Jake Shields to The UFC, Giving Strikeforce an Opportunity.
by Riley_96 on Apr 26, 2010 12:54 AM EDT
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As we seen on Saturday, Jake Shields and Dana While looked like an old married couple just celebrating their 50th anniversary. Dana had his usual smug grin while he pointed at Jake and stated "hes mine". I would hyper link an article about how Strikeforce were setting up Dan Henderson to take the title off of Jake, but I don't want my piece to be made up of red text. It has been common knowledge that Jake has been chomping at the bit to jump ship to the UFC and now with his contract with Strikeforce finished it looks like he is going to get his wish.
Many feel as though Strikeforce have dropped the ball with Shields, which maybe true, but i see this as a chance for Strikeforce to further themselves. Jake is a ratings nightmare which is the the key to Strikeforce staying afloat. Is it nice to have top fighters, but when the fighter chaises away casuals like a leeper losing him isn't really that bad. WIth Jake jumping ship the middle weight division opens up and there is one match that can do wonders for Strikeforce. Jason Miller vs Jacare Souza.
They have met twice before and although casuals have no idea about it there is some real bad blood there. WIth the Dream Partnership they can work out a deal to get the footage to fill the casuals in on the rivalry. WIth this fight Strikeforce will end up with a champion that can be sold to the casual fan and hardcore alike.
Miller has tons of exposure as the host of Bully Beatdown and the hardcores know him as that goofy guy who is one tough son of a bitch. Miller has the personality to become a major draw for Strikeforce and he also seems to have no interest in the UFC. Casuals know him from the show and with his part in the brawl it makes for great breakout star.
Jacare is a little different in that the casuals have no idea who he is. What Jacare lacks in popularity he makes up for in skill. Jacare is one of those guys who can get casuals excited about the ground game. Souza has a very active ground game and never rests when he gets it to the ground. It is this style that led to the up kick that knocked him out in his fight against Gegard Mousasi. It would have been easy for Souza to sit in Mousasi's guard and ride it out or look to improve slowly, but that is not the way Souza fights. Jacare does not look to coast on the ground he is constantly looking for the finish and a grappler like him has the ability to get the casual fan excited about the ground game.
This is one of those times where Dream will actually come in handy. Thus far i have been very critical about the fighter sharing, but this is the first time i see the partnership being useful to Strikeforce.
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ehh
you forgot that their marketing department doesn’t exist…so there’s nothing really they can do to promote a fight between Miller/Jacare. Also, while Shields isn’t a big ratings draw…he IS top fighter….so letting him go and replacing him with some scrub wouldn’t be a good look either….I mean…whoever the middleweight champion would be after that would be a joke kind of….because the real champion fights for another promotion(if Shields goes to the UFC)…
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I dident say they were going to do it or even they have the abilities to do it correctly if they even try, it is simply a suggestion on how to turn a shitty deal into something positive. As for Strikeforce right now they need draws more then a fighter who kills ratings. Sadly the people they strikeforce need to reach don’t respect nor care for ground game. Seeing someone man handle Hendo is a big deal to us but to the casual fan watching on CBS it was “some dude dry humping the other”.
It would be an amazing world if the sport was based on the people who follow it alone, but sadly a promotion like SF is based mostly on casuals and not the hardcores.
Re: Shields draw
How much of Shields not being a big draw is in direct relation to Strikeforce’s inability (or desire) to promote him? I realize that hardcore fans don’t particularly like his style because he “doesn’t finish” (although that has been disputed before), but the reality is, from what I’ve seen, dude is tough as nails.
He should be marketable, but Strikeforce inexplicably doesn’t do it. They hype Dan Henderson relentlessly, but fail to put their own champion on the promos?!
I honestly believe that Shields will be a bigger draw in the UFC because they know how to market fighters and aren’t afraid to.
I agree with you fully that they dident push Shields like they should, but as i stated getting top fighters is a nice coo but for right now SF needs draws and ones that are easy to market. Jake is a top fighters are great and all but SF are trying to stay alive at this point and the reality of it is Jake is a ratings killer, the numbers prove it.
I was not saying that Jake is dead weight far from it, and to be honest if he goes to the UFC elbows will make him a destroying machine with GnP. As far as the UFC making him a star they are in a different league as far as promotions go. UFC just needs to put jake on as a Co headliner with a big draw as the main event and watch him rack up a few wins and face george.
Do Strikeforce pay out bonuses for sub/ko/match of the night? Sub, of course, being the sticking point… might be an incentive for someone in Shields’ pay range.
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