Shields may get title shot with one win
Jake Shields hasn’t fought in the Octagon yet, but already the stakes are rising for his UFC debut. Shields exited…
Jake Shields hasn’t fought in the Octagon yet, but already the stakes are rising for his UFC debut.
Shields exited Strikeforce with the promotion’s middleweight belt firmly affixed around his waist after a dominating five-round unanimous decision over Dan Henderson. He steps into the Octagon at UFC 121 next week to face fellow Top 10 fighter Martin Kampmann in a welterweight showdown. Shields’ natural weight class is at 170 pounds.
Regardless of the fight being Shields’ Octagon debut, a win would likely put him into a title scenario. At least that’s what UFC president Dana White had to say on the matter. He, as well as The Ultimate Fighter Season 12 coaches Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck, was in Montreal on Tuesday to promote St-Pierre and Koscheck’s upcoming welterweight title fight on Dec. 11 at UFC 124 at the Bell Centre.
Jake Shields is obviously at the top of the list. If Jake Shields should win against Martin Kampmann, he probably would be next (for the winner of St-Pierre vs. Koscheck), said White.
That may seem surprising for a UFC first-timer, but not when you consider his credentials.
