J. Shields (photo) was cut from the UFC after his loss to H. Lombard at UFC 171. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
After three and a half years, the former Strikeforce champion's tenure has come to an end Jake Shields by UFC. This Monday (07), the North American's manager, Lex McMahon, confirmed to the website “MMA Fighting” that Shields is no longer part of the roster of athletes of the main MMA organization on the planet.
"Jake Shields was released by the UFC. Jake is grateful for the opportunities offered by the UFC and thanks Dana White and Lorenzo Fertita. Jake is an elite athlete and one of the best welterweight fighters in the world, with a long history of winning at the competition level,” the agent said in a statement.
The businessman also stated that he is confident that the athlete will find a new home soon. “Jake and our team are already exploring options. I'm confident Jake will have a new organization to call home soon. Jake also thanks his fans for their support and looks forward to competing for them again soon,” he added.
At 35 years of age, Jake Shields has a record of 29 wins, seven losses, one draw and one fight without result. In 2010, Jake vacated the Strikeforce middleweight belt and returned to welterweight by moving to Ultimate, where he challenged for the title against Georges St Pierre and ended up defeated. In October last year, the North American won Demian Maia by split decision at UFC Barueri and positioned himself well in the category rankings. In his last fight, however, Shields was defeated by Hector Lombard at UFC 171.
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