"I would have no problem fighting there. It’s something I’ve thought about before and I was thinking about it (before) this fight, but they offered me this fight (and) I took it. Especially with my teammate, Nick Diaz, challenging for the welterweight title, it’s definitely in the back of my mind going up to 185 (pounds)."

Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (via MMA Weekly) is starting to find out the grass isn't always greener on the other side. After stringing together 15 consecutive wins over some of the top names in all of mixed martial arts, the American Jiu-Jitsu grappler dropped back down to welterweight to make a run at the UFC title held by Georges St. Pierre. Instead, he ended up with a 1-2 record, including a high-profile technical knockout loss to Jake Ellenberger at UFC Fight Night 25 back in September. Shields looks to get back into the win column against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 144 on Feb. 26 and win or lose, may move up to 185-pounds to avoid a potential bout against friend and training partner Nick Diaz. Anyone think he can return to form in the heavier weight class? Or is it the caliber of competition -- and not the scale -- that has given Shields so much trouble in recent fights?