Jake Shields vs Joe Riggs Set For April 11 Strikeforce

Jake Shields vs. Joe Riggs set for April 11 Strikeforce event
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Feb 18, 2009 at 9:39 am ET
EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields (22-4-1) will be heading to Strikeforce to meet veteran fighter Joe Riggs (29-10) at the April 11 "Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz" event, which marks the organization's debut on Showtime.

A representative for Riggs told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the bout was finalized earlier this week.

The event takes place at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and features a main event between Frank Shamrock and Nick Diaz.

Shields, a 30-year-old who won the EliteXC strap this past summer, will leave the belt with the remnants of ProElite, Inc. Strikeforce struck a deal with the company earlier this month to take most of its top fighters and its Showtime deal. (A new CBS deal could also be in store for Strikeforce.)

Shields now enters Strikeforce, which doesn't have a welterweight champion, as a top contender. With an 11-fight win streak (including stoppage victories in his past seven wins), Shields has become one of the 170-pound division's top-ranked competitors worldwide.

He'll put his impressive streak on the line against Riggs, who's 4-2 since leaving the UFC after a December 2006 loss to Diego Sanchez. Riggs most recently fought at "Strikeforce: Destruction" in November 2008, when he defeated Luke Stewart via second-round TKO.

In addition to Shamrock vs. Diaz and Shields vs. Riggs, the April 11 Strikeforce event features Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith.

During a recent media call, Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker also said Gilbert Melendez and Strikeforce world lightweight champion Josh Thomson would likely be on the card. Although Coker mentioned recent signee Jorge Gurgel could be an opponent for Thomson, a representative from the Brazilian's camp recently told MMAjunkie.com that an elbow injury will keep him off the card. Gurgel hopes to instead return at a Strikeforce event tentatively scheduled for May in Seattle.

[rockdawg21]

There you go. Finally somebody to take Jake off of his self-appointed pedestal. Shields won't be able to telegraph an armbar on Riggs. TKO by Riggs.

WAR RIGGS!!!!!!!!!!

I like Riggs but I think he gets beat. Shields by sub in round 1

I hope riggs demolishes jake. Just to make jake feel retarded about calling out matt and gsp.

To me it would make sense to have nick diaz vs shields since jake ducked him back at elite xc. And have robbie step in against shamrock. Or just have robbie fight cung li (isn't he still the strikeforce middleweight titleholder?) too unify the 2 belts/declare a champion period.

[Llamafighter]

Originally Posted by lc87

I hope riggs demolishes jake. Just to make jake feel retarded about calling out matt and gsp.

To me it would make sense to have nick diaz vs shields since jake ducked him back at elite xc. And have robbie step in against shamrock. Or just have robbie fight cung li (isn't he still the strikeforce middleweight titleholder?) too unify the 2 belts/declare a champion period.

They actually train together and are pretty good friends. I doubt they'll ever fight. I would love to see Robbie knock Frank the f#@% out though!

What happened to the big contraversy over that I was hoping that would be a good grudge match

I've never really liked the shamrocks but I've always felt obligated to root for them because my dad grew up a few miles away from the shamrock ranch. And knew ken and grew up with friends that were foster kids at the ranch. And his friends always picked on ken.

jake will shoot in to catch a upper cut and lights out at the end of round one

[Tyburn]

War Shields