StrictlyMMA Interview:
Elite XC Fighter Jake Shields
Written By: William Davis [william.davis@strictlymma.com]

Jake Shields is an anomaly in Mixed Martial Arts. He’s been able to fight entirely on smaller shows while still getting world wide recognition for his skills. He is almost universally considered to be one of the top fighters in the 170 pound weight class.
Jake took time out of his schedule to discuss his deal with Elite XC, his tournament wins over Yushin Okami and Carlos Condit, and his career as a whole.
William Davis: Thanks for taking the time for the interview, Jake. You were recently in Costa Rica to take part in a BodogFight reality show. I know, due to contractual obligations, you can’t talk about any of the results, but can you give a basic outline of what the show is all about?
Jake Shields: It’s a great show. (BodogFight) brought us out to Costa Rica to fight. Right now, they have the Russia series (on ION network). They’ll probably show the Costa Rica show in a couple months.
William Davis: Have you signed a contract with Elite XC?
Jake Shields: Yeah. I signed a three fight deal with them. It’s not exclusive, so I can still fight on other shows as well.
William Davis: Will you be taking part in Elite XC’s June show?
Jake Shields: Yeah, I think it’s June 9th. I don’t have an opponent yet, but they’re working on it. I would like my opponent to be Frank Trigg, but I have a feeling he’ll turn it down.
William Davis: Is that your next scheduled fight?
Jake Shields: Yeah, right now it is. I’d like to fight sooner, but I don’t think Pro Elite wants me fighting right before the show (in June). So, I’ll probably just be training until then.
William Davis: Last year, at Rumble on the Rock, you had two tough 3 round fights against Yushin Okami and Carlos Condit. How tough were these fights for you, and how do you keep your conditioning at such a high level?
Jake Shields: Both those fights were really tough. They’re both really good fighters. Condit was really tough, that’s one of the tougher fights I’ve had. Condit tapped Trigg out in a minute (in his first fight of the night), so he was fresh. I had to just suck it up and go out and fight. To get in shape for that is tough. Obviously, running and sprints help. Hard sparring and a lot of strength and conditioning training to get my muscles ready for it. But it’s hard to be fully ready for something like that. A lot of it is just being mentally tough. Fighting in a tournament, if you have a tough first fight, it’s all about focusing and going out in fighting in the second.
William Davis: What do you view as your toughest fight to date?
Jake Shields: I’m not sure on who was the toughest, but I’ve definitely had some pretty tough ones. Okami was tough and so was Condit, but I’m not sure who the toughest was.
William Davis: You had two tough battles with Akira Kukuchi in Shooto, where you each have a victory over one another. Do you plan on having a rubber match?
Jake Shields: I would love to fight him again, but I don’t really have anything set. He’s fighting in Shooto and K-1, and I’m not really dealing with those shows anymore. If I could get him in Pro Elite or PRIDE, I would love to fight him again.

I’m really confident I could win the third one. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better since our last fight (which Kukuchi won). I feel like I did a lot of things wrong in that fight, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to redeem myself for that.
William Davis: You’re a bit of an exception in current day MMA because you’ve been able to be recognized as one of the top ten fighters in your weight class without ever competing in the major organizations (UFC and PRIDE). Is there a reason why you never made it over to UFC or PRIDE?
Jake Shields: I’ve talked to them both recently, but I felt that I was getting better offers from other shows like Bodog and Pro Elite.
William Davis: Is non-exclusivity a big perk for you when discussing contracts?
Jake Shields: Definitely. Especially with the way the sport is right now. So many new organizations are popping up, and if one of them gives you a good offer, you can take it (if you’re not exclusive to one organization). If you’re locked in a bad contract that‘s exclusive, then you’re stuck.
William Davis: You’re known for your affiliation with Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, but you also train with Fairtex Kickboxing as well. How do you feel your stand up has progressed throughout your career?
Jake Shields: My stand up is getting a lot better. I have a boxing trainer, and I’ve been working with him a lot. I have three months until my next fight, and I’m going to focus on boxing before I start putting it all back together again.
William Davis: Do you have a favorite fighter to watch, besides yourself?
Jake Shields: I have a bunch of fighters I like to watch. I like watching Shogun and Chuck Liddell. I like watching Nick (Diaz).
William Davis: Speaking of Nick Diaz, were you surprised that he was able to have so much success against Gomi in their fight?
Jake Shields:: I wasn’t surprised. I was a little worried about the weight issue because Nick has never fought at 160 before. I wasn’t sure he was going to be able to make weight, but after he did, I was confident he was going to win. It’s a pretty good match up for him. I knew Gomi wasn’t going to be able to ground and pound him. Nick went out there and picked Gomi apart. Nick had a little trouble and got hit with some hard shots, but, overall, he tore Gomi up.
William Davis: Thank you, again, for taking the time for the interview. Good luck in your upcoming Elite XC fight.
Jake Shields: No problem.

Jake would like to thank Fairtex Kickboxing Academy and Tapout Clothing.