com/your_captaincurt
i know that a gay name. but i got some pics of seista key. watch alot of mma 2. try to order every fight hit me up. wher do you live?
inless there is another sisest key not sarosta kevin? there is a good xfc fight in dec in tampa 2. they had big dan mcgee fight a real lil dude.
Wow it seems like everyone wants a piece of George.. I guess if your that beastly and talented, famous, pound for pound the best. I guess everyone wants to grab it!
give shields jon fitch. fitch will dominate him, and georges dominated fitch. shields is far below both of them in overall skill.
So pretty much everone here agrees that this guy maybe be decent at best when stacked against UFC and some of the WEC fighters.
hahahahaha Jake vs GSP. Please. Jake has NO stand up and his jitz are over rated. No wrestling, he beat a bunch of cans. He is good enough to be in UFC but GSP? How about Diego Sanchez an real jitz war or Hazelett
Better to sign him to the WEC or not at all.
Jake Shields in the UFC = KO Highlight reel for (insert any UFC striker here).