The cutting of Jake Shields by the UFC raised a lot of eyebrows among fans and media, seeing as though Shields has been a top-level Welterweight for years now. The reasoning has been assumed by all, since it just seems unlikely to be anything other than the fact that Jake Shields isn’t the most exciting fighter in the world and has a decently-paying contract. As we’ve seen with Jon Fitch and Yushin Okami, the UFC doesn’t like guys like that.
Here, in Dana White’s own words, are some of the reasons why they cut Jake Shields. [source]
“Mixed Martial Arts is a young man’s game. I like Jake Shields a lot. But let’s be honest here: Where was he going in this [welterweight] division of animals we have? He’s on the downswing, and he’s never going to be the guy. His stand-up never improved. He hasn’t really shown anything in his last couple of fights to make you go, ‘Holy [expletive].’
Right now, at this point, he’s just another guy. “