Every time former UFC welterweight Jake Shields opens his mouth, he creates a new controversy. The American mixed martial artist has never shied away from making his opinion known, even if it is to the detriment of his public image. And now, for the second time in February 2023, Shields is once again at the center of controversy.
Shields departed from the UFC in 2014 after his decision loss to Hector Lombard. He then moved to the WSOF but left the promotion two years later with a 2-2 record. Shields then joined the PFL, a rival company of the UFC and Jake Paul’s newest employer. Shields then fought only 4 more times before calling it a day on his career in 2018.
I'm not posting anywhere that won't let me joke about rape
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) February 17, 2023
Despite his retirement from the sport, Jake has managed to stay somewhat relevant in it because of his controversial takes. The latest, aforementioned controversy happened on Twitter. Shields wrote, “I’m not posting anywhere that won’t let me joke about r*pe,” attacking Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Jake sent this out as a response to Paulo Costa’s tweet, who was replying to an earlier tweet by Shields, which mentioned the Buffalo supermarket shooter.
Fans tore apart the former Strikeforce champion in the replies for his absurd and insensitive take. Many labeled him a “weirdo” and a “creep”. Others tried to explain to Shields why joking about such a topic is not right. However, there was a minority who found Jake’s tweet amusing and egged him on.
Jake Shields gets in trouble for joking about the Buffalo supermarket shooter
On May 14, 2022, a mass shooting was perpetrated by Payton Gendron, now known as the Buffalo supermarket shooter. It was a horrific crime that led to 10 people losing their lives, all of whom were black. Gendron was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Given the grave nature of this incident, most people would decide against making jokes about it.
Instagram suspended me for saying I hope he gets rapped in prison 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/Z4EtsCitbB
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) February 16, 2023
But Jake Shields isn’t most people, and he decided to make r*pe jokes about the shooter. And owing to his actions, Shields was banned from Instagram. He took to Twitter to address this occurrence. The retired UFC fighter said, “Instagram suspended me for saying I hope he gets rapped in prison.” The tweet had a news image of the shooter with the sentence he received.
Needless to say, people were fuming after this tweet from Jake. And it is no surprise that the Meta-owned social media app banned Jake Shields from its platform. But it seems Twitter is the new home for Jake’s oddball takes and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.