Shane O'Shea (4-1) is set to make his long awaited promotional debut on July 2nd at Titan FC 70, as he battles Bruno Assis (10-5) for the Titan FC middleweight title in the cards main event.
O'Shea was originally scheduled to debut at Titan FC 68 back in March however, after several opponent changes, a fight never came to fruition. He and his team at Jupiter Boxing Club decided to stay patient and wait for their chance to earn gold in the Titan FC cage. Come Friday night, the 27-year-old will have the chance to do just that.
"It was a strategic move to wait," he said. "Winning the Titan FC title would mean a lot to me, it’s the biggest stage I've ever fought on."
Although he is only five fights into his pro career, he has plenty of experience in the sport of MMA. As a standout wrestler in his school, he was asked by a science teacher at his school to join a gym and start training Jiu-Jitsu. O'Shea took his teacher, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, up on the offer and never looked back. After several years of boxing and Jiu-Jitsu training, he built up quite the versatile game and jumped into the amateur scene. He put on a show on the amateur circuit from 2013-2018 and even struck gold a few times.
"Just because I'm new as a pro doesn't mean I haven't been doing this for a long time," said O'Shea. "I fight because I enjoy competing and it's a cool way to express myself."
Fast-forward 12 years and O'Shea is set to scrap on the biggest stage of his career, against his toughest opponent yet, with the same team in his corner. He has maintained his loyalty to Jupiter Boxing Club and shows his appreciation for the gyms coaches and owners, Patrick Ryan and Tim Bruce. He also does some cross training with Combat Club and a couple other gyms in the Lake Worth and Jupiter area. Another reason he continues to stay true to his team is the fact that everyone helps each other and egos don't play a factor in how each person is treated.
O'Shea may be known for his well-rounded game, but some things that stand out are his varying strikes and his robust defensive game. The aspect of his skillset that will be a crucial part to earning his first pro title this weekend will be his grappling defense. When it comes to defending unusual submissions and grappling exchanges, O'Shea can absolutely hold his own with the best. In a previous bout with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Frederico Moncaio, he found himself defending leg locks and other high level submission attempts.
He also believes he has every resource to take out the more-experienced, Assis. Considering his quality submission defense, he expects to be able to avoid his opponents coveted armbars. O'Shea is well aware of what Assis brings to the cage and he anticipates to be the victor on Friday night. He also doesn't believe the judges will be needed for the main event bout.
"Bruno has good kicks, good Jiu-Jitsu and he gets people with his judo skills," he explained. "If I don't get the finish early I will break his will and finish him in the second or third round."
One thing about Shane O'Shea, that is also compatible with Bruno Assis, is the ability to entertain. Neither one of these warriors is ever in a boring fight. Come Friday, expect O'Shea to be the aggressor however, both will come out swinging. Overall, this scrap is one of the most entertaining on the Titan FC 70 card and I'd advise you not to blink during it.
Shane O'Shea has been one of the more anticipated fighters to make their Titan FC debut this year and he will leave it all in the cage on July 2nd. O'Shea is just entering his prime and with his style, it’s inevitable he could be a force in a major organization in the near future.