Shields Draws on Team’s Support for Fight in ‘Hostile Territory’

Jake Shields will have a 20-man crew in Toronto for UFC 129. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

He just doesn’t care.

What matters are the actions of the two men inside the Octagon, Shields explained during a Thursday media conference call, not the prospective sea of humanity hoping for him to lose consciousness in some fashion.

“This fight is something that I’ve been asking for, for about four years. I want to test myself against best, and I think [St. Pierre] certainly is the best,” said Shields. “The home country, of course, it helps [St. Pierre] a little bit, but it’s really not that big of a deal. I’ve fought lots of people in their hometowns and home countries. It’s going to be me and Georges in there, fighting. The crowd can do whatever they want, but it doesn’t bother me that much.”

Though Shields has fought all over the world and acquired multiple world titles, the Cesar Gracie student has yet to capture UFC gold. In only his second Octagon appearance, Shields will face arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet on his own turf, a daunting task to be sure. But according to the former Strikeforce middleweight king, his well-documented and tight-knit bond with his training partners will provide him with an edge when he crosses the border into GSP’s land.

“I’m really glad to have that [bond with my training partners], because even though I’m going into hostile territory, where most people will be against me, I’ll be surrounded by 20 guys coming up with us,” said Shields. “So, it won’t feel like such hostile territory. I feel very fortunate to be in the situation I’m in.”

In preparing for the biggest fight of his career, Shields also faces the most distractions he’s ever encountered, many come from the massive media attention that the bout has attracted. Though Shields feels it’s all a bit much, the grappling specialist is adapting to the circus that surrounds him and keeping his priorities straight.

“It’s definitely insane. I didn’t realize how much media [I would have to accommodate]. There are [so many] interview requests and stuff,” said Shields. “But really, I put training first. I squeeze interviews in between training. I haven’t missed one training session because of it, and that’s all that really matters.”

In many cases, it’s not just the presence of the media, but the questions asked by the press that can prove distracting. Since his difficult UFC debut against Martin Kampmann in October -- for which Shields reportedly cut 20 pounds in 24 hours to make the welterweight limit -- Shields has been asked regularly about his weight. But according to the fighter, everything is on schedule this time around.

“I got [my weight in order] a long time ago,” said Shields, who competed at 185 pounds from 2009 to 2010. “I was 182 [pounds] this morning, which, for me, is a nice, easy cut. I’m way underweight [this time]. It’s going to be no problem. I made a huge mistake last time, which was 100 percent my fault. I learn from my mistakes, so I’m certainly not going to do that again.”

With his weight reportedly in order, Shields has been free to focus on technique and style conflicts between the champion and himself. Though the bookmakers have made St. Pierre the clear favorite heading into the April 30 showdown, Shields believes his unique grappling pedigree will provide him with an advantage when the fight hits the floor.

“I was a wrestler in college, and I found Brazilian jiu-jitsu and just fell in love with it. I started mixing the Brazilian jiu-jitsu with my wrestling, and I think that makes me...a difficult guy to train for,” said Shields. “There are a lot of guys who are either pure wrestlers who found jiu-jitsu, or pure jiu-jitsu guys who found wrestling, but I really found the two and infused them. So, I think that makes me more dangerous, especially for MMA.”

Though St. Pierre’s most recent title defense is remembered for the large amount of pre-fight trash talk dealt out by challenger Josh Koscheck, there has been none of that from Shields in the lead-up to his shot at the belt. While the No. 1 contender readily admits that an air of cordiality exists between himself and the champion now, Shields warns that fans should not expect that polite demeanor to carry into the cage.

“Me and Georges have mutual respect, but [come] fight time, we’re going to be going hard at each other. I’m certainly going to be going after him, and I hope he does the same.”