Jake Shields: Cung Le showed his true colors by ducking me
by Jesse Holland on Nov 30, 2009 3:19 PM EST
48 comments
Props: Tapology.com
Quoteworthy:
"I’m a little frustrated. I thought [Cung and I] were friends, but I kind of lost respect for him when he decided not to fight me and hand picked his [next] opponent. I expected it from him, honestly, because people for years were telling me that Cung Le was that way and would never fight with me, so he showed his true colors ... We have trained together and we both know what would happen, so I guess he would just prefer to give up his belt and pick fighters that he matches up well with. For a guy like me it’s hard to understand, because I try to test myself against the best."
Newly crowned Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields slams Cung Le for his decision to vacate the 185-pound title and agree to fight Scott Smith at "Evolution" on Dec. 19 rather than defend it against the surging jiu-jitsu phenom. Shields bested Jason "Mayhem" Miller in a five round unanimous decision victory to lay claim to the belt that Le vacated just last month. The San Shou disciple contends that he was not expecting to be available to fight so soon, but his current acting gig was delayed when the movie he was filming got pushed back a year, thus freeing him up for a return to Strikeforce against Scott Smith. Is Le avoiding the ground game of Shields? Or is this just a case of inconvenient timing?
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Cung Le = The Suck
@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
by _Felix_ on Nov 30, 2009 3:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Jake is dumb
Im sure cung le was thinking " hmmm that jake sheilds is such a good fighter that im so scared to fight that im just going to make movies"…….o wait he quit to make movies before you were even in strikeforce…..get a grip jake, Cung would smash you
by GOLDIGGAH on Nov 30, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I dont think he was ducking him
but it wouldn’t surprise me is Strikeforce gave Cung a choice of who to fight for his return. Cung Le isn’t a great or very good MMA fighter. He will learn that within his next few matches.
@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
by _Felix_ on Nov 30, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Talk to the San Jose MMA people, for a long time Jake was helping Cung learn MMA, everything is different, the small gloves, open fingers, effects take downs, and of course there is the ground.
This is old news, probably at least a week, Jake said he was just disappointed to be fighting for a vacant tittle again, and Cung was a friend. He said he was glad Cung was doing well in the movies and would be able to fight every once in a while.
(my opinion now) Cung has only had 6 fights, against Mike Altman, Brain Warren, Jason Von Flue, Tony Fryklund.
This is a good way to build an MMA fighter, when you are starting with skill in one style. The problem is Cung is 37, not enough time to become a top 20 MMA fighter. (Shamrock is ranked 55 in the top 100) and has lost 3 of last 4 since his “come back” in 07.
Eight or ten years ago he was legit , now he is making money thats cool, wasn’t much back in the day.
by mixmaster2669 on Dec 1, 2009 12:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Bullshit
This is such crap. If he really wanted to test himself he would be signing with the UFC instead of messing around with the minor leagues. His ground game is solid yes, but he stand up is terrible.
by WallyBallz on Nov 30, 2009 3:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Right. I want to see Him fighting the best as well.
As for Le, he is just as bad on the ground as Shields is on his feet, and Shields would have no problem getting Le on the ground in the first minute of a fight.
@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
by _Felix_ on Nov 30, 2009 3:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
If he wants to be tested he should sign with the UFC but his excuse is he trains with Kos, Fitch, and Swick but who cares he trains with Cung Le and will fight him
by Mr. Fancy Pants on Nov 30, 2009 4:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Dana White said when Elitexc went down that Jake Shields was the only fighter the UFC was interested in. They made Shields an offer based on his being able to get a letter of release.
No letter, so Shields has to finish his contract, it was all over the net early this year.
Chung is a nice guy, but he has never fought a top 50 MMA fighter. He has fought Brain Warren, Jason Von Flue and of course Frank Shamrock, ranked 55, in top 100.
Jake Shields has 13 wins against Top 20-30 fighters and 6 wins against Top 10 opponents. Wins Okami, Condit, Mayhem, Lawler, Daley, Thompson, Sakurai, etc.
This is an old post, I heard Shields say he was upset that he was fighting for a vacant tittle but Chung was a friend and he was going to let it go.
by mixmaster2669 on Nov 30, 2009 4:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Why?
I don’t really think Le is ducking Shields at all. Shields’ takedowns aren’t anything spectacular and Le’s takedown defense is solid so far from his san shou background. Shields should be more worried about Le’s striking than anything. I’d have to say that Le really did come back to MMA simply because of a movie being rescheduled. Le/Shields? Sure, if Shields is prepped to get beaten silly standing.
by n4tacon on Nov 30, 2009 3:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Maybe
Cung Le didn’t want to take all the damage Jake Shields inflicts,
and By that I mean a Staph infection.
Shogun lost a close decision! Everyone get crazy!
by ShaiZ on Nov 30, 2009 3:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
LOL
Please, anyone with a brain can tell Cung Le doesn’t want anything to do with someone with a legit ground game. If Jake wants to tote himself as always challenging himself, he should be calling out Jacare (who’s now in Strikeforce), instead of one-dimensional stand-up fighters.
by wandwagon on Nov 30, 2009 3:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I like Le,
Love watching his kicks, beautiful to watch, and he throws them from every angle. I’d prefer to see Le’s stand up than shields ground game any day. Maybe bias, cause i prefer the stand game tho…
I"m no Ned Flanders punk!!
by tkkpal on Nov 30, 2009 3:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Too bad it's MMA
And not SUFO (Satand Up Fighting Only)
@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
by _Felix_ on Nov 30, 2009 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I love MMA..
Was only saying as in i train SUFO and not the ground game, i love to watch all aspects of mma when it’s entertaining and not Jake Shields.
I"m no Ned Flanders punk!!
by tkkpal on Nov 30, 2009 4:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If you love watching all aspects of MMA, then why you don’t find Jake’s ground game entertaining to watch?
by Alpha Male on Nov 30, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Jake Shields is on a 13 fight 5 year win streak in 2 weight classes, and he was in the Top Ten BEFORE this current win streak.
Shields finished eight straight before Mayhem, Lawler, Daley, Thompson, Okami, Condit.
Does anyone remember Silva Vs Thales Lietes? All you heard for months was how boring Anderson Silva was.
Shields is ranked p4p in the major sites Sports Illustrated, Inside MMA, Sports Today.
Along with Silva and Dan Henderson he is the only fighter ranked in 2 weights.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/josh_gross/09/28/rankings.mma/index.html?eref=T1
by mixmaster2669 on Nov 30, 2009 4:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I've only seen a couple of Shields' fights
And they were ok, he’s a pretty one dimensional fighter who will probably lose very badly against anyone with good TDD and striking. I blamed Miller for not doing enough or taking any chances for that fight being boring.
by Russ M on Nov 30, 2009 4:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I like Cung’s beautiful swing kicks, I like a boxers like Hopkins who can stand in front of you and ya can’t hit him. I also like great subs like Shields one arm, one minute quillotine of Thompson, and his pull him in an grab a standing sub, in two minutes against Lawler… I am an MMA fan.
by mixmaster2669 on Dec 1, 2009 12:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Cung Le's a coward
The guy was a disgraceful champion who made bad films instead of defending his belt than avoided Jake, showing his cowardly nature. Hopefully Smith will get another HL reel KO and send Le back to Hollywood. As for Jake, I can’t wait to see him fight the Jacare-Lindland fight, that should be a grappling masterclass.
by David W-S on Nov 30, 2009 3:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Wow
So now you’ve moved on to bashing fighters.
by Russ M on Nov 30, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Cung Le is a coward Russ
He shouldn’t have been the champion in any MMA org. He is one dimensional and that one dimension isn’t too hard a puzzle to solve. He is getting a gimme fight against Scott and should be fighting Jake. I hate Jake more than the day is long, because his one dimension is boring as hell. I hope Jake and Cung fight each other and the roof caves in on top of the cage.
Fedor is the greatest,
Pound 4 pound best ever,
Now get on your knees,
and bow down to the sweater.
by jay. on Nov 30, 2009 5:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Calling him a coward on an internet forum is more cowardly
Meh, I’d give Cung the benefit of the doubt. I don’t see how it’s his fault that strikeforce made him champ, and clearly he’d rather be making way more money doing shitty movies, hence why he vacated the belt.
by Russ M on Nov 30, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Everyone bashes Shields on this site
It’s disgraceful the way he’s been villified for winning a tough and exciting fight by decision, he’s one of the few fighters to win legitimate titles at different weight classes plus he went on a run where he finished everyone that he faced including some top names, yet you’d think that he’s a lay and pray fighter from what you read on this site about him.
Cung Le couldn’t give a shit about MMA, otherwise he wouldn’t have left the MW division in limbo. He is ducking Shields because he has no ground game. I’d gladly tell him that to his face and explain to him why I’m a fan of Shields and why I couldn’t care less if he ever fought again.
Go bother the people that accuse Jake of shagging his oppenents because they don’t respect his ground skills or are you going to nitpick everything I say because I don’t agree with smoking pot?
by David W-S on Nov 30, 2009 7:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Shields gets bashed because
he is a boring fighter who is so painfully one-dimensional for a Top 5 WW. He isn’t boring because he’s a ground fighter, he’s just a flat out boring fighter. I can watch Hazelett or Maia fight all day long because their jiu jitsu is explosive and graceful. Shields’ has slow takedowns and boring, methodical jiu jitsu. He’s Tim Duncan.
I think he would get a lot more respect if his stand up skills were at least in the same ballpark as his ground game.
by wandwagon on Nov 30, 2009 7:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If his striking skills were as good as his ground game then he'd be a world champion
Very few fighters are that well rounded. Maia has the best BJJ in MMA and Dustin is very fun to watch as well but Shields is still a very accomplished grappler and has an excellent record of finishing fights with submissions, he’s a far more dangerous finisher than the likes of Kos or Fitch and he has some huge wins, he certainly doesn’t deserve to be accused of being a lay and pray fighter after beating a bigger man and a good grappler in his own right in Mayhem by decision.
by David W-S on Nov 30, 2009 7:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He's efficient, he wins, and he's def not a LnP fighter considering his finishes
but he still somehow manages to find a way to be boring. He probably has the worst stand up of any top ranked fighter (at least I can think of), so he gets bashed. I think opinions would change if he fought A) someone with a ground game on par with his (Jacare) or B) someone who can successfully force him to throw his hands.
by wandwagon on Nov 30, 2009 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I might be late on this
I seriously doubt you’d ever consider saying something like that to his face, and if so then you’re a pretty miserable person. And no, I’m not going to nitpick everything you say just because you don’t like pot, your post stood out becuase it was incredibly disrespectful and I’m used to reading a forum where you get banned for posts like that.
by Russ M on Nov 30, 2009 9:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Unfortunately
You don’t get to act ‘holy then thou’ and call it ‘disgraceful’ for bashing a fighter you like, while simultaneously calling another fighter you don’t like a Coward.
Well actually, I guess you can, it just makes you a hypocrite.
I’m glad we got that sorted out, I feel better.
Shogun lost a close decision! Everyone get crazy!
by ShaiZ on Nov 30, 2009 10:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't understand what you're trying to say
Please reread your first sentence.
by Russ M on Nov 30, 2009 10:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, sort of unclear, I was in a hurry.
It was directed at David, not you.
Shogun lost a close decision! Everyone get crazy!
by ShaiZ on Nov 30, 2009 11:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree about Shields, he is a top fighter. He only unloaded on Le during the hours after his fight, when he first heard about him coming back to fight Smith. Shields is generally a good dude and has been saying he like’s Cung and hopes he does well.
Of course he would rather take the tittle from the Champ.
by mixmaster2669 on Dec 1, 2009 12:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
LOL @cowardly nature
Just thought that was funny.
@fjbar75 on twitter...formerly El Mexicutioner
by _Felix_ on Nov 30, 2009 5:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
i think
jake is just mad cause he didnt get to hump him all over the cage just like he did to Miller.
by BJPennfan on Nov 30, 2009 3:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Shields would catch Cung Le in something rd. 1
I was a big Le fan when he first came on to the scene and thought he could be something in the MW division…but sadly he caught Rampage syndrome
dude.....i am
by brendog on Nov 30, 2009 4:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
They will fight next
If Le beats Scott Smith and he should then he will face Jake next. Or Nick Diaz vs Cung Le would be good. Best to go after Le now before he gets in stride.
by hatteras on Nov 30, 2009 4:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Cung le doesn't want to fight anymore...
It’s evident from a recent interview that he’s not interested in fighting. He has a break from movie-making, made a promise to Coker, and wants to make a few quick bucks. He didn’t seem too enthused about getting back in the cage either and it seems more of an obligation than a real passion or desire to fight. Shields is boring to watch imo, and it’s just because he’s a “ground guy”, but because he’s not a particularly good ground guy. He couldn’t even sub miller the entire match, even though they spent a huge majority of their fight on the ground. He got caught by miller in a rear naked, and just isn’t very fun to watch.
by pathmarkpolice on Nov 30, 2009 5:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
“Not a particularly good ground guy?” That’s a funny joke there. You’re right about Le, though. He’s always been known as a guy that would only fight hand-picked opponents, going back to his San Shou days.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.
by FRANKIE on Nov 30, 2009 7:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I want to see..
Someone who can give Shields an actual run for his money when it comes to his bread and butter.
Jacare fits that picture perfectly.
Make it happen.
by virginiatech on Nov 30, 2009 5:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Yawn
One is a one-dimensional ground fighter and the other is a one-dimensional stand up guy. In my head, by default, Cung Le is the lesser of two evils.
The belts in Strikeforce don’t mean a crap to me and I’d rather see some exciting battles for free and not what Jake Shields put on against mayhem miller a few weeks back.
by nastyem on Nov 30, 2009 7:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
How is a guy who was the undefeated EliteXC Welterweight champion, beat the EliteXC Middleweight champion in a catchweight and beat another top middleweight to win the Strikeforce Middleweight title garbage? I guess that makes Okami, Mayhem, Lawler, Semtex et al garbage for losing to Shields.
by David W-S on Nov 30, 2009 8:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
naw
No, it was just a douche bag comment. Had nothing to say and posted nonsense. For the record Jake is not undefeated. He is in Strikeforce though. His 4 losses were pretty early in his career. I respect his ground skills but can’t stand his mouth and cockiness. I am trying to think of who I would love to see tear his head off. I hope he is in the UFC soon. AS would likely oblige and be honored to tear his head off if he stays at 185. I bet he drops to 170 in the UFC and GSP, Thiago, or Fitch would own him.
by halljam2 on Nov 30, 2009 10:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Just a 3vPoints
1. Shields would takedown and submit Cung Le, Cung Le knows it.
2. Shields shouldn’t be talking about ducking competition when he didn’t sign with UFC.
3. Anyone that says otherwise on these points should re-evaluate.
by THORAZINE on Dec 1, 2009 1:26 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
well
1. Well sheilds could prob take most people down,….. so big deal!
2. Shields couldnt sign with ufc as there was loads of shit happening when XC went down and this has been well publicized
3. and maybe next time make better points
I have no idea why im defending Jake, as i think he is poor mans GSP, gets you to the ground dry humps you for 5 rounds while moving to side control to drop knees…
end of Day no way cung was ducking him, Cung first and for most is a martial artist. not some mma guy…. and martial artists always want to test them selves, he said it himself, he will be rusty after being away for so long, so vacating title is a very smart move if you dont think you gonna be able to defend it due to other commitments,, if he walks thro smith then yeah give him diaz or jake, where if he came back after like 1.5 yrs of not fighting to face prob one of the top MW in SF and gets destroyed then it could hurt is chances as a fighter and as an actor
Every night i would pray to God for a new bike, then i realized God does not work that way, so i stole one and asked him to forgive me
by CoNr on Dec 1, 2009 8:55 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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