WSOF 34: Jon Fitch vs Jake Shields title fight will go head-to-head with UFC 205 at MSG

Two major mixed martial arts (MMA) events will collide on one night (Nov. 12, 2016) when World Series of Fighting (WSOF) counters UFC 205, which will be the first-ever (and likely loaded) pay-per-view (PPV) show inside Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., with a Welterweight title fight between Jon Fitch vs. Jake Shields.

Fitch and Shields -- two former 170-pound UFC stars and title challengers -- will headline WSOF 34 at Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo., airing live on NBC Sports Network. UFC 205 is not necessarily the event (or night) with which a promotion would want to go head-to-head, but after clearing the air with Shields, WSOF President Ray Sefo tells ESPN that he's the man with the plan.

"Jake is a great guy," Sefo said. "One thing we needed to work out were the grappling tournaments he wishes to compete in. We wanted to give him that freedom. Jake is happy. This match up is long overdue. You have two great guys, great names in the sport. They're icons. We're happy we could put this match together."

Hopefully, Shields is happy now, too, after previously calling negotiations with WSOF "bullshit little games." How the show will fare in the ratings department on fight night remains to be seen -- UFC 205's fight card has yet to take significant shape. However, company President Dana White has promised "mind-blowing" announcements. And, considering the historical significance of the event, UFC 205 would seem like the ideal opportunity to start rolling them out.

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