Dana White (photo) explained why she chose to fire Shields. Photo: Reproduction/Youtube
The dismissal of the former welterweight title challenger Jake Shields This Monday (07) took a lot of people by surprise. If some fans questioned the reasons that motivated the UFC to make such a decision, president Dana White tried to explain the situation. In an interview with the “Yahoo Sports” website, White revealed that several factors justified Shields' cut, including the high cost of his contract, the competitiveness of the 77 kg division and even the fighter's age.
“We looked at everything. Money has to do with it. I would be lying if I said no. But that wasn't the only reason, or the main reason. It was part of the puzzle we were doing about our assessment of him”, said the manager. “MMA is a sport for young guys. I like it a lot Jake Shields, but let's be honest here: Where would he fit in this animal division we have here (at welterweight)? He's on the downswing and he's never going to be the guy. His striking hasn't improved and he hasn't really shown anything in his last few fights that makes you think: 'Put * Mer **!'. Now, at this point, he’s just another guy.”
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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