Despite having won fourteen straight fights and walking away from the middleweight title in rival Strikeforce, Jake Shields knows that he has a lot to prove when he makes his UFC debut.

Shields (25-4-1) will face the very dangerous Martin Kampmann (17-3) at UFC 121 when he steps into the Octagon for the first time, in a fight that may very well earn him a shot at the welterweight title.

Like many aspiring MMA fighters, Shields has dreamed for a long time of competing in the UFC, even if the road there has been a longer one than he planned.

"I'm very excited about coming to the UFC," Shields stated during a UFC 121 conference call. "I've wanted to fight here for 11 years and I finally made it. When I first started, I thought I'd be there in a year. It took a little longer than I thought."

Although he's yet to fight for his new promotion, Shields has already noticed a lot of positives since signing with the UFC.

"The difference is there's way more media attention, way more hype, way more professionalism," Shields said. "They tell you what you're doing, when you're doing it, they have a staff. And I don't mean that as a knock on Strikeforce, they're just not as organized. It's nice to be in an organization that's so together."

One of the biggest changes Shields has noticed, though, is the lack of recognition among the UFC fans. It's a situation he's determined to remedy- in the cage.

"When I've been going to UFC [events] I've been getting swarmed lately so obviously some of them know me," Shields stated. "But some of them don't. It's like half-ass. So I need to go out there for people who don't know who I am and show them who I am on October 23. So I feel a lot of pressure to go out and give a great performance."

While Shields' defection to the UFC started many wondering if other Strikeforce fighters would follow, Shields is reluctant to speculate on the issue, although he will mention a couple of names.

"I'd love to see Nick Diaz and Gilbert Melendez come over, but that's really up to them and Dana to work out some kind of deal," Shields said. "Hopefully in the next year or two both of them will be coming over and joining me in the UFC."

Make sure to check back with us the day of the event for free, live, round-by-round coverage of UFC 121 right here at FiveKnuckles.com! Join expert analyst Mike Williams as he takes you through the entire fight card blow-by-blow and then keep it right here for all the post-fight news and notes you can handle!