"I say allow it" - Former UFC star reacts as Jake Shields faces misdemeanor battery charges

A former UFC star recently reacted after it was reported that Jake Shields is facing misdemeanor battery charges.

A video surfaced on social media of an altercation between the former Strikeforce middleweight champion and former UFC veteran Mike Jackson at an MMA gym. Bloody Elbow tweeted the video and reported that a warrant had also been issued for the 44-year-old.

They tweeted:

"Jake Shields faces misdemeanor battery charges after the alleged altercation with Mike Jackson; a warrant has been issued."

The tweet caught the attention of former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren, who weighed in with his thoughts on the altercation. He mentioned that both men are trained professional fighters, so he didn't believe there was an issue with what transpired in the video, writing:

"This is a fight in a padded gym between 2 trained fighters, I say allow it."

Ben Askren tweet regarding the altercation

It remains to be seen to what extent the former Strikeforce middleweight champion will be charged as he could face a strict punishment because he is a trained professional MMA fighter and former champion.

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What is Jake Shields' MMA record?

Jake Shields had a very successful MMA career that saw him compete in and win championships in major promotions and concluded his career with an MMA record of 33-11-1 (1).

The most impressive stretch of the California native's MMA career was between 2005-2011. During the stretch, he won 15 consecutive fights by defeating a who's who of MMA legends and won two championships including the EliteXC welterweight championship and Strikeforce middleweight championship.

Among the fighters Shields defeated during his impressive winning streak include Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, Robbie Lawler, and Dan Henderson. The former Strikeforce middleweight champion's winning streak came to an end at at UFC 129, where he lost a unanimous decision to then UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at the promotion's first ever event in Toronto.

UFC 129 was a historic event for the promotion as it was their first event in Toronto, Canada. The event took place at Rogers Centre and was the promotion's first and only North American stadium event with over 55,000 fans in attendance.

MMA History Today's tweet