Jake Shields will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing showing against Georges St-Pierre when he takes on Jake Ellenberger.
Youngster could prove tricky task for Shields
Jake Shields will be aiming to bounce back from a disappointing showing against Georges St-Pierre when he takes on Jake Ellenberger at UFC's "Battle of the Bayou".
Shields looked overwhelmed in his UFC Welterweight title fight against GSP at UFC 129, losing a unanimous points decision, but major events in his personal life may have given him some perspective on fighting and could reignite his title charge.
The former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion lost his father to a heart attack during his training camp for this fight, but was determined to continue and could well be mentally tougher when he arrives in New Orleans.
There is no doubting the 32-year-old's talent as he has a number of high-profile wins on his record, including Paul "Semtex" Daley, Dan Henderson, Martin Kampmann and current No.1 Welterweight contender Carlos Condit, but he must regain the confidence he showed before arriving in the UFC after he was outclassed against GSP.
Shields is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) but claims more of an "American Jiu-Jitsu" style which combines the skills of BJJ with that of wrestling. This is a style which has been successful in the past, but Ellenberger could match his wrestling skills and is more potent with his fists.
The 26-year-old may only have BJJ blue belt as opposed to the black worn by his adversary, but what he lacks in experience, he makes up for in striking power.
Ellenberger has ended three of his last four UFC bouts by stoppage or KO and will be seeking another high-profile scalp to boost his own hopes of landing a title shot.
Promising
The promising youngster is just coming into his prime in a sport where veterans can fight well into their forties and could shock Shields with his punching power. He is
11/2 with Sky Bet to win by KO/stoppage and 5/2 to win on points.
However, Shields is the 4/7 favourite to get back to winning ways against Ellenberger - but the 11/8 price on an underdog victory could be worth a look.
Shields will look to use his superior wrestling skills to numb Ellenberger's stand-up talents and a Shields win by
submission is 3/1ww.skybet.com/betting/mma-ufc/ufc-fight-night.-shields-vs-ellenberger/jake-shields-vs-jake-ellenberger/e13308366.html' target='_blank' class='instorylink'>submission is 3/1.
Both men have five career losses and will be keen not to add to that tally. GSP still sits atop a strong division and the winner of his fight could find themselves with a title shot if they can get through this test.
Elsewhere on the card, Court McKee takes on Dongi Yang, Jonathan Brookins faces Eric Koch and Alan Belcher meets Jason MacDonald.
