UFC
Jake Shields not expecting to be 100% against Ed Herman at UFC 150
Aug 9, 2012 - 10:25:30 AM Jake Shields not expecting to be 100% against Ed Herman at UFC 150

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Jake Shields finished his run in Strikeforce with as big a win as he had available to him at the time in 2010, defeating Dan Henderson to defend his Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. When he debuted in the UFC later that year, though, he dropped back down to the welterweight division to make a run after UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre.

He would get that title shot, but had mixed results in the division overall, losing to St-Pierre and Jake Ellenberger before bouncing back with a decision over Yoshihiro Akiyama in February. This Saturday night at UFC 150, Shields returns to the middleweight division, taking on Ed Herman in Denver, Colo.

Shields cites an increasingly difficult weight cut as a reason behind moving back up, but now he's got a different issue to deal with: elevation in Colorado.

"I just didn't like cutting all the weight, and I feel a little stronger at 185," Shields said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. "It's been a little tougher than I thought, but I'm definitely glad I came out a little bit earlier. Yesterday, I finally had a decent workout. The first few days, I was struggling. I have a couple more days. I'm going to train hard tonight and hope that I'll feel a lot more adjusted."

"I don't think I'm going to be 100 percent on Saturday, but as long as I can be close enough."

Not being 100% from a cardio standpoint could hurt him against Herman, who has been on an absolute roll since returning from a near two-year injury layoff. While he's certainly aware of the challenges Herman presents to him on Saturday, he plans on making an impression as he returns back to 185 lbs.

"It's my debut back at middleweight," Shields said, "so I just want to go there and make an example of Herman and show that I'm back in the mix."

Penick's Analysis: The elevation in Colorado has wreaked havoc on several fighters not used to the high elevation, and the thinner air that is found there. It's not often that fighters outside of that area need to deal with that issue, so when the UFC does hit the state with an event those fighters not used to the difference can really make things difficult on them. For Shields, he has to hope his week in Colorado will get him used to it enough not to fade massively against Herman, because that could lead to a really bad result for him as he returns to a new division. The good thing for him is he's not worrying about a weight cut along with that, as that double issue could be very detrimental for a fighter.