Jake Shields

Jake Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American political activist, podcaster, and former mixed martial artist.

Shields was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welterweight Champion and former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. He notably held a 15-fight winning streak for six years, which was carried over to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), unitil it was broken in a loss to Georges St. Pierre in a UFC Welterweight Championship fight. He described his style as "American Jiu-Jitsu".

Following his retirement from combat sports, Shields transitioned into online political activism and commentary, hosting the Fight Back podcast. He has drawn widespread condemnation from civil rights organizations for using his social media platforms to promote white nationalist, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, as well as Holocaust denial.

Early life Jake Shields was born on January 9, 1979 to his father Jack and mother Billie, he was raised near Mountain Ranch, California. Shields began wrestling at the age of nine and went on to wrestle at Calaveras High School where he finished in 2nd Place at the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) National Freestyle Championships. Following high school, he attended junior college and was a two-time junior college All American wrestler at Cuesta College. During his time at Cuesta Shields, he would begin to train MMA with Chuck Lindell who was friends with the Cuesta wrestling coach.

In 2001, he received a wrestling scholarship to San Francisco State University where he wrestled for one year. By 2002, Shields began training at the Cesar Gracie Gym and dropped out of school to focus on fighting.

He finished in 3rd place at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship in 2005.

At Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields, he fought EliteXC's last middleweight champion and former two-time ICON Sport middleweight champion at a catchweight of . Shields pounced and secured a guillotine choke to finish his opponent via submission at 2:02 of the first round.

At Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, he fought Jason 'Mayhem' Miller for the vacant Strikeforce Middleweight Championship after Cung Le stepped down as champion to pursue his acting career. Shields defeated Miller via unanimous decision.

Shields successfully defended his title, defeating former Pride World Welterweight and Pride Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson via unanimous decision on April 17, 2010, at Strikeforce: Nashville.

Ultimate Fighting Championship On June 30, 2010, Strikeforce released Shields from the organization. In July 2010, it was reported that Shields was close to signing a deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Shields made his UFC debut against Martin Kampmann on October 23, 2010, at UFC 121. Shields defeated Kampmann via split decision.

Shields fought Georges St-Pierre for the UFC Welterweight Championship on April 30, 2011, at UFC 129 in Toronto. Shields lost via unanimous decision.

Shields faced Jake Ellenberger on September 17, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 25, losing via first-round TKO.

He faced Yoshihiro Akiyama on February 26, 2012, at UFC 144, winning via unanimous decision.

Shields returned to the middleweight division and faced Ed Herman on August 11, 2012, at UFC 150. Initially, he was declared the winner via unanimous decision.

On October 12, 2012, however, it was announced that Shields had failed his drug test at UFC 150 on account of the fact that the test revealed that he had used a banned performance enhancing drug, and he was subsequently fined and suspended for six months. The result of the fight was changed to a No Contest. In January 2015, Shields said the failed test was due to a banned diuretic.

Shields faced Tyron Woodley in a welterweight bout on June 15, 2013, at UFC 161. The bout was contested on the feet for nearly its entirety in a largely uneventful fight where neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense. Shields defeated Woodley via split decision.

Shields next faced Demian Maia on October 9, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 29. As expected, the contest between the two jiu jitsu practitioners took place mostly on the ground, and Shields won via split decision.

He fought Héctor Lombard on March 15, 2014, at UFC 171. Shields lost the fight via unanimous decision.

On April 6, 2014, Shields was released from the promotion.

After Shields was released from the UFC, the outspoken and often candid president of the organization, Dana White, had this to say about Shields: "Mixed martial arts is a young man's game. I like Jake Shields a lot. But let's be honest here: Where was he going in this [welterweight] division of animals we have? He's on the downswing, and he's never going to be the guy. His stand-up never improved. He hasn't really shown anything in his last couple of fights to make you go, 'Holy [expletive].' Right now, at this point, he's just another guy."

World Series of Fighting In April 2014, Shields signed a multi-fight deal with the World Series of Fighting. Shields was expected to compete at WSOF 11 on July 5, 2014, against Jon Fitch, but withdrew due to a shoulder injury.

Shields made his debut for World Series of Fighting at WSOF 14 on October 11, 2014, in Edmonton, Canada against WSOF Canadian Welterweight Champion Ryan Ford. He won via submission in the first round.

Shield next faced Brian Foster in the main event at WSOF 17 on January 17, 2015. He again won the fight via submission in the first round.

Shields faced Rousimar Palhares on August 1, 2015, at WSOF 22. He lost the fight by submission due to a kimura, marking his first loss by submission. This wasn't without controversy as Palhares repeatedly eye gouged Shields after several warnings from the ref, Palhares also held onto the submission well after Shields had tapped. In response, Shields punched Palhares in the face after the fight was over, and attempted a kick which the referee blocked. Both Shields and Palhares were temporarily suspended by the NSAC after the fight.

Shields was lined up to face Jon Fitch for the vacant WSOF welterweight championship at WSOF 30 on April 1, 2016. The match was canceled due to contract issues between Shields and the company.

It was announced that Shields would challenge for the WSOF Welterweight Championship against Jon Fitch on November 12, 2016, at WSOF 34. The fight was then rescheduled to December 31, 2016, in the co-main event. Shields lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Professional Fighters League Shields made his PFL debut at PFL Everett on July 29, 2017, against Danny Davis Jr. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

On July 5, 2018, Shields made his PFL season debut at PFL 3. Despite being a heavy favorite, he lost to Ray Cooper III via technical knockout in the second round.

On August 16, 2018, Shields defeated Herman Terrado at PFL 6 via unanimous decision advancing to the playoffs.

On October 20, 2018, Shields faced Ray Cooper III in a rematch at PFL 10. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Grappling events On November 22, 2014, Shields fought Roberto Satoshi in a grappling match in Metamoris V. The fight ended in a draw.

On April 2, 2016, Shields then fought AJ Agazarm at Polaris 3. The match was controversial as it was plagued with eye gouges and strikes coming from both fighters. At one point in the match Shields slapped Agazarm while both men were standing.

On January 19, 2019, Shields fought Ron Keslar for the Fight 2 Win Middleweight Championship. Shields won the match via decision.

Shields defeated Diego Sanchez in a grappling match at High Rollerz 4 on February 5, 2020.

Television and film Shields stars in and co-produced Fight Life, an award-winning documentary on the sport of MMA, the film is directed by James Z. Feng and released in 2013. Shields appeared in three episodes of Bully Beatdown on MTV and MTV2 on April 12, 2009, and a different episode on September 10. Shields also served as a grappling coach for Chuck Liddell on The Ultimate Fighter 11, and appeared on the Animal Planet channel for episodes of Wild Recon and Venom in Vegas.

Fighting style Shields was known for a grappling-oriented fighting style centered on relentless pressure, wrestling, positional control, and submission attempts. He frequently sought to take opponents down and maintain top position, using his strength and persistent chain wrestling to wear opponents down before advancing to dominant positions such as mount or back control. A skilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Shields regularly pursued submissions, particularly rear-naked chokes, while incorporating ground-and-pound. His tendency to prioritize control and positional dominance over damage occasionally led critics to characterize his style as "lay-and-pray", stalling and relying on prolonged periods of top control to secure decision victories instead of actively pursuing damage or submissions.

Political views and activism

On December 28, 2022, following an online altercation between climate activist Greta Thunberg and influencer Andrew Tate, Shields suggested that Tate should give Thunberg a 'proper smashing' so that she abandons her "crazy feminist/climate nonsense".

On April 25, 2023, Shields had addressed support via a tweet, which was later deleted for violating Twitter's terms of service, for the public executions of people who help a child transition their gender, and recommended that doctors, therapists, teachers, and guidance counselors be publicly executed for their assistance in helping the gender transitions of children. In May 2026, he was flagged on Twitter for stating he was a Holocaust denialist, and that the Holocaust was "a fiction of the Jewish imagination."

In September 2023, Shields supported the social media campaign to ban the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from Twitter. In March 2024, the ADL described him as an "antisemitic conspiracy theorist" after he claimed that Israel created the terrorist group ISIS.

Following the 2023 October 7 attacks and subsequent Gaza war, Shields has presented himself as a pro-Palestinian activist, amassing followers on social media for posting content focusing on the war. The ADL identified him as one of five key far-right influencers on X who had used the conflict to gain an audience, whose combined follower count increased by over 1,070% in the period, with Shields reaching over 760,000 in late 2023. Shields has posted photos showing the effects of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, as well as content about the alleged persecution of white people by Jews. One May 2024 post on X, according to the ADL, was viewed over 1.3 million times and has 21K likes and said that Jews control America, as Congress is “making it illegal to question Jewish power.”

In June 2024, Shields and Nick Fuentes were prevented from attending a conference of the right-wing Turning Point USA and instead attended a far-right rally in Detroit originally organized by Fuentes as the 2024 America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC), and also attended by Sulaiman Ahmed, an online influencer, and David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Shields fell out with Fuentes amid allegations that Fuentes was a federal agent.

In March 2025, while hosting an Australian neo-Nazi on his podcast, Shields praised Adolf Hitler and Nazi policies, claiming that Hitler "wasn't pushing hatred towards other races". He also defended the Nazi book burnings, claiming the books targeted "were, like, tranny books and communist books". He hosted the Irish neo-Nazi Justin Barrett on his podcast in May 2026, where Barrett claimed that Jewish people were pushing worldwide abortion laws.

The Southern Poverty Law Center published an article highlighting that Shields had hosted neo-Nazi and alt-right personalities on his podcast.

In May 2026, he endorsed Dan Bilzerian's congressional campaign, and called his election bid against his opponent, the incumbent Randy Fine, "the most important election" in the 2026 midterms.

Personal life Shields has a daughter, born December 2000. On August 29, 2011, Shields' father and manager, Jack Shields, died at age 67.

Shields is a lifelong vegetarian. He appeared in both print and video ads for PETA, touting his vegetarian lifestyle. Shields is critical of vaccines.

On September 21, 2023, he failed to appear at an arraignment in a Nevada court. He was charged with misdemeanor battery related to an altercation between himself and Mike Jackson, and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.

He has identified as a former atheist who now holds belief in a God.

Championships and accomplishments Amateur wrestling California Interscholastic Federation CIF State Championship Qualifier (1997)

Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC.com Awards 2010: Ranked #2 Newcomer of the Year Strikeforce Strikeforce Middleweight Championship (One time) One successful title defense Elite Xtreme Combat EliteXC Welterweight Championship (One time; first; last) One successful title defense Rumble on the Rock Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Championship Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Tournament Winner

Submission grappling Abu Dhabi Combat Club 2005 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships - bronze medalist Fight 2 Win FTW Middleweight Championship (One time, current) International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation 2005 Pan American Championships - gold medalist International Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Federation 2007 Gracie Open Superfight champion

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Ray Cooper III TKO (punches) PFL 10

Washington, D.C., U.S. Win

Herman Terrado Decision (unanimous) PFL 6

Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. Loss

Ray Cooper III TKO (punches) PFL 3

Washington, D.C., U.S. Win

Danny Davis Jr. Decision (unanimous) PFL: Everett

Everett, Washington, U.S. Loss

Jon Fitch Decision (unanimous) WSOF 34

New York City, U.S. Loss

Rousimar Palhares Submission (kimura) WSOF 22

Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Win

Brian Foster Submission (neck crank) WSOF 17

Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Win

Ryan Ford Submission (rear-naked choke) WSOF 14

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Loss

Héctor Lombard Decision (unanimous) UFC 171

Dallas, Texas, U.S. Win

Demian Maia Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields

Barueri, Brazil Win

Tyron Woodley Decision (split) UFC 161

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada NC

Ed Herman NC (overturned) UFC 150

Denver, Colorado, U.S. . Win

Yoshihiro Akiyama Decision (unanimous) UFC 144

Saitama, Japan Loss

Jake Ellenberger TKO (knee and punches) UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger

New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Loss

Georges St-Pierre Decision (unanimous) UFC 129

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Win

Martin Kampmann Decision (split) UFC 121

Anaheim, California, U.S. Win

Dan Henderson Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Win

Jason Miller Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers

Hoffman Estates, Illinois, U.S. Win

Robbie Lawler Submission (guillotine choke) Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields

St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. Win

Paul Daley Submission (armbar) EliteXC: Heat

Sunrise, Florida, U.S. Win

Nick Thompson Submission (guillotine choke) EliteXC: Unfinished Business

Stockton, California, U.S. Win

Mike Pyle Submission (rear-naked choke) EliteXC: Renegade

Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. Win

Renato Verissimo TKO (punches and elbows) EliteXC: Uprising

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Win

Ido Pariente Submission (rear-naked choke) Dynamite!! USA

Los Angeles, California, U.S. Win

Ray Steinbeiss Submission (guillotine choke) Bodog Fight: Costa Rica Combat

San José, Costa Rica Win

Steve Berger TKO (punches) FCP: Malice at Cow Palace

San Francisco, California, U.S. Win

Carlos Condit Decision (unanimous) Rumble on the Rock 9

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Win

Yushin Okami Decision (majority) Rumble on the Rock 9

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Win

Dave Menne Decision (unanimous) Rumble on the Rock 8

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Win

Toby Imada Decision (unanimous) Kage Kombat

California, U.S. Loss

Akira Kikuchi Decision (unanimous) Shooto: Year End Show 2004

Tokyo, Japan Win

Ray Cooper Jr. Submission (rear-naked choke) Shooto Hawaii: Soljah Fight Night

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Draw

Kazuo Misaki Draw Pancrase - Hybrid 10

Tokyo, Japan Win

Akira Kikuchi Decision (unanimous) Shooto - 8/10 in Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium

Kanagawa, Japan Win

Milton Vieira Decision (unanimous) Shooto: Midwest Fighting

Hammond, Indiana, U.S. Win

Hayato Sakurai Decision (unanimous) Shooto: Year End Show 2002

Chiba, Chiba, Japan Loss

Ray Cooper Jr. Decision (majority) Warriors Quest 6: Best of the Best

Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Win

Robert Ferguson Decision (unanimous) GC 7: Casualties of War

Colusa, California, U.S. Win

Jeremy Jackson Submission (rear-naked choke) GC 6: Caged Beasts

Colusa, California, U.S. Win

Tracy Hess Decision (unanimous) GC 3: Showdown at Soboba

Friant, California, U.S. Win

Randy Velarde Submission (rear-naked choke) GC 2: Collision at Colusa

Colusa, California, U.S. Loss

Phillip Miller Decision (unanimous) IFC: Warriors Challenge 9

Friant, California, U.S. Win

Shannon Ritch Submission (arm-triangle choke) Best of the Best

Tempe, Arizona, U.S. Loss

Marty Armendarez TKO (punches) IFC: Warriors Challenge 6

Friant, California, U.S. Win

Brian Warren Decision (unanimous) CFF: The Cobra Challenge 1999

Anza, California, U.S. Win

Paul Harrison TKO (punches) CFF: The Cobra Qualifier 1999

Anza, California, U.S. Submission grappling record

Result

Opponent Method Event Division Date Location Loss

Renato Canuto Submission (flying armbar)

Win

Patrick Downey Decision Win

Eric Alequin Decision (tech fall) Loss

Brent Primus Submission (armbar) Submission Underground 14 Superfight May 31, 2020 Portland, Oregon, U.S. Loss

Richie Martinez Submission (armbar) Submission Underground 11 Superfight February 23, 2020 Portland, Oregon, U.S. Loss

Gilbert Burns Decision

Draw

Glover Teixeira Draw Win

Cub Swanson Injury Win

Mark Muñoz Submission (arm-triangle choke) Loss

Romulo Barral Referee decision Third Coast Grappling 3 Superfight December 7, 2019 Houston, Texas, U.S. Win

Austin Vanderford Quickest Escape Submission Underground 8 Superfight May 12, 2019 Portland, Oregon, U.S. Loss

Rafael Lovato Jr. Decision (unanimous) Polaris 9 Superfight March 15, 2019 London, England Win

Ron Keslar Decision (unanimous) Fight 2 Win 98 Superfight - Won FTW Middleweight Championship January 19, 2019 San Jose, California, U.S. Loss

Craig Jones Submission (heel hook) Polaris 6 Superfight February 17, 2018 London, England Win

Kit Dale Referee Decision Fight to Win Pro 26 Superfight February 10, 2018 Denver, Colorado, U.S. Win

Gilbert Burns Quickest Escape Submission Underground 6 Superfight December 3, 2017 Portland, Oregon, U.S. Win

Murilo Santana Referee Decision Fight to Win Pro 51 Superfight October 21, 2017 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. Loss

Abdurakhman Bilarov Points ADCC World Championship –79 kg September 23, 2017 Espoo, Finland Win

Dan Strauss Decision (unanimous) Polaris 5 Superfight August 19, 2017 London, England Win

Dillon Danis Quickest Escape Submission Underground 4 Superfight May 14, 2017 Portland, Oregon, U.S. Win

Lyoto Machida Submission (heel hook) Fight to Win Pro Superfight August 13, 2016 Denver, Colorado, U.S. Win

Chris Lytle Quickest Escape Submission Underground Superfight July 17, 2016 Portland, Oregon, U.S. Draw

AJ Agazarm Draw Polaris 3 Superfight April 2, 2016 Poole, England Draw

Roberto de Souza Draw Metamoris 5 Superfight November 22, 2014 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Draw

Leandro Lo Draw World Jiu-Jitsu Expo Superfight November 10, 2013 Long Beach, California, U.S. Loss

Marcelo Garcia Submission (guillotine choke) PSL X-Mission Superfight November 17, 2006 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Loss

Saulo Ribeiro Points LA Sub X Superfight May 26, 2006 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Win

Jon Fitch Submission (rear-naked choke) Gracie Open Superfight 2005 San Francisco, California, U.S. Win

Leonardo Santos Submission (rear-naked choke)

Loss

Pablo Popovitch Points Win

Cameron Earle Points Win

Diego Sanchez Points