Ever since it was announced that Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney was interested in Nate Marquardt, there’s been a bit of a debate on whether or not Bellator should really sign the former UFC Middleweight Championship contender that quickly became the central point of one of the biggest MMA controversies of the year. Multiple Bellator fighters, including Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard, have vocally called out Marquardt. However, it now appears that Bellator won’t be able to sign Nate “The Great” after all. Here are all the details. ...

Ever since Nate Marquardt’s highly-published falling-out with the UFC, every fan of Nate “The Great” has been wondering where the veteran fighter will next call home. Strikeforce is obviously not an option due to it being owned by Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC. Upstart promotion Bellator FC seemed like the most logical step, although I openly wondered if Bellator would be able to afford the services of Marquardt. It now appears that they at least want to try: a new report says that Bellator will wait until Marquardt gets his licensing issues straightened out, but that the promotion is definitely interested in the former UFC Middleweight Championship contender. Here are all the details. ...

It’s the end of the line, fans and friends. Now that I’ve talked about the best fights and the best fighter of June 2011, it’s time to focus on the worst part of the month. Not every MMA event can be spectacular, not all fights are “Fight of the Year” candidates. In “Flop of the Month”, I’ll look back on and discuss the biggest stumbling block of June 2011: not only why it failed, but why it was the most-important or most high-profile failure of the month. And it doesn’t get much worse than getting pulled from the main event before getting fired by your boss. Here’s why Nate Marquardt’s Welterweight fiasco is June 2011’s “Flop of the Month”. ...

In one of the biggest MMA scandals to hit 2011 so far, Nate Marquardt was removed from his main event slot at today’s “UFC on Versus 4” event due to failing his medical examinations. Rumors and speculation have been running wild, with little actual facts to substantiate anything. But one thing we do know is that UFC President Dana White made the call to not only remove Marquardt from the event, but remove him from the UFC altogether. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo is your new “UFC on Versus 4” main event, and Nate Marquardt is no longer a UFC employee. ...

On June 26, 2011, the UFC will hold its highly-anticipated “UFC LIVE: Marquardt vs. Story” event, featuring former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Nate Marquardt dropping down to Welterweight and fighting Rick Story. Also, fierce kickboxers with massive power in both their hands and their feet will collide at the event also known as “UFC on Versus 4”, with Cheick Kongo taking on Pat Barry. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch “UFC on Versus 4”. ...

We’re now only a few days away from “UFC on Versus 4”. In the main event, fast-rising prospect Rick Story tackles his toughest challenge to date, former title challenger Nate Marquardt. Nate “The Great” is dropping down in weight and looking to make a statement at 170. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as entertaining kickboxers Pat Barry and Cheick Kongo lock horns. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring “UFC on Versus 4”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. This is the third “Crash Course” in as many days, and it’s the final entry before we head directly into what I’ve dubbed “The Perfect Storm”, that being three different promotions holding three distinctly unique events on three separate days. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring “UFC LIVE: Marquardt vs. Story”, also known as “UFC on Versus 4”. ...

Ever since it began back when the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion was still around, the UFC’s “UFC Live” events, also known as “UFC on Versus”, have been an interesting mix of fights and fighters. In general, the events are as good or sometimes better than an average “Fight Night Live” outing, but below the standards of an average UFC Pay-Per-View. It’s no substitute for the WEC, but at least it shows that the UFC is committed to Versus. Recently, twelve fights have been officially confirmed for the fourth “UFC on Versus” event. Here are all the details. ...

At the start of 2011, the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion was folded into the UFC, bringing both the Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions into the Octagon for the very first time. Since then, it’s been hard not to consider the Versus network the red-headed stepchild of the UFC’s programming network, since the UFC’s absorption of the WEC drastically cut down the number of live MMA events on Versus. But the UFC continues to try and please fans with its “UFC on Versus” events, events which are usually better than your average “Fight Night Live” but not quite as good as a UFC Pay-Per-View. And recently, nine fights have been made official for the UFC’s upcoming “UFC on Versus 4” event. Here are all the details. ...

Bigger than most “Fight Night Live” events but not quite up to the standard of most ufc Pay-Per-Views, the UFC’s “UFC on Versus” events have always delivered a night of interesting and sometimes high-profile fights. Confirming weeks of rumors, the UFC recently and officially announced/confirmed four bouts for the “UFC on Versus 4” broadcast, including the Welterweight debut of former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Nate Marquardt. Here are all the details. ...

A welterweight clash against two-hard hitters is taking place for ufc on Versus 4. Perennial middleweight contender and one-time title challenger Nate Marquardt will be returning to the welterweight division for the first-time in the long time. In his way will be another perennial contender in Anthony Johnson, who hopes to derail the 170-pound UFC debut of Marquardt by upsetting the former King of Pancrase. Many may forget that Marquardt began his career in the 170-pound division, though bouts with Yves Edwards and Genki Sudo highlight his list of notable opponents in the weight class earlier in his career. ...

While he remains one of the top dog's in the middleweight division, perennial contender Nate Marquardt has been considering a move to the welterweight division for sometime now. In fact, it was just before his last outing with the grizzly Dan Miller this past Saturday at UFC 128, where Nate won a unanimous decision after three-entertaining rounds of contentious action, that Marquardt had come to realize that a move to welterweight might not only be ideal, but plausable in the immediate future. With Georges St. Pierre contemplating a potential future bout with pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva, it could clear the way for Marquardt to become an instant title contender in a thinning weight class. ...

Another huge UFC event went into the history books tonight, fans and friends. UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones” is over and done with. It was a night that saw four free preliminary fights, several amazing knockouts, and the ascension of several fighters to top-division status. And in the main event, Jon Jones kick-started “The Era of Bones” by utterly dominating Mauricio Rua. Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

A perennial contender in the middleweight division, Nate Marquardt will have the chance once again to prove that he is among the elite in his class as he will be taking on late replacement Dan Miller on the main-card for UFC 128. The pay-per-view event takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will feature a main-event pitting champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua against the talented Jon Jones. And while Marquardt's aspirations are to one day become the UFC middleweight champion, he will first have to deal with Dan Miller, who has proven in the past to be no pushover and is currently riding a two-fight win streak heading into their pivotal match-up. ...

With the recent tragedies in the far east still underway, it appears that Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama has pulled himself out from his bout with Nate Marquardt come next weekend. The two middleweight fighters were originally scheduled to meet on the main-card televised portion for the pay-per-view event "UFC 128: Jones vs. Shogun" which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey next Saturday. In Akiyama's place, UFC veteran Dan Miller will now be meeting with the Greg Jackson product in an effort to record possibly the biggest win of his career, that would undoubtedly catapult him up the middleweight ladder. ...

No matter who you are, it’s tough to live up to a nickname like “The Great”. For quite some time, though, it seemed as if ufc veteran Nate Marquardt was doing a pretty good job of doing just that. Now, however, Marquardt is 1-2 in his three most recent bouts, with many fans and insiders beginning to think that Nate Marquardt is the kind of fighter that looks great on most occasions but chokes in big fights. In a new interview, Marquardt recently addressed this notion and said that he honestly doesn’t pay much attention to it. Here are all the details. ...

The ufc looks to continue its march through 2011 on the same high note it began the year with, and one of the best indicators of that is the continually-developing UFC 128 event. Currently scheduled for March 19, the event is set to be headlined by the returning Mauricio Rua, who looks to defend his newly-won UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Rua’s opponent is set to be former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans. Here’s the latest on the card. ...

While Chael Sonnen takes a lapse in his mixed martial arts career, former opponent Nate Marquardt is now here to pick up the slack. The former King of Pancrase and former UFC title challenger, Nate Marquardt will return to the octagon on March 19 when he meets with K-1 veteran Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 128, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Marquardt was last seen in action when he dropped an uninspired unanimous decision to now number one contender Yushin Okami at UFC 122 this past November. ...

Brian Stann is a UFC veteran, a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, and a veteran of the United States Marine Corp. And at UFC 125 “Resolution”, he finally emerged as a legitimate threat in the UFC’s Middleweight division, beating back the always-dangerous Chris Leben and putting an end to what was arguably the best win-streak of Leben’s career. Moving forward, Stann could emerge as a legitimate championship contender by the time 2011 is through, so long as he faces the right opponents. And who should those opponents be? Here’s a Top 5 with just that in mind. ...

In the here and now, the future remains a mystery for one-time UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Nate Marquardt. Nate “The Great” continues to look like a dominant force against most mid-level opponents, yet he also continues to choke in big-opportunity fights. Marquardt most recently lost another championship challenger eliminator fight against Yushin Okami. Marquardt is looking to rebound from this loss in the biggest way possible, as he’s recently joined the growing list of fighters hoping to welcome PRIDE FC legend Wanderlei Silva back into the Octagon. Here are all the details. ...

Rousimar Palhares is still tasting the sting of defeat. The inconsistent middleweight has been on the cusp of top contender status but has fell at each big step up in competition. At UFC 88 in September of 2008, Palhares, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, faced former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson. Rousimar had his moments, however Henderson defeated the grappling ace by unanimous decision, setting him back in the crowded middleweight division. Most recently, "Toquinho" suffered his second loss in the octagon recently against former title challenger Nate Marquardt, and since the defeat looks to tangle with the Greg Jackson product once again to vindicate the defeat. ...

2010 wasn’t exactly the best year for surging Middleweight star Rousimar Palhares. Palhares recorded a big win over Tomasz Drwal in March, but was suspended for 90 days after refusing to let go of the fight-ending submission (Rousimar’s patented heel hook) after securing the victory. Palhares was then the focus of a “Fight Night Live” card, only to ultimately end up on the wrong side of a KO loss thanks to former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Nate Marquardt. Heading into 2011, the future for Palhares will likely be determined in the four fights he’s recently secured with the UFC. Here are all the details. ...

Underwhelming. Quite the inauspicious opening to an article, isn’t it? But that one word perfectly summarizes my feelings on the recent ufc 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami” event. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good, it had some decent fights, it had some boring moments… compared to the gold standard of the UFC’s efforts in the United States and Canada, “underwhelming” hits the nail right on the head. But apparently I’m in the minority here, as the ratings for UFC 122 have recently been made public, and the show has in fact done quite well. Here are all the details. ...

Following the events of UFC 122, it's safe to say that Dana White wasn't all that satisfied with some things that had taken place at last Saturday's night of fights. The UFC head honcho spoke openly about his feelings concerning the card, but was mostly critical of the main event of the evening. In a match that pitted two of the organization's top middleweight contenders in Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami, both men met each other in the center of the cage with the promise of an immediate title shot for the middleweight title. However, neither competitor, especially Marquardt, fought with any sense of urgency that would warrant said person with the coveted shot at the championship. UFC President Dana White won't hold back on his promise, but still has his opinions on Marquardt and now has his eyes set on the Jackson camp. ...

I’ve said it a lot recently, but it bears repeating: it’s tough to be a fan of Nate Marquardt nowadays. Nate “The Great” has once again hit a major stumbling block on his three-year journey towards another championship opportunity: he recently lost a #1 Contender match to Yushin Okami at ufc 122 in Germany. Marquardt’s situation now closely mirrors the one he found himself in when he lost to Chael Sonnen back in February of this year: many are wondering where he stands in the Middleweight division. Marquardt, however, remains confident in his abilities, even while UFC President Dana White recently speculated that (much like his controversial feelings on Kenny Florian) Nate Marquardt chokes in big fights. ...

UFC 122: “Okami vs. Marquardt” went off without a hitch yesterday despite a negative German media presence that forced the event off of television and onto the internet. While the preliminary card was loaded with finishes, the main televised card saw an abundance of decision victories. Nevertheless, I hesitate to call UFC 122 a “bad” event. Recently the UFC handed out their traditional post-fight bonuses, so here’s what everyone walked away with. Also included is a quick mini-review on the event itself. ...

The UFC’s return to Germany is now in the history books, and UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami” gave us several interesting bouts before completing its run. In the main event, top Middleweight stars Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami battled it out to determine the next UFC Middleweight Championship  contender, with Okami winning what some consider to be a title shot that is long, long overdue. As is customary for the day after a big event, here are my predictions on what’s next for the big winners and losers of UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. ...

While the tape-delayed broadcast on Spike TV isn’t set to air for another several hours, the UFC recently wrapped up UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami” in Germany. It was a night that had an even number of finishes as well as fights that went the distance, with the main event perhaps not quite living up to expectations. For those who don’t want to wait, here are the full and complete results to UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. ...

Later today the UFC will present its second event in Germany, UFC  122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. Despite a hostile media and government presence that saw the UFC get banned from German television, the world’s biggest and most important MMA promotion continues to move forward with its international expansion. In tonight’s main event, former title challenger Nate Marquardt faces the last man to have ever beaten Anderson Silva (even if it was via DQ) in a fight that will more than likely determine the next UFC Middleweight Championship contender. As is customary for a big night of fights, here are my picks and predictions for UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”. ...

Tonight, ufc 122, which features a middleweight title eliminator between Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami, will all go down as planned. The two 185-pound fighters, along with the ten other bouts scheduled for the Spike TV broadcast (five taking centered stage on the live feed, with the other five taking place on the nights preliminary un-aired broadcast) all made weight with no problem. UFC 122 serves as the promotion's second venture into Germany. After a lot of backlash and noise from the countries' governing bodies coupled with the media alike, made it seem relatively impossible for the worlds leading mixed martial arts promotion to enter back into their new market. However, they made good on their promise, and the Zuffa owned promotion puts on their second show in a 17-month span. ...