Jake Shields is former UFC star and Strikeforce champion but nowadays he’s more familiar as a political pundit. He has sparked significant controversy over his accusations of censorship and his decision to feature a convicted WWII War Crime denier Germar Rudolf on his Podcast.
Twitter Shadow Banning and Elon Musk’s Acquisition
Shields has been vocal about his challenges with social media, particularly Twitter, before its acquisition by Elon Musk. Speaking on the Digital Social Hour Podcast with Sean Kelly, Shields detailed how his account faced severe restrictions under the previous management.
“Before [Elon] bought it, I was badly shadowbanned. I could just tell like it was barely worth tweeting because nothing would ever go viral and there was like no growth for like a good year and a half,” Shields explained.
He highlighted the drastic turnaround after Musk’s acquisition, noting, “Then Elon bought it – I put on half a million followers since Elon bought it.” Shields admitted that while temporary suspensions still occur, the platform’s openness has significantly improved his ability to share content. For Shields, this change marked a shift toward “greater freedom of expression and authentic engagement” with his audience. However, these gains have not come without new challenges, as he claims his account has since been demonetized without explanation.
But Shields frequently gets demonetized still – or at least tweets about it.
Some suspect the first sign of trouble for Shields’ account was this little gem:
He appears to have gotten re monetized in the time htat has since passed but his luck ran out in September.
Financial Success Beyond the Cage
Shields also discussed his financial strategies during his MMA career, emphasizing the importance of diversifying income streams. On the Digital Social Hour Podcast, he revealed that his earnings outside the cage often surpassed his MMA purses.
“I made more money doing other stuff than just (MMA),” Shields said. He credited sponsorships and business ventures as key contributors to his financial success. Shields emphasized that martial artists should build their personal brands and leverage their fame to secure “backdoor money” and strategic partnerships.
Podcast episode that Got Taken Down
The most contentious incident in Shields’ pundit career revolves around his Podcast episode featuring Germar Rudolf. Rudolf made claims that well documented war camps never existed.
Episode 33, which also included historian Michael G. Vann, was promptly removed from Spotify and YouTube following its release. Shields condemned these actions, accusing the platforms of censorship.
“Spotify isn’t a free speech platform,” Shields posted on X (formerly Twitter). “I believe Rumble is the only platform that hasn’t taken it down.”
Shields disclosed that Rudolf was arrested shortly after the podcast recording. “Germar Rudolf, who appeared in the debate, has already survived 4 years in prison for having the wrong opinions and was arrested right after the debate,” Shields claimed.
The incident has amplified scrutiny of Shields’ judgment in platforming controversial figures. Shields, however, frames the episode as an example of suppressed free speech and believes his actions highlight the broader issue of Big Tech censorship.
Navigating the Fallout
Since retiring from professional MMA in 2018, Shields has transitioned into coaching and podcast hosting. His Podcast often features guests from the MMA community and other professions, but to everyone in the MMA community this was just a matter of time. While Shields continues to advocate for free speech, his choice of guests and subsequent accusations against Big Tech have polarized public opinion.
