The Curious Case of Nuri Shakir

MMA Journalist caught up with old school Northeast badass Nuri Shakir this past weekend (Shakir was cornering friend and teammate Matt Lee at the WCA). For those whose memories extend back only to the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter", Shakir is considered one of the more talented pioneers of the sport in New England, and on his record are wins over Steve Berger, Marcus Davis, Edson Diniz and Nick Serra, as well as losses to top dogs like Tamdan McCrory, Jim Miller and Jorge Masvidal. Shakir can scrap, and the fact that he hits hard (I once saw him break a fighter's jaw in the opening seconds of a bout) and that he's been at it a long, long time make it difficult for the 29-year-old to get fights. As of now, Shakir may have a bout lined up in Boston on March 14th at the World Championship Fighting 6, but whether that pans out or not, the fact remains that he's stuck in the netherworld of being too tough for an up-and-comer, and too much of a risk for an experienced name fighter. I mean, would you want to fight him?