Coker: Strikeforce Has ‘One-Fight’ Option for Shields After April 17

When middleweight champion Jake Shields makes his first title defense against Dan Henderson at Strikeforce “Nashville” on April 17 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., there will not be a renewed contact waiting for him on the other end. However, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said there is a one-fight option and other stipulations in place to begin a re-negotiation period.

“We have the ability to exercise one other fight and we’re going to wait and see what happens with this fight, “ said Coker during a Friday conference call touting the title match. “I think that if we do (decide to exercise), we’d exercise it quickly.”

Coker told Sherdog.com earlier this week that, “there is -- like all fight contracts -- going to be a re-negotiation period, a matching rights period.”

Reports that Shields, who has been on a 13-fight win streak since 2004, will be a “free agent” following the April 17 bout have been circulating for the last few weeks, after Shields announced his intentions to re-negotiate with the promotion after the fight at a Strikeforce open-media workout in Los Angeles. Shields, who also participated on Friday’s conference call, said that the reports weren’t necessarily conveying his views on the matter accurately.

“For the most part, too, I’m really happy with Strikeforce,” said Shields. “I keep feeling like the media keeps giving every reason to say that I’m going to the UFC. These aren’t things that I’m saying. I just said I’m not sure where I’m going. I feel like the media seems to be jumping and kind of changing words I say, kind of pushing it that I’m jumping away, which isn’t the case.”

It isn’t standard practice for major promotions to allow a champion to enter into a title bout without his next fights already locked up. The rare arrangement has drawn comments from UFC President Dana White, who both chided Strikeforce for its handling of Shields’ marketing during CBS’s early TV campaign and expressed his interest in raising Shields’ asking price should the UFC make the former top-five welterweight an offer.

“At first, it seemed like they were pushing Henderson a lot more,” said Shields, who said he hadn’t watched the spots, but had been told that. “…which was a little irritating being the champ and all, but I can understand that because he’s done a ton in the sport. He is more famous. Everybody knows Henderson. But as far as I know now, I’ve been hearing that I’m getting a lot more promo, which is good.”

White also said the Shields-Henderson bout made “no sense,” as he felt Shields was really a 170-pound competitor.

"Jake Shields is on the last fight of his contract, so they're feeding him to Dan Henderson right now because they want to get rid of him because he's going to go away, or they're going to have to pay him some big money to stick around or whatever the deal is," said White following a UFC event on March 22.

Coker appeared amused by White’s comment.

“I love it,” said Coker earlier this week. “Jake’s our 185 champion. He beat Robbie Lawler, who’s ranked in the top 10, and was No. 6 at the time, I think. He’s our champion. He should fight the best 185-pounder out there that we have, which is Dan Henderson. This fight isn’t a set-up or a gimme’ fight on either side. This is a competitive match-up.”

Both Coker and Shields also expressed their comfort in negotiating a new contract after the April 17 bout, and said the current arrangement has had no effect on their relationship.

“At the end of the day, Jake and I have known each other a long time and have been friends for a long time, even before we did any business together,” said Coker. “Sometimes in business there’s ups and downs and this is something that we don’t take personally. Jake had been a great champion for us and I think we’ve done everything that we said we’re going to do. We look forward to the conversations after the fight.”

Shields said he believes the relationship remains strong.

“It’s definitely not a ‘for sure’ thing in my mind that I’m leaving,” said Shields. “The media keeps treating it that way, but certainly it’s an unmade decision…I’m fighting a main event on CBS with Dan Henderson. This is the biggest platform possible, so it’s not like I’m in any hurry to jump and run away.”