Jake Shields to Fight for Interim Strikeforce Middleweight Title

Jake Shields, the former EliteXC welterweight champion, will fight for the interim Strikeforce middleweight title in October. Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker informed FanHouse of the news at Tuesday's Gina Carano-Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos press conference in New York City.

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against who cung le?? joey villesonor??

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Posted by prozacnation1978

against who cung le?? joey villesonor??

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Coker would not say who Shields will be facing for the title, or exactly when and where this fight would take place.

The Vancouver Sun recently reported that Shields was in preliminary talks to face Matt Lindland or Vitor Belfort for the interim title in August, but "but Showtime TV executives wanted to give him more prominent billing." Belfort is currently scheduled to face Jorge Santiago at "Affliction: Trilogy" on August, so that match-up seems doubtful. However, a fight against the highly-respected Lindland would make a whole lot of sense at the moment.

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The source, through another report, suggests Matt Lindland. They hinted at Vitor Belfort but his fighting in Sengoku in August makes that unlikely. Cung Le (still the SF MW Champ) isn't fighting again until next year...if we're lucky. Something like 5-6 movies he's working on.

I'd strip Cung Le of the title as he's obviously got no interest in defending it. Whats the point in introducing a interim title if it can't be unified for over a year?
Le is using Strikeforce as a back up plan and as a champion its bad for their image as well as disrespectful to the contenders who basically have to wait for him to decide he wants to start training.

Interim belts are pointless!

Yeah shields wont be fighting Cung Le because then it would be for the real MW title.

Lindland vs Shields would be a decent match, nothing spectacular

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Posted by SmileR

I'd strip Cung Le of the title as he's obviously got no interest in defending it. Whats the point in introducing a interim title if it can't be unified for over a year?
Le is using Strikeforce as a back up plan and as a champion its bad for their image as well as disrespectful to the contenders who basically have to wait for him to decide he wants to start training.

Interim belts are pointless!

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100%

Cung Le definately needs to be stripped of the title.......His priorities are obviously somewere else right now so what is the point.....Strip him of the title then maybe he will quit doing his crappy B rated movies and start fighting again......

I think Lindland or Villesenor would be good.