Sunday, April 18, 2010 | 12:44 a.m.
Jake Shields wasn’t himself during the first round of Saturday’s middleweight championship fight with Dan Henderson in Nashville, Tenn.
He spent the rest of the fight making up for it.
Shields (25-4-1) appeared to be headed toward a quick defeat early on, as Henderson (25-8) dropped him with an overhand right and then again with a right uppercut.
But Shields survived what he later described "the worst beating of my life" and went on to completely dominate the former Pride champion, coming away with a unanimous decision win by scores of 49-46, 49-45 and 48-45.
“I really wanted to put him away but Henderson is so tough,” Shields said. “The first round he gave me the worst beating of my life. I was dizzy and I didn’t know where I was.”
The defending Strikeforce champion turned to his wrestling background to change the course of the fight, taking Henderson down with surprising success considering he once represented the United States at the Olympics in Greco-Roman.
When the fight hit the ground, Shields put on a jiu-jitsu clinic, passing Henderson’s guard almost effortlessly.
By the time the fight was finished, Shields had taken Henderson down eight times and moved into the full mount in every round besides the first.
The night took a bizarre turn following the main event, when fellow Strikeforce middleweight Jason "Mayhem" Miller interrupted Shields’s post-fight interview to ask for a rematch. The two fought one another last November.
When Shields responded by shoving Miller away, an all-out brawl ensued in the cage. The CBS network was forced to cut away from the scene to restore order, while broadcaster Gus Johnson reminded them their actions were being aired to a national audience.
“I really apologize for that,” said Shields when the broadcast resumed. “That’s out of my character. He got me when my emotions were running high. He came up in my face talking crap. Unfortunately, I pushed him. I overreacted.”
Shields’s win was just one of three title fights featured on the Strikeforce card.
Lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez (18-2) walked right through DREAM champion Shinya Aoki (23-5), winning a lopsided decision that was scored 50-45 by all three judges.
In what was supposed to be a historic fight between champions of two major MMA organizations, Aoki spent much of the later part of the fight falling down on purpose and trying to lure Melendez into his guard.
In the light heavyweight division, champion Gegard Mousasi (28-3-1) had no answer for the powerful takedowns of Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (7-0).
Lawal was far more banged up than the other big winners of the night but was still smiling as he received the championship belt in just his seventh professional fight.
Known as a somewhat polarizing figure, Lawal responded to boos coming from the Bridgestone Arena following his victory.
“Y’all keep on booing,” he said. “I’m going to keep winning.
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected]. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.
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