Jake Shields is a renowned figure in the MMA world and shares a close bond with MMA star Nate Diaz. Engaging and unapologetically vocal on various platforms, Shields is not one to shy away from expressing his opinions.
Recently, he drew significant attention for his outspoken criticism of Israel in light of the tensions in the Gaza Strip. Through a series of tweets, Shields firmly stood by the pro-Palestinian stance.
Shields is a polarizing figure in the MMA community. Despite leaning towards Republican political ideologies, he stands as a vocal critic of the former U.S. President Donald Trump. His closeness to the Diaz brothers is well-known.
Now, Shields finds himself facing the consequences of his political beliefs, as a seminar co-hosted by him and Nate Diaz faces cancellation. In response, he took to social media to express his sentiments.
“Cancel culture has arrived in jiu jitsu but i already found another gym to host us that’s not ran by cowards my political views do not always reflect my friends so I hate seeing them dragged into this nonsense.”
Evidently, Shields emphasizes that his political beliefs are a personal matter and his friends should not bear the brunt of them. While the seminar at Renzo Gracie in Brooklyn was indeed canceled, he quickly found alternative venues that welcomed his beliefs.
Additionally, he is set to conduct seminars in various other locations including Chicago, next weekend. Shields clarified that Renzo Gracie wasn’t at fault, as he did not own the gym that made the decision.
Shields holds a significant role as a member of the ‘Skrap Pack,’ a group that includes the Diaz brothers, Gilbert Melendez, and Dave Terell. Together, they trained at Fairtex SF under the guidance of Cesar Gracie.
Prior to his defeat against Georges St. Pierre at UFC 129, Shields boasted an impressive 15-fight winning streak spanning six years.
The MMA community was left buzzing with the news of the seminar’s cancellation featuring Jake Shields and Nate Diaz. The abrupt halt of the event was directly attributed to Shields’ public stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The announcement quickly went viral, prompting fans to take to social media to either rally behind or oppose Shields.
Some of the comments were as follows:
“Jew Jitsu”
“Bro the Js are relentless damn. Sorry this is happening to you and happy to see that you found a new venue. You don’t deserve tp go through this kind of bs. Getting the Ye treatment out there”
“cowards, that’s all they can do. Try to bully you and intimidate. Surely the will lose.”