ELITEXC’S JAKE SHIELDS READY TO TAKE ON
LATEST MMA CHALLENGE JUNE 2 AT L.A. COLISEUM
One of the Best Welterweights In The World Looks to Extend Winning Ways
Against Israel’s Ido “The Hebrew Hammer’’ Pariente on SHOWTIME
LOS ANGELES (May 26, 2007) – Jake Shields (http://jakeshields.proelite.com) was bred to be a beast in the ring. The life-long vegetarian always has lived a lifestyle that has provided him with the type of brute strength, determination and tremendous heart required to be a successful Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.
So far, Shields has met with nothing but enormous success.
Raised in a remote area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California, Shields has been wrestling competitively since he was nine years old. When he was just five, Shields would climb over neighboring mountains to visit his nearest friends an hour away. Now, he is ready to take on a new obstacle: the ranks of the MMA welterweight division as he prepares to fight Ido Pariente (http://idopariente.proelite.com) on Saturday, June 2, 2007, at the LA Coliseum.
Shields will make his SHOWTIME debut for ProElite/EliteXC during a one-hour telecast on SHOWTIME that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view portion of the June 2 mega event, entitled “ProElite presents Dynamite!! USA,” will immediately follow (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) and feature up to six bouts. It will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME® PPV.
With the new opportunities provided from his recent signing with EliteXC, 2007 should represent the most important and active year of fighting for the rising star. Shields will fulfill his dream of pursuing the welterweight ranks with some of the toughest competition in the world in EliteXC.
“It is an amazing opportunity for me to fight for EliteXC,” said the five-foot-11-inch, 27-year-old Shields, who made a name for himself and got recognized as one of the top fighters in his weight class without competing for a major organization. “I have fought all over the place, so it is nice to be in a big show in the United States. I have fought in some big shows in Japan, but, now I am here with ProElite and ready for the big time.
“With viewers all over the world watching, I will perform my best.”
Known for his technical grappling and amazing cardio, Shields has fought the world’s meanest, roughest, toughest fighters and has consistently been ranked in the top 10 of the welterweight division.
Shields captured the Shooto Championship in 2004 and won the Rumble on the Rock Grand Prix Tournament in ‘05. Now, he will face one of his sternest challenges when he faces the mysterious Pariente
“I don’t know too much about Pariente, only that he is a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu,” Shields said. “I have to go and feel him out and see where he is best. I don’t know if he is better on stand-up or ground.
“I just have to go out and see how good Pariente’s hands are and see how good his ground is. From there, I have to decide where to fight him.”
Being the favored fighter against an up-and-coming opponent is a different situation for Shields. For much of his career, he has been the unknown underdog who manufactured shocking victories against some of the sport’s most notable fighters.
“When I first started, I was kind of unknown and they would put me up against guys ranked three or four in the world,” Shields said. “It is always nice to win fights like what when you go out and they expect you to lose.”
With his recent domination of the welterweight division, Shields has moved from the mystifying underdog to the favored star. Now that the stakes are raised and Shields is expected to triumph in a blockbuster event televised across the world, he knows he must rise to the occasion.
“I think you feel more pressure when you are supposed to win, as opposed to the guy who is supposed to lose,” Shields said. “Hopefully, I will get my first knockout on June 2.”
The recent fame and success is a big change for a vegetarian hippie kid who grew up in the desolate Sierra Nevada Mountains.
“I had long hair when I was a kid, so I had to fight a lot,” Shields said. “It got me kind of tough. I never thought I wanted to be a fighter. But, I started doing it as a hobby and kind of got hooked.”
While Shields now resides in San Francisco and fights on Cesar Gracie Fight Team, he has not forgotten his organic roots. He still manages to stay in optimum shape on his strict vegetarian diet and plans his training and travel accordingly.
“When I was fighting in Japan, I started bringing my own little stove so I could cook my own food,” said Shields about his unorthodox diet. “In the U.S., I am able to find vegetarian food. But when it is fight time, I try and bring extra food with me.”
Shields has come a long way from his hippie up-bringing and has big plans for 2007 and his future with EliteXC.
“I want to stay more active because I want to fight a lot this next year or two,” Shields said. “I want to stay busy and take all the belts.”
About ProElite
Inc. delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME® TOO™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE® and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND™ and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME® PPV.
About FEG
Formed in 2003, FEG, Inc assumed the role of K-1 Corporation in production and management of K-1 events that at the time were enjoying 13 years of success. In addition to K-1 Events, FEG, Inc’s goal was to expand the company’s presence into the world of Mixed Martial Arts as it saw the overwhelming demand from the viewers and fans. In 2005 FEG, Inc started the production of the Hero’s events in Japan. Under the current corporate structure, FEG, Inc is responsible for the production and promotion, as well as all other aspects of business from fighter contracts to event marketing of both the K-1 and Hero’s (Mixed Martial Arts) events all over the world.