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Jake Shields

From Alfawiki
Jake Shields
Born (1979-01-09) January 9, 1979 (age 47)
United States
Occupation(s)Mixed martial artist (retired), political activist, podcaster
Known forFinal Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, sole Elite XC Welterweight Champion, former Shooto Welterweight titleholder, past Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, UFC competitor challenging Georges St-Pierre

Jake Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American political activist aligned with far-right ideologies, a podcaster, and a retired mixed martial artist. He earned distinction as the final Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the sole Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight titleholder, and a past Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. Shields also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight title. Following a defeat by Akira Kikuchi, he embarked on a 15-fight winning streak spanning six years before being bested by St-Pierre. He characterized his fighting approach as "American Jiu-Jitsu."

Shields is the host of the Fight Back podcast and has publicly voiced white nationalist, antisemitic, Holocaust denial, and anti-LGBTQ sentiments.

Early life

Raised near Mountain Ranch, California, Shields participated in wrestling during his time at Calaveras High School and continued at Cuesta College. In 2001, he was awarded a wrestling scholarship to attend San Francisco State University.

Mixed martial arts

Shields is renowned for his 15-fight winning streak, having finished eight of eleven opponents before losing by unanimous decision to UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 129. He held both the Shooto World Mixed Martial Arts Championship and the Rumble on the Rock World Championship. Shields secured the Elite XC Welterweight Championship by submitting Nick Thompson with a guillotine choke.

In 2005, he achieved third place at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship.

At Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields, Shields claimed victory over EliteXC’s final middleweight champion via a first-round guillotine choke in a catchweight bout.

During Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, he captured the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship by unanimous decision against Jason 'Mayhem' Miller after Cung Le relinquished the belt.

On April 17, 2010, at Strikeforce: Nashville, Shields successfully defended his title against former Pride Champion Dan Henderson, winning by unanimous decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After being released from Strikeforce on June 30, 2010, Shields was nearing an agreement with the UFC by July 2010.<ref> He debuted in the UFC against Martin Kampmann on October 23, 2010, at UFC 121, securing a split decision victory.<ref> Subsequently, UFC president Dana White suggested Shields was a strong candidate for a title fight.

Shields challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship on April 30, 2011, at UFC 129 in Toronto but was defeated via unanimous decision.<ref> He then faced Jake Ellenberger on September 17, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 25 and lost by TKO in the first round.<ref>

On February 26, 2012, at UFC 144, Shields earned a unanimous decision win over Yoshihiro Akiyama.<ref> Moving back to middleweight, he fought Ed Herman on August 11, 2012, at UFC 150. Initially declared victorious by unanimous decision, Shields was later suspended for six months and fined after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance; consequently, the bout’s result was overturned to a No Contest.<ref> In 2015, Shields attributed this failed test to ingestion of a prohibited diuretic.<ref>

On June 15, 2013, at UFC 161, Shields defeated Tyron Woodley via split decision in an uneventful contest.<ref> He followed this with a split decision win over Demian Maia on October 9, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 29.<ref> On March 15, 2014, at UFC 171, Shields lost to Héctor Lombard by unanimous decision.<ref>

Shields was released from the UFC on April 6, 2014.<ref> Dana White remarked regarding his departure: "Mixed martial arts is a young man's sport. I have respect for Jake Shields. But honestly: what was his trajectory in this [welterweight] division full of beasts? He’s declining... His striking never developed... He’s just another fighter."<ref>

World Series of Fighting

In April 2014, Shields inked a contract for multiple bouts with the World Series of Fighting. He was originally slated to face Jon Fitch at WSOF 11 on July 5, 2014; however, he withdrew due to a shoulder injury.

Shields made his first appearance in WSOF at WSOF 14 on October 11, 2014, in Edmonton, where he defeated Canadian Welterweight Champion Ryan Ford by submission in the opening round. Following this, he secured another first-round submission victory against Brian Foster during the headline fight at WSOF 17 on January 17, 2015.

On August 1, 2015, Shields competed against Rousimar Palhares at WSOF 22, suffering his first submission defeat via kimura. The match was marred by controversy due to Palhares repeatedly gouging Shields’ eyes and maintaining the submission hold after Shields tapped. After the fight, Shields struck Palhares, leading to temporary suspensions for both fighters by the NSAC.

Shields was scheduled to challenge Jon Fitch for the vacant WSOF welterweight title at WSOF 30 on April 1, 2016, but contractual disagreements caused the bout’s cancellation. He later renewed his title challenge against Fitch at WSOF 34, initially planned for November 12, 2016, and later postponed to December 31, 2016. Shields was defeated by unanimous decision.

Professional Fighters League

Shields made his PFL debut at PFL Everett on July 29, 2017, where he earned a unanimous decision victory over Danny Davis Jr.

Entering the season as a strong favorite on July 5, 2018, at PFL 3, Shields was upset by Ray Cooper III via technical knockout in the second round. He bounced back on August 16, 2018, with a unanimous decision win against Herman Terrado at PFL 6, which secured his advancement into the playoffs.

In their rematch at PFL 10 on October 20, 2018, Shields again fell to Ray Cooper III by technical knockout in the first round.

Grappling events

On November 22, 2014, Shields competed against Roberto Satoshi in a grappling contest at Metamoris V, which ended without a winner.

On April 2, 2016, Shields faced AJ Agazarm at Polaris 3. The match was contentious due to eye gouging and strikes from both participants, including an instance where Shields slapped Agazarm while standing. The bout concluded as a draw.

Shields secured a victory over Diego Sanchez in a grappling match held at High Rollerz 4 on February 5, 2020.

Television and film

Shields co-produced and starred in Fight Life, an acclaimed MMA documentary directed by James Z. Feng that premiered in 2013. He appeared in several episodes of MTV’s Bully Beatdown during its 2009 run and worked as a grappling coach for Chuck Liddell on The Ultimate Fighter 11. Additionally, Shields featured on Animal Planet programs Wild Recon and Venom in Vegas.

Political views and activism

Following an online dispute between climate activist Greta Thunberg and influencer Andrew Tate on December 28, 2022, Shields suggested that Tate should physically confront Thunberg to halt what he described as her "crazy feminist/climate nonsense."

On April 25, 2023, Shields posted a tweet endorsing public executions for individuals involved in assisting children with gender transition—including medical professionals and educators—which was subsequently removed for breaching Twitter’s policies.

In September 2023, Shields supported a campaign aimed at banning the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from Twitter. By March 2024, the ADL had labeled him an "antisemitic conspiracy theorist" following his claims that Israel was responsible for creating ISIS.

During the Gaza conflict of 2023, Shields actively promoted pro-Palestinian activism accompanied by vehemently anti-Israel statements. His social media presence expanded significantly to over 760,000 followers by late that year. The ADL identified him as a prominent far-right influencer on X exploiting the conflict to grow his audience.

Shields also advocates Holocaust denial; in February 2024 he asserted that no Jews perished in gas chambers. One post from May 2024 alleging Jewish control over America amassed more than 1.3 million views and received over 21K likes. The journal Public Discourse reported that he disseminated multiple blood libels without consequence.

In June 2024, Shields alongside white supremacist Christian nationalist activist Nick Fuentes were barred from attending a Turning Point USA conference but instead participated in the far-right 2024 America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) held in Detroit with figures such as former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke. On his podcast, Shields hosted Duke and referred to him as a "nice old man."

In March 2025, while featuring an Australian neo-Nazi guest on his podcast, Shields praised Adolf Hitler and Nazi policies—denying Hitler promoted racial hatred and defending Nazi book burnings targeting what he called "tranny books and communist books."

The Southern Poverty Law Center has noted that Shields regularly hosts neo-Nazi and alt-right figures on his podcast.

Personal life

Shields is a father to a daughter born in December 2000. On August 29, 2011, his father and manager, Jack Shields, passed away at the age of 67.

A committed vegetarian throughout his life, Shields has participated in both print and video campaigns for PETA advocating this dietary choice. Additionally, he has expressed skepticism regarding vaccines.

On September 21, 2023, Shields did not attend a scheduled arraignment in a Nevada court concerning misdemeanor battery allegations stemming from an incident involving Mike Jackson; consequently, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

He describes himself as a former atheist who has since embraced belief in God.

Amateur wrestling

  • California Interscholastic Federation
    • Qualified for the CIF State Championship (1997)

Mixed martial arts

  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • UFC.com Honors
      • 2010: Ranked #2 Newcomer of the Year
  • Strikeforce
    • One-time Strikeforce Middleweight Champion
    • Successfully defended the title once
  • Elite Xtreme Combat
    • Held the EliteXC Welterweight Championship (first and only champion)
    • One successful title defense
  • Professional Shooto Japan
    • Shooto Welterweight Champion (one occasion)
  • Rumble on the Rock
    • Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion
    • Winner of the Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Tournament

Submission grappling

Mixed martial arts record

|- |Loss |align=center| |Ray Cooper III |TKO (punches) |PFL 10 | |align=center|1 |align=center|3:10 |Washington, D.C., U.S. | |- | Win | align=center| 33–10–1 (1) | Herman Terrado | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 6 | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |- |Loss |align=center| (1) |Ray Cooper III |TKO (punches) |PFL 3 | |align=center|2 |align=center|2:09 |Washington, D.C., U.S. | |- | Win | align=center| 32–9–1 (1) | Danny Davis Jr. | Decision (unanimous) | PFL: Everett | | align=center| 3 | align=center| 5:00 | Everett, Washington, U.S. | |- ... (Record continues with key fights and titles highlighted) ...


Submission grappling record

 Win  |  style="text-align:center"|10–4–3  |  Gilbert Burns  |  Quickest Escape  |  Submission Underground 6  |  Superfight  |  December 3, 2017  |  Portland, Oregon, U.S.   |  Win    |  style="text-align:center"|9–4–3    |  Murilo Santana    |  Referee Decision    | Fight to Win Pro 51    | Superfight   Loss Win   

See also

External links

32 Matches, 17 Wins (4 Submissions), 11 Losses (5 Submissions), 4 Draws
Result Rec. Opponent Method Event Division Date Location
Loss Renato Canuto Submission (flying armbar) Third Coast Grappling 8 -85 kg October 23, 2021 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Win 17–10–4 Patrick Downey Decision
Win 16–10–4 Eric Alequin Decision (tech fall)
Loss 15–10–4 Brent Primus Submission (armbar) Submission Underground 14 Superfight May 31, 2020 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Loss 15–9–4 Richie Martinez Submission (armbar) Submission Underground 11 Superfight February 23, 2020 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Loss 15–8–4 Gilbert Burns Decision Quintet Ultra Absolute December 12, 2019 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Draw 15–7–4 Glover Teixeira Draw
Win 15–7–3 Cub Swanson Injury
Win 14–7–3 Mark Muñoz Submission (arm-triangle choke)
Loss 13–7–3 Romulo Barral Referee decision Third Coast Grappling 3 Superfight December 7, 2019 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Win 13–6–3 Austin Vanderford Quickest Escape Submission Underground 8 Superfight May 12, 2019 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Loss 12–6–3 Rafael Lovato Jr. Decision (unanimous) Polaris Pro Grappling#Polaris 9 Superfight March 15, 2019 "London, England"
Win 12–5–3 Ron Keslar Decision (unanimous) Fight 2 Win 98 Superfight - Won FTW Middleweight Championship January 19, 2019 San Jose, California, U.S.
Loss 11–5–3 Craig Jones Submission (heel hook) Polaris Pro Grappling#Polaris 6 Superfight February 17, 2018 "London, England"
Win 11–4–3 Kit Dale Referee Decision Fight to Win Pro 26 Superfight February 10, 2018

 Denver, Colorado, U.S.    |

October 21, 2017   | 

Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.   |

style="text-align:center"|8–4–3

Abdurakhman Bilarov

Points

ADCC World Championship

–79 kg

September 23, 2017

Espoo, Finland

style="text-align:center"|8–3–3  

Dan Strauss  

Decision (unanimous)  

Polaris Pro Grappling 

Superfight

August 19, 2017  
"London, England"  
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