Jake Shields went 21 fights without losing before he challenged George St. Pierre for the UFC welterweight title. No he hasn’t won in his last two fights. But in that incredible streak, besides beating quality guys from a higher wieght class like Yushin Okami, Dan Henderson, and Robbie Lawlor, Jake was able to beat the current interim UFC welterweight champ Carlos Condit. With a win over Akiyama Jake could put himself closer to Fighting Condit again, this time with a lot more at stake. Shields is a ground expert with a base in wrestling and a lot of jui-jitsu experience. As testament to how dangerous he is on the mat, George St. Pierre basically avoided going to the ground with Jake throughout their entire fight.
MMA Fighter Akiyama is in an even worse position than Shields. After a great run that included wins over Melvin manhoef, Denis Kang, and Alan Belcher Akiyama is now fighting for his UFC career. He has lost three straight in the UFC to really good opponents in Chris Leben, Michael Bisbing, and Vitor Belfort. While a couple of those were fight of the night type fights Akiyama still needs a win to remain relevant in the UFC. UFC fighter Akiyama is an action fighter who throws fast combinations and is very technical on the ground. He can finish fights in a variety of ways as his record of five knockout and seven submissions
suggests.
