Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (25-4-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he'll return to the welterweight division and fight Martin Kampmann (17-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC 121.
Dana white today confirmed the expected plans with Jack Shields, Jake's father and manager, who said bout agreements are being finalized today.
Shields had hoped to remain at middleweight for his Oct. 23 debut, but Jack Shields said the fighter agreed to drop back to welterweight at the urging of UFC officials.
"Jake has fought a lot of the top guys, and now he'll fight the best of the them," Jack Shields said "He's happy the signing has come to fruition."
Shields, who also previously held titles with Shooto and EliteXC, makes his octagon debut with a staggering 14-fight win streak. In his most recent fight, he defended his belt and defeated ex-UFC fighter Dan Henderson at April's CBS-televised "Strikeforce: Nashville" event. Shields, in fact, topped many other UFC veterans during his streak, including ex-champ Dave Menne, Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle, Nick Thompson, Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
After his string of eight consecutive stoppage victories, Shields' recent wins over Henderson and Miller came via decision.
Kampmann, a former kickboxer who's rounded out his fight game with solid ground skills, is a former middleweight contender who dropped to 170 pounds 2009. He's 4-1 since the move with recent victories over Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108 (submission) and Paulo Thiago (decision) at UFC 115. The lone loss came to Daley in 2009.
A victory for either Shields or Kampmann very well could result in a title shot. Current champ Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck fight in December following their stints as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 12," but the Shields vs. Kampmann winner (or the winner of a UFC 117 bout between Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves) could be next in line.
Looks like a good first matchup for Shields.
