Champ Jake Shields and Strikeforce CEO mum on accessible arrangement renewal

by Dann Stupp on Apr 18, 2010 at 9:15 am ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Will Jake Shields re-sign with Strikeforce, or as he's ahead discussed, analysis the free-agency amnion and analyze options alfresco the promotion, possibly with the Ultimate Fighting Championship?

Following Shields' aboriginal appellation aegis of his middleweight belt and arguably the better win of his career, the Cesar Gracie-trained fighter is no afterpiece to administration an answer.

But with a unanimous-decision win over UFC acceptation Dan Henderson afterward a near-disastrous aboriginal round, Shields (25-4-1 MMA, 3-0 SF) is sitting appealing with affluence of acceding chips and added amount than he's anytime had.

Shields, who won the abandoned belt with a accommodation win over Jason "Mayhem" Miller in November, alternate to the CBS airwaves Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., and accent a appearance adjoin a above Olympic wrestler and accurate MMA legend. But alike as the best – and a 13-fight win band that included wins over the brand of Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Paul Daley and Robbie Lawler – Shields was apparent as the underdog by most.

But Shields denticulate common takedowns, calmly took the arise position, and had little agitation befitting Henderson affianced to the mat for continued periods of arena and pound.

Although that win came at 185 pounds, Shields did best of his above-mentioned assignment at 170 pounds.

UFC admiral Dana White afresh has bidding absorption in accepting Shields, who will delay to see if Strikeforce admiral exercise a one-fight option. (Then again, they'd acceptable appetite a abounding arrangement addendum afore bringing aback a champ on a one-fight accord and accept him accident abrogation the advance with one of their belts.) Is White aboveboard interested, or is he artlessly aggravating to drive up the amount on Strikeforce?

If it weren't for the UFC's accepted welterweight division, in which champ Georges St-Pierre has already defeated about every top contender, you could say the latter. But back Shields provides a fresh befalling for St-Pierre (and UFC middleweight best Anderson Silva, for that matter) – and because White and UFC agent Joe Silva would accept every appropriate to move Shields into an actual title, it's apparently added of the former.

But afterwards a arduous three-month training affected and a ambition to flavor his better win yet, Shields doesn't appetite to anguish about it.

"I aloof appetite to booty some time off, leave the country, and get pleasure myself," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We'll allocution about that abutting week. My administration aggregation will allocution to Strikeforce. We'll see what happens."

Coker took a agnate attitude and promised no actual decision. However, above-mentioned to the show, he said that if they do exercise the option, they plan to do it bound – and to altercate accoutrement for a agreement aeon that would acceptable alert contract-renewal talk. Coker, though, wouldn't go into capacity about the accepted deal.

"We talked about accepting a chat abutting anniversary with Jake's management," he said. "That's area we're at."

But if Shields does break about and inks a fresh deal, Coker is assured affluence of account challenges await. Afterwards all, the 185-pound is the organization's centermost with the brand of ex-champ Cung Le, Scott Smith, Lawler, Joey Villasenor, Melvin Manhoef – and Coker's adopted abutting opponent, DREAM acceptation Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.

And that's not alike including the options at 170 pounds, a weight chic currently disqualified by champ and Shields' assistant Nick Diaz.

"My anatomy feels absolutely acceptable at 185," Shields said. "But there's no acumen both of them (welterweight and middleweight) can't be both my weights. ... I'm accessible for boxy fights behindhand of area they come."

For complete advantage of "Strikeforce: Nashville," analysis out the MMA Events area of MMAjunkie.com.

Champ Jake Shields and Strikeforce CEO mum on accessible arrangement renewal 2010-04-18T21:07:00+07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Unknown