Even though it’s a forgone conclusion that Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields will sign with the UFC as soon as he’s legally able to, Strikeforce has continued to talk with Shields’ camp.
Of course this could all be posturing by Shields and Co. to keep their price tag as high as possible so they can milk the UFC for a little extra cash.
Shields’ father, Jack, also happens to be Jake’s manager and has been handling negotiations for the talented Cesar Gracie trained fighter.
“They made us a pretty good offer,” Jack Shields told MMAJunkie. “I thought Jake was worth a little more, and I gave them a counter-offer.”
Unfortunately, Strikeforce isn’t in a position to get into a bidding war with the UFC and already seem content to move forward without their 185-pound champ.
The word from Strikeforce is that they are already planning an eight-man tournament to crown a new middleweight champion as soon as Shields bolts.
Just like anything else, you can never say never, but expect Dana White and company to scoop up Shields and pluck away one of Strikeforce’s best fighters.
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