Jake Shields is on top of negotiations (Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

Jake Shields was ringside to see his good friend Chuck Liddell fight at UFC 115.

Shields  saw what everyone else saw: a determined Liddel trying to defy the critics who written him off, showing glimpses of versatility with kicks and takedowns.

Then Chuck got caught and was knocked out for the third time in four fights.

“I was bummed out,” Shields told the Ground & Pound’s Hector Castro and Joe Rizzo on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “Chuck got overaggressive.  He got hit with the big shot.  I was super bummed.  It was the hardest he worked in a few years.  It sucked.”

While Liddell’s future is pretty certain — only he and his camp can make the decision to retire — Shields remains in negotiation limbo despite being the Strikeforce middleweight champion.

He is a free agent, and his suitors are the Big Two: the UFC and Strikeforce.  Shields hasn’t put much input on where he is going, leaving it to his manager to deal with.

“My career goal was go out and fight the best fighters,” Shields said on the show.  “I want to go where I can find the best fights possible.”

Following his stunning victory over Dan Henderson, Shields took some time off by vacationing in Greece.  Now he’s back in the gym to stay in shape, anticipating when his next fight will be.  There have been claims that Shields has signed with the UFC, reports that he flatly denied on the air.

“Decisions aren’t made yet,” he said.  “We’re still in the early stages.  Nothing is 100 percent at this point.”

UFC president Dana White has made it no secret he would love to have Shields in the Octagon.  Shields has been visible at recent UFC cards and had plenty of face time on The Ultimate Fighter’s 11th season as a coach on Team Liddell.

White might not be the only one who wants Shields in the UFC.  Welterweight kingpin Georges St-Pierre has also called out Shields, expressing a strong desire to fight him.

“It’s awesome that someone like GSP would call me out,” Shields said.  “I’ve called him out.  Now he agrees I’m the person to fight.  That’s a lot of respect.  That’s a fight he wants, I want and a lot of fans want.”

If he was to remain with Strikeforce, Shields expects a fight with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza to be next on the docket, but he’s not picky.

“It’s up to the promotion to make the decision,” Shields said.

Despite what some fans are calling an easy move to the UFC, Shields said the decision is not as easy, considering Strikeforce’s recent growth and deals with CBS and Showtime.

“UFC holds prestige,” Shields said.  “I’m not trying to jump to conclusions.  I’m going to let my manager take care of that, and not be too forceful.”