5 Reasons The UFC Should Sign Jake Shields Right Now

As the entire MMA world knows, EliteXC is going out of business and a whole bunch of fighters ranging from Robbie Lawler to Kimbo Slice are going to be out of work. The first question in my mind is, who should the UFC sign first? The answer: EliteXC welterweight star Jake Shields.

Here's why:

1) You Can Never Have Too Many Quality Fighters

Jake Shields is an excellent fighter with a very strong ground game that would make the hyper-competitive UFC welterweight division even better. UFC is THE place to be for welterweight fighters and the stable would be even more impressive with Jake in it.

2) There Are Tons of Great Fights for Jake in the UFC

Jake would likely have to work his way up to a title shot, so along the way there would be plenty of chances for great match-ups. For example, Jake Shields vs. Dustin Hazelett could be a grappling barn burner. He could also face guys like Diego Sanchez, Karo Parisyan, and Dong Hyun Kim as the main event on Ultimate Fight Nights.

3) Georges St. Pierre Needs More Victims

GSP has already beaten Matt Hughes (2X), BJ Penn, Josh Koscheck, and Jon Fitch. And in all likelihood, he'll beat BJ Penn in their January rematch. Plus, I don't think Thiago Alves has a strong enough ground game to have a reasonable shot at taking out Georges. Jake Shields has already expressed interest in fighting GSP, and in all likelihood he'll get murdered, adding another notch to GSP's belt.

4) You Can Take Him Home to Mom

Jake Shields is a likeable, marketable guy that would make a great representative for the sport of MMA, similar to Kenny Florian. He is exactly the type of guy that would look good on traditional sports channels and if the UFC decided to back him, he would go over well with traditional sports fans.

and finally...

5) If Jake Shields Craps Out, the UFC Still Wins

Let's say Jake comes into the UFC and completely craps out. Dana White gets to come out and say "See? Nobody can compete with the UFC's fighters. Jake was the top welterweight outside of the UFC and he couldn't hang with our top guys."

GracieFighter.com, the home of Cesar Gracie's stable of fighters said last night that "Jake Shields in the UFC has now become a real possibility." Let's hope that possibility turns into into reality soon.

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P.S. Visit MMAEruption.com and read about Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture!