Grappling fans are set to get a major treat on February 17 as Polaris 6 features a marquee match between Jake Shields and Craig Jones.
Polaris took to Instagram to announce this major grappling match as both men are set to face off to become the first Polaris middleweight champion. Shields and Jones are recognized as two of the top names in no-gi grappling today and their recent resumes are littered with accolades.
Jones is coming off a 2017 campaign that surprised many across the sport, except those that train with him at Absolute MMA in Australia. The Lachlan Giles black belt may not have come out on top of every contest, but his competitiveness and unorthodox style let the industry know he is a name to watch in 2018 and beyond. Last year alone he put together wins against the likes of Nathan Orchard, Leandro Lo, Murilo Santana, Kit Dale, and others. It was the back to back wins over Lo and Santana at ADCC 2017 that earned him the title of breakout star across so many different platforms.
On the other side of the mat he’s facing off against a name that comes with a lot of cache in both grappling and mixed martial arts. Shields doesn’t need much of an introduction when it comes to fighting, but mainstream fans may not recognize his prominence in grappling as well. Shields has an ADCC bronze medal from 2005 and his recent run has seen him defeat the likes of Murilo Santana, Lyoto Machida, Gilbert Burns, Daniel Strauss, and Dillon Danis. This is a compelling matchup to see where both men stand within the industry today.
Along with this main event, Polaris is continuing to announce other main and undercard bouts. UFC roster member, Marcin Held, is set to compete against a fellow European in Chris Fishgold. This is a fight that pits Held’s leg lock game against Fishgold’s style which is more “traditional” in that he focuses on position and passing before submission.
The rest of the card currently features six undercard bouts and other contests to determine top contenders as Polaris plans to fill out their slate of champions throughout 2018. Ffion Davies is scheduled to compete against Chelsea Leah in a contender’s bout in the 55 kilograms division. The winner of this bout will compete later on in the year for the title. Gezary Matuda is another prospect in women’s grappling and she’s slated to compete during the event against an opponent yet to be named.
Polaris 6 is scheduled for February 17, live from the Indigo at the O2 Arena in London. The show will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass.