A mere 53 seconds was all Jake Ellenberger needed to storm his way into the upper echelon of the welterweight division at UFC Fight Night 25. A swift-rising knee caught a charging Jake Shields and set up the TKO finish that left the former two-division champion attempting a single leg takedown on the referee. For the past year, Ellenberger has been moving towards a title shot, and this win should solidify that goal.
Ellenberger was part of an elite group of individuals that included names such as Carlos Condit, Rick Story (before his defeat), and Nick Diaz, fighters who have the commonality of being considered top contenders in the 170-pound weight class, and not having already lost to Georges St. Pierre. With pivotal matchups on the horizon matching what I’ll call “the old guard” against the newcomers, Ellenberger is the first to break through as a new contender.
We shouldn’t make excuses for Shields, who was obviously trying to overcome the effects of losing his father, Jack, just three weeks ago. Instead of backing out of the fight, which many people would have understood, he pushed through and continued training for the fight against a major threat in Ellenberger. Will some fight experts look back and say that the family tragedy caused Shields to be “distracted?” Most likely, but I think that admission should come from Shields and Shields only.
How soon Ellenberger receives a shot at the title is, oddly enough, out of his hands. If Condit shocks the world and defeats GSP, I suspect the UFC matchmakers would plan an immediate rematch. In addition, if Diaz defeats BJ Penn, there will be a question of whether he should receive a second opportunity to challenge for the title. Either way, it’s never easy to tell who is next in line for a title shot when it comes to the UFC straps.
Ellenberger poses an interesting matchup going forward for anyone he is matched against. Even though he has the wrestling pedigree to take down the majority of his opponents at any time, it’s apparent that he would rather keep the fight standing, and attempt to end the fight with the crushing power in his hands. Ellenberger was able to shrug off Shields’ takedown attempts three times before putting the fighter away. While he has shown that he struggles against accomplished grapplers such as Carlos Eduardo Rocha, he has shown the mental acumen to change his game plan in the face of such struggles.
Ellenberger deserves a title shot, and time will tell when that opportunity will come. However, I don’t see Ellenberger sitting on the sidelines waiting for that shot; instead he will likely continue fighting top opponents in the 170-pound weight class. If the victories continue to come in rousing fashion, similar to the Shields fight, it will not be long before we see Ellenberger standing across from the welterweight champion in the Octagon.
