The Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas will host the World Series of Fighting 17 on Jan. 17. The card features a main event pitting former UFC contender and former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields against another UFC veteran in Brian Foster. Right now the books are not carrying lines on the main event yet, and the organization only recently completed the 10-fight card. Take a look back come fight week for the odds to hit the books.
Foster may or may not be a test at this point, but he has shown before during his UFC run that he could be a dangerous fighter. Unfortunately, a brain operation and also a groin injury sidelined him for close to two years, and he has been fighting on smaller shows since July of 2013, when he is (4-1). He defeated Matt Brown when he was with the UFC, and his release did not follow a long losing streak, however it was more due to concerns over his health.
Shields was efficient in his WSOF debut last October, taking out Ryan Ford via a rear naked choke in the opening round. Until that point, every fight but one Shields has had since November of 2009 has gone the distance. He was KO’d flat in a minute by Jake Ellenberger in the one fight that didn’t go to the end, so Shields has put in 35 rounds of MMA in those eight fights. Shields could really use a flashy victory here to start building some type of momentum with the WSOF.
A more likely outcome is the fight going the distance, as Foster finished three fights in a row before going the full fifteen minutes in his last outing. Foster dabbled in kickboxing and he has not been afraid to fight it out on the feet, but Shields will get defensive if threatened, slowing down the pace of the fight and grinding out a win. It could get ugly in there.
