Former UFC Welterweight Jake Shields Signs with World Series of Fighting

It didn’t take long for former UFC welterweight title contender Jake Shields to find a new promotional home.

World Series of Fighting on Thursday announced that Shields had signed with the promotion. They fell short of announcing a date for his debut, but said that it would be revealed soon.

WSOF has signed Jake Shields @jakeshieldsajj one of the top Welterweights in the world! We will announce Jakes debut soon!

— WSOF (@MMAWorldSeries) April 17, 2014

Shields was released by the UFC after three and a half years and eight fights in the Octagon. His release came as somewhat of a surprise to most as Shields had just lost to Hector Lombard after a four-fight run where he won three fights and had another victory changed to a no-contest result.

Signing with WSOF puts Shields on one of the strongest 170-pound rosters outside of the UFC.

Rousimar Palhares is the current WSOF welterweight champion, having recently defeated Steve Carl for the honor. The promotion’s 170 pounders also include Jon Fitch, Josh Burkman, Jorge Santiago, and Tyson Steele amongst others.

Shields has also spent a significant portion of his career in the middleweight division, which WSOF has also been strengthening by adding the likes of Yushin Okami.

Having held titles in Shooto, EliteXC, Rumble on the Rock, and Strikeforce, Shields will surely be looking to add a WSOF belt to his collection soon.