So Ummm... Jake Shields Was Released...

[redsrule]

Re: So Ummm... Jake Shields Was Released...

That's like saying Fedor has been facing UFC competition cause he's beaten Randleman, Arlovski and Sylvia. And I'm not talking about fighting one or two guys that at one point in time were in the UFC, I'm talking about fighting through a rigorous UFC schedule where you're matched up against three tough opponents a year.

And to answer the Hendo question....

Big. Fat. This.

Now admittedly, I'm a pretty big Hendo fan so I won't go as far as sven and call him a "scrub," but I still recognize the fact that he is on the downhill part of his career. And that doesn't trivialize the win as Hendo is still a big name, but it's not THAT he beat him, it's HOW he beat him. Like I mentioned before, he was getting his *** kicked before Hendo gassed and even then he couldn't finish him despite being in dominant positions for almost three rounds. That's just not impressive to me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that although Hendo is no slouch, he isn't what he once was.

Now does Shields have good wrestling? Undoubtedly, yes. Does he have good BJJ? Although I consider it to be a bit overrated, I will still say yes. But is he also a one-dimensional fighter? Yes. Do I think he will have success in the UFC? Moderate at best.

I don't know, I may be in the minority here but I just don't think he's as great as everyone makes him out to be. If I have any bias at all, it's that I can't stand the guy along with the rest of the Gracie camp. But there are plenty of fighters that I don't care for and can still recognize their skill (i.e. Lesnar, Penn, Mir).

We can argue about this for days, but my opinion isn't going to change. To me, the bottom line is this: Shields is a good sign for the UFC because he adds depth to a somewhat thin division, however based on what I've seen from the guy I don't think he is an elite, titleholder-level talent. That's it.

You make good points. But he does come from a very good camp, Nick, Nate diaz, El Nino, etc. They can help him on standup if need be and he does have potential to get even better.

[TheShizNo1]

Re: So Ummm... Jake Shields Was Released...

That's like saying Fedor has been facing UFC competition cause he's beaten Randleman, Arlovski and Sylvia. And I'm not talking about fighting one or two guys that at one point in time were in the UFC, I'm talking about fighting through a rigorous UFC schedule where you're matched up against three tough opponents a year.

And to answer the Hendo question....

Big. Fat. This.

Now admittedly, I'm a pretty big Hendo fan so I won't go as far as sven and call him a "scrub," but I still recognize the fact that he is on the downhill part of his career. And that doesn't trivialize the win as Hendo is still a big name, but it's not THAT he beat him, it's HOW he beat him. Like I mentioned before, he was getting his *** kicked before Hendo gassed and even then he couldn't finish him despite being in dominant positions for almost three rounds. That's just not impressive to me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that although Hendo is no slouch, he isn't what he once was.

Now does Shields have good wrestling? Undoubtedly, yes. Does he have good BJJ? Although I consider it to be a bit overrated, I will still say yes. But is he also a one-dimensional fighter? Yes. Do I think he will have success in the UFC? Moderate at best.

I don't know, I may be in the minority here but I just don't think he's as great as everyone makes him out to be. If I have any bias at all, it's that I can't stand the guy along with the rest of the Gracie camp. But there are plenty of fighters that I don't care for and can still recognize their skill (i.e. Lesnar, Penn, Mir).

We can argue about this for days, but my opinion isn't going to change. To me, the bottom line is this: Shields is a good sign for the UFC because he adds depth to a somewhat thin division, however based on what I've seen from the guy I don't think he is an elite, titleholder-level talent. That's it.

Good post man