Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez…please read this.

Even before the demise of EliteXC, Jake Shields has hinted at a possible move to the UFC once his contract was up.  Well, it’s more or less up, he’s not signed on to fight anyone in any other organization, you KNOW EliteXC isn’t having anymore shows….yet you’re not in talks with Dana White or anyone else within the UFC as to getting you on board.  I don’t know where else you think you’re going to find the competition you say you’re looking for.  In all truth Jake, it’s starting to look like you’re simply evading a contract with the UFC.  Lets look at the facts with other organizations:

• None of them have the welterweight roster that the UFC has, thus none of them can give you the fights that could solidify your position as a top welterweight fighter.
• None of them can put YOU into a bigger position than the UFC could, both financially and with the MMA fan-base.

Other facts that in turn should help you make the decision to finally get your ass on board with them are as follows and can be found after the jump…

The last opponent who is seriously credible to your  “top welterweight status” was Carlos Condit….back in 2006.  He wasn’t the fighter he is now, and in all truth I don’t know if you’d beat him again.  Since Condit you’ve fought some middle-tier opponents like Mike Pyle  and Paul Daley (who has NO ground game), and defeated some low-tier guys like Renato Verissimo and Nick Thompson, but nobody who could honestly give a guy like you credit.  Personally, right now, I don’t think you’re a top 10 welterweight.  I don’t think you’ve competed against the types of fighters that guys like Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck have.  You seem to think that you’re deserving of that “top 10″ status, but in truth you don’t.  Do yourself a favor….look at yourself in the mirror and honestly tell yourself that you’re one of the best in the world.  I think you could be, but not right now…not until you step into the UFC, and begin fighting anyone of the following fighters:

• Mike Swick
• Marcus Davis
• Chris Wilson
• Karo Parisyan
• Anthony Johnson

All of the above listed are fighters that I think are skating on the fine line of contending for the 170lb title.  You fit right in there, you know you do, everyone who knows you and/or seen you fight knows you could slide right in there perfectly.  You haven’t been fighting the best because EliteXC wanted you to be a poster-boy, not a fighter.  The UFC will give you the chance to be a fighter, that’s something I know you want, and that’s something I know you deserve.  Stop with all this talk about “not being happy in the UFC unless you’re fighting GSP“, we all know you don’t deserve him yet.  Stop with all this “UFC might be a possibility” crap, and JUST DO IT!

Now, onto Gilbert.

I look at the UFC lightweight division and think to myself “Man, someone’s missing from this”.  Taking a glance down the roster, I start saying to myself, “Tyson Griffin, Frankie Edgar, Clay Guida, Nate Diaz, Mac Danzig, Gray Maynard, Roger Huerta…..who else?”  AHHH!, I know….it’s YOU! El Nino’, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion, the guy who beat Tatsuya Kawajiri is PRIDE, on his own turf in what was a huge upset.  The natural phenom, the guy who could blast though a majority of fighters without gassing one bit.  The guy who could immediately slide right into the mix of top UFC lightweights and could definitely beat a handful of them.  You could eventually fight for the most prestigious title belt in MMA, the UFC title.  You’re not though, you’ve still got one fight left with Strikeforce, which I doubt will be a title fight/rematch with Josh Thomson, considering he basically ran you through the gauntlet for 25 minutes preventing you from doing anything offensive and snatched that Strikeforce belt from around your waist.  You’ve tasted what Strikeforce has to offer, and it’s not where you really can excell.  Don’t worry about a rematch with “The Punk” right now, he’ll find success as the champion, then eventually make his way back to the UFC where he’s at least fought before.  I wouldn’t event worry and/or hope for a rematch with the first guy to beat you, Mitsuhiro Ishida.  Yeah we all know he’s in Strikeforce now, but it’d be better for you to go out on an winning note before signing with the UFC, I fear a rematch with Ishida will be just like the first fight….You’re still young, 26 years old with a lot of possibility. I know that you know that the UFC is where you’re going to be able to find what type of fighter you really are, and I hope you do finally make that decision.  It’ll be a great day for MMA fans.