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Monday, Sep 19, 2011

Jake Ellenberger: Shields Did Not Verbally Tap

By Kelsey Mowatt

For some time, Jake Ellenberger campaigned for a bout with Jake Shields and while doing so, the welterweight consistently stated that his wrestling abilities would allow him to stop the former Strikeforce champ with strikes. Well, on Saturday night, Ellenberger’s prediction came to pass, as after Shields was unable to take him to the mat, the rising welterweight finished his opponent off with a knee and follow up punches.

“I had a lot of confidence going into the fight with my teammates and coaches,” Ellenberger told FCF today. “I think the win is a reflection of who I’m surrounded with; there’s such good positive people around me I couldn’t ask for better people.”

While the bout ended in dramatic and quick fashion, the UFC Fight Night 25 bout wasn’t without some controversy, as Shields stated afterwards that he believed the fight may have been stopped too early. After Shields was blasted to the head with an Ellenberger knee, he attempted to secure a leg of Ellenberger’s while face down on the mat. As Ellenberger continued to pound him from above with left hands, the bout was brought to a halt, and a dazed Shields proceeded to grab the referee’s leg not realizing the fight was over.

“Once I watched it afterwards I thought it was a fair stoppage,” said Ellenberger. “I’m a very open minded person but he was definitely out of it. In my opinion, from the looks of the video, he was out.”

In a report from MMA Junkie today, Alvin Topham, Chairman of the Louisiana Boxing and Wrestling Commission, reportedly stated that it was his “understanding” that Shields may have verbally tapped out. The Chairman also added that the bout would have been stopped regardless.

Shields firmly denied with FCF today that he had done so, and from what Ellenberger recollects, he also doesn’t think the decorated fighter verbally submitted.

“No, I don’t know, but I would have to disagree; I didn’t hear anything,” said Ellenberger while discussing the report. “I don’t think Jake is a guy that would do that, in fact, I know he’s not.”

With the win, Ellenberger (26-5) has now win five straight bouts in the UFC, and by defeating one of the sport’s more established welterweights, the 26 year-old-fighter’s stock has never been higher.

“I don’t know, I haven’t talked to my management or Joe Silva yet,” said Ellenberger while discussing what’s next and the fact that due to the win he could be in the title shot mix. “Whoever the UFC has for me, like I’ve told Dana (White) and Joe before, whoever I have to face to get my world title shot I will. It doesn’t really matter to me who I fight.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

posted by FCF Staff @ 4:46 pm
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