UFC’s Shields moves beyond father’s death

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight contender Jake Shields will try to rebound from his first defeat after 15 straight victories when he steps into the cage with Jake Ellenberger tonight.

The unanimous decision setback in a title bout against Georges St. Pierre in April pales in comparison to the loss Shields suffered two weeks ago.

Shields’ father, Jack, who also served as the fighter’s manager, died Aug. 29 at age 67.

The 32-year-old thought briefly about backing out of tonight’s fight, which headlines the UFC Fight Night 25 card in New Orleans.

“I had a really tough time,” Shields said. “It took me a moment to figure out what I wanted to do, but I figured the right thing to do would be to continue to fight with him being my manager and my biggest supporter. I pretty much figured within a few minutes I was going to move forward and fight.”

Once the decision was made, Shields poured his heart into training. The gym has provided a sanctuary from dealing with the pain.

“Of course it’s been little tough, but I don’t think it’s really affected my training,” he said. “When it’s been time to focus and train, I’ve been able to pull it together, and got some of the best workouts and sparring sessions ever in the last couple of weeks.”

Shields made a few minor adjustments to his camp after the loss to St. Pierre to make him a more effective fighter. He has gone from a vegetarian diet to full vegan and consolidated his practices closer to his home in San Francisco instead of traversing the Bay Area to work on different aspects of his game.

“I made some small changes that made a big difference and feel the best I’ve ever felt,” he said. “I’ve been traveling a lot less. That gives me time to rest between my workouts, so I feel great right now.”

Ellenberger has won four fights in a row, including a first-round knockout on the St. Pierre-Shields undercard, since losing his UFC debut to Carlos Condit. He can solidify himself as a legitimate contender with a win over Shields. The 26-year-old has caught the attention of his opponent.

“He’s a tough up-and-comer,” Shields said. “He has a lot of knockout power and is a good boxer and wrestler. His jiu-jitsu is not the strongest, but overall he’s a tough guy that comes forward with a lot of heart, so I’m not underestimating him.”

The bout headlines a card airing tape-delayed on Spike (Cable 29) at 9 p.m.

Two former “The Ultimate Fighter” winners also will be in action. Season 12 winner Jonathan Brookins will face Erik Koch in a featherweight bout, and Season 11 winner Court McGee will meet Dongi Yang at middleweight.

Also, middleweight Alan Belcher returns after more than 16 months out of action to face Jason MacDonald. Belcher had two surgeries to repair a detached retina.

The entire undercard will stream live on Facebook.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.