Jake Shields joins WSOF

Like several UFC veterans before him, Jake Shields found a soft landing spot with WSOF. The top-ranked free agent welterweight inked an exclusive deal with the promotion on Thursday.

News of the signing was initially reported by Bleacher Report and subsequently confirmed by MMAFighting.com.

Shields' manager Lex McMahon characterized the signing as a multi-fight deal, while WSOF executive vice president told MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani that officials are targeting a promotional debut for Shields in July.

Shields joins a welterweight division already populated by former UFC veterans, including WSOF champion Rousimar Palhares and top contenders Jon Fitch and Josh Burkman.

"Jake is happy to call WSOF home and is looking forward to a long relationship," McMahon said.

A former Strikeforce champion, Shields was released from the UFC in early April following his first loss in almost third years, a lopsided decision to Hector Lombard at UFC 171.

"I think, obviously, Jake was disappointed," McMahon recently said on The MMA Hour. "He is a guy who for many years has been a champion, fought on a championship level, been top ranked. He was on a four-fight win streak prior to the Lombard loss, so I think it was something that took him by surprise, but he's prepared to move forward."

Shields joined the UFC in 2010 following the dissolution of Strikeforce. The 35-year-old compiled a 4-3 record with one no contest over the course of his stay, including a unanimous decision loss to then welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129.

Should Shields debut for WSOF in July, it may be at WSOF 11, an event which already features two title bouts --Palhares vs. Fitch and Justin Gaethje vs. Nick Newell -- as well as the WSOF debut of fellow UFC veteran Melvin Guillard.

Mma fighting.com

Like several UFC veterans before him, Jake Shields found a soft landing spot with WSOF. The top-ranked free agent welterweight inked an exclusive deal with the promotion on Thursday.

News of the signing was initially reported by Bleacher Report and subsequently confirmed by MMAFighting.com.

Shields' manager Lex McMahon characterized the signing as a multi-fight deal, while WSOF executive vice president told MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani that officials are targeting a promotional debut for Shields in July.

Shields joins a welterweight division already populated by former UFC veterans, including WSOF champion Rousimar Palhares and top contenders Jon Fitch and Josh Burkman.

"Jake is happy to call WSOF home and is looking forward to a long relationship," McMahon said.

A former Strikeforce champion, Shields was released from the UFC in early April following his first loss in almost third years, a lopsided decision to Hector Lombard at UFC 171.

"I think, obviously, Jake was disappointed," McMahon recently said on The MMA Hour. "He is a guy who for many years has been a champion, fought on a championship level, been top ranked. He was on a four-fight win streak prior to the Lombard loss, so I think it was something that took him by surprise, but he's prepared to move forward."

Shields joined the UFC in 2010 following the dissolution of Strikeforce. The 35-year-old compiled a 4-3 record with one no contest over the course of his stay, including a unanimous decision loss to then welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129.

Should Shields debut for WSOF in July, it may be at WSOF 11, an event which already features two title bouts --Palhares vs. Fitch and Justin Gaethje vs. Nick Newell -- as well as the WSOF debut of fellow UFC veteran Melvin Guillard.

Mma fighting.com

Exactly how is an organization that is getting like 100K tv viewers, and maybe a few hundred for a live gate, paying out the second biggest purses over Bellator which get up to 5X or 10X the viewers and their parent company also owns the TV networks they're on???

It's obvious that WSOF is a pay to play infomercial format on NCB Sports. If it wasn't, the show would have been cancelled or the Network goes out of business. Simple as that.

Who the F*** would keep throwing their big money into the WSOF. Well, it's sure not Rogich or his backers. It's the guys who see the money dumped into a money losing venture as away to manipulate the top-level fighter market essentially locking their biggest competitor out of signing many recently released 'name' UFC fighters.

This is f***ing collusion and completely illegal! Somebody needs to talk to the feds again. They said they wouldn't be moving on anything at this time but that they would keep their options open in the future.


https://global-mma.forumotion.com/t8625-wsof-owner-sig-rogich-has-close-ties-to-fertitta-s-ratner-nsac-may-be-in-cahoots-with-zuffa

Nothing will ever happen to Zuffa. Too much money. Too much power. Shit makes me sick. But in this case of Jake Shields, I'm glad he's in an organization I never watch.

Dagwood wrote:

Dagwood wrote:Re: UFC releases Jake Shields
 by Dagwood on Mon Apr 07, 2014 2:15 pm

I pretty much guarantee Shields will be signed by WSOF which will keep a top-name UFC investment away from zuffa's only real competitor here. If this doesn't happen I will be mind blown. This not an Askren situation. Zuffa didn't put money into Askren and Shields still has marquee value to the MMA masses.

Wo... wait a minute I may have implied something here.  

https://global-mma.forumotion.com/t9867-ufc-releases-jake-shields#73177

Nice call Daggatron   

backdoor to zuffa wrote:Nothing will ever happen to Zuffa. Too much money. Too much power. Shit makes me sick. But in this case of Jake Shields, I'm glad he's in an organization I never watch.

All powers eventually fall.

Zuffa's time will come.

Hey dag remember I called it too

Titanfc is too far down IMO fir Jake otherwise I bet that's where he would have ended up.

This will be interesting. Will Shields, Palhares and co sign with Zuffa after a couple wins?

FKA SAID It seems to me with wsof numbers being pitiful they (meaning ufc),decided they could cut a less "exciting" but well established fighter to help wsof out.

If he doesn't go wsof I would be shocked.

YEAH dag I seen it coming too we both commented at the same time.

It was obvious this was going down.

Bellator would be crazy but I'm not getting my hopes up.

fka wrote:FKA SAID It seems to me with wsof numbers being pitiful they (meaning ufc),decided they could cut a less "exciting" but well established fighter to help wsof out.

If he doesn't go wsof I would be shocked.

YEAH dag I seen it coming too we both commented at the same time.

It was obvious this was going down.

Bellator would be crazy but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Yeah, I remember you saying that it was obvious WSOF was set up to keep name UFC fighters away from Bellator.

WSOF WW division is really solid now. Best WW division outside UFC.

Not really outside ufc LOL

More like the waiting list.....

Great addition.


Not a big fan but Shields is an all time great WW