When the PFL was first conceived, Jake Shields looked as though he’d found the perfect organization to carry out the what was left of his MMA career. Not only was season structure suited to him psychologically in that it was essentially a tournament — something he said truly appealed to him — but the seven-figure dangling carrot at the end was visible from where he stood. The only thing he had to do was win some fights against lesser known opponents, using his grappling to minimize the damage he’d take through the journey.
If only MMA followed such straight lines.