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  - SHIELDS AGREES TO FIGHT RIGGS FOR STRIKEFORCE
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 - by Tom Hamlin - MMAWeekly.com
Former EliteXC welterweight champion Jake Shields has reached an agreement to fight for Strikeforce, signing on to the San Jose-based promotion’s April 11 Showtime debut to face veteran Joe Riggs.
Aroundtheoctagon.com was the first to report the news. MMAWeekly.com subsequently confirmed it with Shields’ manager and father Jack Shields.
An impasse in negotiations brought by Strikeforce’s buyout of Jake's ProElite contract was broken by the desire to keep the fighter working and out of court.
“Originally, EliteXC had been up in the air for so long, we had gotten a lawyer and were prepared to file suit to get a release,” said the elder Shields. “Then we went to Strikeforce, and we know Scott Coker. We’ve always had good relations with him. It was much smarter thing to do than getting involved with anything legal. It just seemed the right thing to do to go head and finish the contract. It’s a lot better than waiting around.”
Shields said there were still details to be negotiated on his son’s obligations to Strikeforce, including the exact time frame of the contract and number of fights, but said he would make a main event appearance “against a well-known opponent” in the summer for his second Strikeforce fight.
Both Riggs and Shields were unavailable for comment on the just-announced bout.
Shields, 30, last appeared on EliteXC’s final network television effort, the CBS-televised “Heat,” where he defended his welterweight title against U.K. striker Paul Daley. One of the only non-UFC welterweights to grace Top 10 lists, Shields’ strong ground skills have netted him a 21-4-1 professional record.
Riggs, 26, was victorious in his last bout against Luke Stewart at Strikeforce “Destruction” last November. Since signing a non-exclusive deal with Strikeforce in 2007, he has gone 2-2 with the promotion. Overall, he carries a professional record of 29-10 with one no contest.
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