Jake Shields admits he underrated Ed Herman for return to middleweight at UFC 150

Sakara=Excitement · 08-08-2012, 11:02 PM

Jake Shields admits he underrated Ed Herman for return to middleweight at UFC 150 | MMAjunkie.com

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DENVER – When the UFC proposed Ed Herman (20-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) to Jake Shields (27-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) as an opponent, Shields' first thought was: easy fight.

Then he looked at footage on Herman and changed his mind.

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"I'm like, 'Wow, this guy's pretty good,'" Shields on Wednesday told MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com). "Before, he looked tough. But in his last three fights, he's looked impressive. I don't want to be the guy he makes a name off of."

That's most certainly what Herman will try to do when they meet on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 150, which takes place at Denver's Pepsi Center. Preliminary-card fights air on FX and stream on Facebook.

Herman has bested his past three opponents – Tim Credeur, Kyle Noke and Clifford Starks – and could take a big leap forward in his career with a win over Shields.

That would obviously set back the former champ, who hasn't fought as a middleweight since April 2010, when he defended the Strikeforce middleweight championship against Dan Henderson. When he soon after signed a deal with the UFC, he requested to fight UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Instead, the UFC offered him a title eliminator fight with welterweight Martin Kampmann.

After beating Kampmann but losing a title shot against welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and a bout against Jake Ellenberger, Shields returned in February and eked out a decision against Yoshihiro Akiyama. He then decided to bulk up to middleweight, though he said his move wasn't based on lack of opportunity a weight class below.

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"I just didn't like cutting all the weight, and I feel a little stronger at 185," he said.

Shields, however, admitted he felt weakened by the altitude of Denver and wished he would have arrived sooner to acclimate. But he hopes that by Saturday, he will be as close as possible to 100 percent.

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"It's been a little tougher than I thought, but I'm definitely glad I came out a little bit earlier," he said. "Yesterday, I finally had a decent workout. The first few days, I was struggling. I have a couple more days. I'm going to train hard tonight and hope that I'll feel a lot more adjusted.

"I don't think I'm going to be 100 percent on Saturday, but as long as I can be close enough."

He'll need the energy against Herman, who this past year relocated from Portland, Ore., to Fort Collins, Colo., and is used to thinner air.

Shields said he'll try to move as high up the middleweight ladder as possible, mentioning Silva and Michael Bisping as prospective opponents, but also said he was still able to cut to welterweight and would do so for a big fight.

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"I'm taking it one fight at a time," he said. "If we get offered a big fight down there, it's hard to say no."

For now, though, he has to prove he can still compete in his old weight class. As an opponent, Herman doesn't garner the attention of a marquee fight. But it may be more dangerous that way.

Had Shields not looked closer at Herman, he might have been in trouble.

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"It's my debut back at middleweight, so I just want to go there and make an example of Herman and show that I'm back in the mix," he said.

cnlclink · 08-09-2012, 04:26 AM

Great...another gas fest by Shields coming up? I hope not, I hope he can come in 100% shape so when Ed submits him he submitted a 100% Shields.

kingrobert · 08-09-2012, 04:33 AM

Shields=Overrated

rspier · 08-09-2012, 07:52 AM

If jake shields were to spontaneously combust I'd be a happier person. He annoys me so much. His nick name should be the blanket. He lays on his opponent like one pile of laundry lays on another.

Leucoethiops · 08-09-2012, 08:06 AM

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Originally Posted by kingrobert

Shields=Overrated

Not anymore.

His best success has been at 185, we'll see how it pans out for him being back there.

I feel he's better suited to 185, but it does sound like he's already got an excuse for an imminent poor showing of cardio.

FedortheCan · 08-09-2012, 08:11 AM

When I first read this title of this post where is said "Jake Shields admits".... I swear I was expecting to see it finish off as "to be MMAs first openly gay fighter"