Jake Shields is going big-game hunting in 2017.

The former Strikeforce champion and UFC title challenger will look to add another belt to his mantle when he faces WSOF welterweight titleholder Jon Fitch at the promotion's event on New Year's Eve in New York City. And where most competitors would be satisfied with claiming gold and kicking back, the American Jiu-Jitsu pioneer has already begun a pursuit of a different nature.

The California-based grappling ace has issued a challenge to former UFC light heavyweight king and recent Submission Underground 2 winner Jon Jones. Shields wants to step into the SUG cage on Jan. 29 in Portland, Oregon and see what the pound-for-pound phenom has to offer in the jiu-jitsu realm.

Shields is nothing short of fired up about the potential matchup and is adamant everything about the bout intrigues him. While Shields would carry a lopsided amount experience and achievement at the highest level under the jiu-jitsu banner, Jones would bring a massive size and strength advantage to the tilt.

That situation presents a puzzle Shields is eager to figure out and wants to make the match happen at Submission Underground 3.

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"I think we would be a very interesting matchup," Shields told FloCombat. "Jon Jones is one of the greatest MMA fighters to ever compete and is a guy who I have a ton of respect for. I wouldn't be in a hurry to take an MMA fight with him. I mean I'd take it because why not, but a jiu-jitsu match is something I'd jump all over.

"I'm a much more skilled jiu-jitsu fighter, but he has a ton of size and his jiu-jitsu is getting much better. He did great against [Dan] Henderson, he has the leverage and I think it would be a fantastic and interesting matchup. It's would be one of those ones that would be very competitive and hopefully people want to put it together."

Although Jones made his official submission grappling debut at SUG 2 on December 11, the youngest champion in UFC showed serious jiu-jitsu chops once things went live. He was able to neutralize the former Olympian against the cage, then put Henderson's back on the canvas once he decided it was time to crank up the intensity.

A short while later the former two-divisional Pride champion was tapping out to a triangle choke, and Jones notched his first victory under the SUG banner. Immediately following the win, Jones told FloCombat he wanted to start out facing a fellow MMA fighter but could definitely see himself competing against jiu-jitsu world champions in short fashion.

In order to do so Jones would need to rapidly accelerate the area of his skill set he's openly admitted to neglecting, and Shields is confident the Jacskson/Winkeljohn product could be a dominant force in the grappling world as well.

"Oh yeah, there's no doubt," Shields said. "If you are a good wrestler and you are opened minded; you can pick up jiu-jitsu really fast. I've noticed a lot of wrestlers will either get it or they won't. Some guys will come in and hit resistance, be stubborn and just not open up to it. A creative guy like Jon with those long arms could be a very dangerous threat in jiu-jitsu.

"That's why this is an interesting matchup to me. A normal wrestler at 205 pounds would probably be an easy match for me, but Jon, with his creativity and size, could be a very dangerous opponent. I'd love to get in there with him."


Jul 17, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Jake Shields (right) competes against Chris Lytle in Submission Underground at the Roseland Theater. Shields won the match. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

While Shields will fight for the first time in more than a year when he steps in against Fitch at WSOF 34, the Skrap Pack member has remained active by competing in grappling competitions.

The IBJJF gold medalist enjoys crossing back and forth between the two sports, and sees Submission Underground as a great opportunity to grow the jiu-jitsu audience.

"I think [SUG] is great for the sport because it mixes MMA against jiu-jitsu," Shields said. "That brings a new audience and the fact it takes place inside the cage brings something different to the table. The matches are high-paced and I think it will help grow jiu-jitsu. I'm a huge fan of the sport and want to do anything I can to help it grow.

"It's tough because they are two different sports, and I'm one of the few guys who can crossover and compete at the highest level of both. I think it's great for MMA fighters because they may be competing at the top of that sport, but come over and face a mid-level grappler and it still may be a heck of a match.

"There wasn't much money in it before but that's changing," he added. "The sport is becoming more popular and shows like SUG are only going to help push it forward."

At 37 years old, Shields is still very much rolling strong and has plenty of fight left inside the cage or on the mats before he brings his storied career to an end. The slick submission artist believes he can step in and defeat the best competition the world has to offer, and if the stars were to align, could prove that notion in a span that stretches just shy of two months.

In a perfect world Shields would defeat Fitch at WSOF 34 later this month to earn the promotion's welterweight title, then force Jones to tap in front of a capacity crowd at the Roseland Theater and the swarms of fans tuning in at FloGrappling.com.

"That's how I'd like my month to go," Shields laughed. "That would be a pretty damn good month for sure."

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