UFC Quick Quote: Jake Shields is ready to 'destroy' Yoshihiro Akiyama

by Jesse Holland on Feb 21, 2012 5:43 PM EST in Upcoming UFC Events

Photo of Jake Shields courtesy of Strikeforce.com.

"I'd love to disappoint the Japanese crowd, I plan to go out there and stop Akiyama. I feel the best I've ever felt right now. I feel stronger and faster, and as long as I can keep this going up until the fight, I'm ready to destroy. I want to start with Akiyama and get back on track. He's a good boxer, a good power-puncher and has world class judo. He's got good submissions too but he seems to be more of a knockout guy. It would be stupid to say I can't be submitted by him, but I'm unlikely to be submitted by him. Ideally I'll take him down into my world and submit him. He's a really hard guy to take down and he's got good boxing so I'm working lots of stand-up for this fight. In 2012 I want to be top contender again. I want a couple of big wins and have a title shot. I want everybody talking about how they want me to fight for the title in 2013."

Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields (via ESPN.co.uk) is looking to get back "into the mix" following a disastrous 2011 fight campaign. After stringing together 15 consecutive wins over some of the top names in all of mixed martial arts (MMA), the American Jiu-Jitsu grappler dropped back down to welterweight to make a run at the UFC title held by Georges St. Pierre. Instead, he ended up with a 1-2 record, including a high-profile technical knockout loss to Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 25 back in September. Shields looks to get back into the win column against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144 on Feb. 25 by "destroying" the sexy one. Anyone think he's still got the chops to do it?

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Too bad he had to fight so soon after his fathers passing against Ellenberger. He clearly wasn’t going to be in the right frame of mind, hope he comes back strong against Akiyama!!

by Sofa-King-Toasty on Feb 21, 2012 5:59 PM EST via mobile reply actions

True statement

He’s a real warrior to fight 2 weeks following his father’s passing. Jake’s an amazing person in and outside of the ring/octagon.

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1. Lyoto Machida
2. Thiago Silva
3. Michael Bisping
4. Chan Sung Jun
5. Frank Mir
6. You don't have the balls to post your fav fighters

by MMAisfuntowatch on Feb 21, 2012 7:01 PM EST up reply actions

If Shields is good at anything, it's disappointing a crowd

"Speaks well of a man to need a little something in this world. I wouldn't trust a man who could git through it cold sober."
--Harry Crews

by Erasedhead on Feb 21, 2012 8:32 PM EST up reply actions

WAR AKIYAMA!

by JamPark on Feb 21, 2012 6:07 PM EST reply actions

Jake should move up to MW

i think he could contend eventually there

as for Akiyama, its a shame UFC picked a guy like Shields to fight him, Shields will take this easily IMO.

I am willing to test myself against the toughest fighters in the world, in front of hundreds of thousands or even millions of fans, over and over again. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but I always come to fight. I've been doing this for the past fourteen years, and I have at least a few more strong years left in me. What have you done in the past fourteen years other than act like a moron on this forum and hang on Anderson's nuts? - Dan Henderson.

by elmojo on Feb 21, 2012 6:11 PM EST reply actions

excuse em sir but...

Soon as my flow starts, I compose art like the ghost of Mozart
Even though they all say that they're real, I know that most aren't
Boy you think you're clever don't you, girl you think you're so smart
Come with me to another side of the world... so cold and so dark

by HitokiriX on Feb 21, 2012 6:19 PM EST up reply actions

won 2 rounds against the champ already, need just 1 more. Go Shields!

TRAIN BY DAY, JOE ROGAN PODCAST BY NIGHT - ALL DAY.

by freenow82 on Feb 21, 2012 6:57 PM EST reply actions

I'm a big shields fan.....but

The only time I’ve seen “shields” and “destroy” in the same sentence was after the ellenberger fight. Let’s be more practical and say that Jake will have a modest win.

by otherdarkmeat on Feb 21, 2012 7:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I don't get the akiyama love. He's never impressed

Me and has a terrible UFC record. I would ever go to say hes the most overrated fighter on the roster to me.

by otherdarkmeat on Feb 21, 2012 7:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I love him because his fights are fun

Like a less-useful Chris Lytle.

"Speaks well of a man to need a little something in this world. I wouldn't trust a man who could git through it cold sober."
--Harry Crews

by Erasedhead on Feb 21, 2012 8:33 PM EST up reply actions

Destroy???

There will be none of that happening in Japan. Sexy has been nothing but disappointing in the UFC and unfortunately the same applies to Shields.

"See if people are gonna hate just cause I say the word motherfucker, then fuck them, I don’t have time to worry about marketing and shit, in my last fight my hair looked like shit cause all I did was train… I have other letters but i’m not that good of a reader." - Nick Diaz

by hairybumcrack on Feb 21, 2012 8:12 PM EST reply actions

Shields is one of my favorite guys to watch grapple

hes BJJ is awesome, i expect him to win this fairly easily

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