First up, here are some very fiery quotes by Lombard that’s been compiled by MixedMartialArts.com: “I think [Marquardt] is a cheater, but [against] me, he can take all the drugs he wants. I’m going to whoop his ass anyway… There’s no excuses anymore. Don’t say you’ve got a contract with the UFC because he doesn’t have it. He can take the fight and prove everybody wrong.”

However, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney recently spoke to MMA Junkie and gave an important update on the situation, saying the following: “Nate’s situation was pretty unique. It’s an anomaly for a guy like that to become available, so we had discussions. But it just became pretty clear it wasn’t the right fit… We have so much going on right now… If Nate had been available a few months back, maybe things would be different.”

I think it’s really interesting that Bellator has decided, at least for now, to not sign Nate Marquardt. For both the promotion and the person, this bit of news leaves me with a slew of questions.

For Bellator: was it really smart to pass up on this sort of opportunity? Why couldn’t you find a way to fit in a guy that’s still widely ranked as at or near the top of the division? Did the fact that some cynics call Bellator a promotion filled with “UFC rejects” have anything to do with this decision, or is that just a coincidence? Did Marquardt make too many demands? And couldn’t you at least have given him Hector Lombard in a non-title super-fight?

For Nate Marquardt: what happens now? Bellator was definitely the only viable, major US promotion left to you now that Strikeforce is owned by Zuffa, so I would have thought that you would have done whatever it took to secure a spot. Was it just that Bellator isn’t a big enough promotion? And where do you go from here? Japan’s MMA scene is a fraction of what it once was, while the UK can only boast BAMMA as a promotion that could likely afford to pay you.

Now that I think about it, and now that I know it won’t be happening, I think I actually would have liked to see Nate Marquardt in Bellator. In particular, I’d have really liked to see him fight both Ben Askren and Hector Lombard. I don’t think he would’ve beaten them, but seeing him try would have made for some entertaining minutes.

To be brutally honest, now that Bellator is not an option I think Marquardt has just joined the likes of Houston Alexander, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and a host of other UFC wash-outs that make a living on smaller barely-promoted shows while virtually vanishing from the mainstream MMA landscape. That may not be the scenario that ends up playing out, but it’s certainly the one that seems most likely right now.

MMA Mania brings word that in a recent episode of MMA Live, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said the following about Marquardt: “We all recognize he’s a very talented fighter. And I’m as interested like you are to see how the situation plays out with the commission… Anybody who would tell you that they’re not interested in Nate… would be lying to you. So, sure, we’re interested but let’s see how things play out over the next couple weeks with the commission and then we can go from there.”

When asked whether or not he would have Marquardt fight as a Middleweight or Welterweight, Rebney basically said that the call would be Marquardt’s to make.

Marquardt’s shocking release from the UFC took the internet by storm back around the time of “UFC on Versus 4”. Marquardt was medically forbidden to compete at the event on the day of the weigh-ins, leaving the UFC high, dry, and vindictive enough to fire him. Marquardt would later reveal that he was taking testosterone replacement therapy. Debate would then rage and continues to rage on whether or not TRT is performance enhancing, with fighters as varied as BJ Penn and Dan Hardy strongly condemning Marquardt’s actions.

It should also be noted that Ben Askren, the current Welterweight Champion of Bellator, has publicly called out Marquardt for his actions.

Would Marquardt make an interesting addition to Bellator’s roster? Of course he would, there’s absolutely no denying that. But would he be worth the hassle, considering that he’s coming off of a major controversy? Now there’s the million-dollar question, fans and friends.

I suppose it all comes down to how successful Marquardt is in Bellator. Bellator FC is all-too-often overlooked, and all-too-often it’s thought that any former UFC fighter could walk into Bellator and win a championship. So far, that hasn’t happened. In fact, some of Bellator’s champions have outright schooled former UFC fighters.

For the sake of the argument, let’s assume that Marquardt is able to win a Bellator tournament, either at Middleweight or Welterweight. If that was the case, he’d face either Hector Lombard or Ben Askren. Lombard is 29-2, hasn’t lost since 2006, and has fought to a decision twice in his last fifteen fights. Ben Askren is 8-0 and one of the best pure wrestlers in Bellator and probably the entire world, the exact kind of fighter that Marquardt has had many problems with in the past.

I think there are several interesting fights for Marquardt in Bellator, assuming that he stays clean and his troubles with the athletic commission don’t result in a prolonged suspension. As with anything in today’s MMA world, signing Marquardt would be a calculated risk. But I do think Bellator would benefit from Marquardt on their roster, if only to add prestige to their championships when their champions more than likely beat him.

Let’s start by asking a simple question: who is Nate Marquardt?

There are two ways to answer that: professionally and personally. Professionally, Nate Marquardt is a well-respected veteran fighter that has made several good runs in the UFC’s Middleweight division. At one time he even challenged for the UFC Middleweight Championship. He’s headlined events. He single-handedly ruined the hype surrounding Demian Maia. And more importantly, he was set to make a high-profile drop down in weight in a fight that would headline the latest “UFC on Versus” event.

Personally, most people are in agreement that Nate Marquardt is a good person and a nice guy. He’s never really been embroiled in any huge rivalries, he doesn’t adopt a character in order to sell tickets… he is who he is.

Marquardt’s original opponent for the June “UFC on Versus” event was Anthony Johnson, a young Welterweight prospect that was trying to recapture the glory days of when he first debuted in the UFC and was looked upon as the next big thing, the hottest can’t-miss prospect in a division dominated by people that have felt the sting of a loss to Georges St. Pierre. Unfortunately, Johnson would pull out of the fight.

Rick Story was quickly named as Marquardt’s replacement, to the joy of many. Much like Johnson, Story had been making some big waves as of late. So while there was no real rivalry to speak of heading into this fight, there was definitely an awesome “veteran vs. prospect” appeal. Everything looked good to go… until the day of the weigh-ins.

In  a shocking announcement that swept through all popular MMA media sites like wildfire, Nate Marquardt failed his pre-fight medicals and was not medically allowed to fight in the main event of “UFC on Versus 4”. This was followed up with an even more shocking announcement: UFC President Dana White would only minutes later reveal in a video upload that he had fired Nate Marquardt.

Rumors and speculation would run rampant, until Marquardt would come clean and reveal that Testosterone Replacement Therapy was the reason why he failed his medicals. Nowadays, there’s fierce debate on why TRT is good, why it’s bad, whether or not it should be allowed in MMA, whether or not it’s a cheap excuse to get performance enhancers, and whether or not Marquardt used it to the point where it became performance enhancing.

But no matter what, this story stood out to me as one of the biggest blunders of the year. In a matter of minutes, Nate Marquardt went from everything to nothing. A win over Story would’ve revitalized his career and gotten everyone talking about Nate Marquardt at Welterweight. Now he’s out of a job and his reputation may never fully recover. There’s not a doubt in my mind that Nate Marquardt deserves the “Flop of the Month” for June 2011.

It’s a story that’s been sweeping the internet, and it’s already divided a legion of fans. Some of the more-popular rumors is that Marquardt showed up overweight, or tried to cheat some type of test, or even that he had some type of viral infection. However, many top MMA journalists, including Ariel Helwani, have stated that we’ll probably never know the full extent of the situation. The athletic commission is currently very tight-lipped when it comes to discussing the situation.

MMA Weekly gives us a good recap. Basically, the laws concerning this issue prevent anyone other than Nate Marquardt himself from disclosing the full extent of his medical situation. All that’s known is that Marquardt was given several weeks to clear up whatever was afflicting him, and apparently he did not. When he showed up at yesterday’s weigh-ins, he was medically forbidden from competing. This then led Dana White to remove him from the “UFC on Versus 4” main event against Ricky Story, bump the Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry co-main event up to main event status, give Story Charlie Brenneman as a replacement opponent, and then fire Marquardt.

As a fan of Nate “The Great”, I’m honestly pretty sad to see him go. I think it’s very unfortunate that this situation is clouded in mystery. Hopefully Marquardt comes out with the truth, if only to clear his name. If he doesn’t I think Marquardt will have a cloud hanging over him for at least a year or so, as he competes in other promotions and tries to build his credibility back up.

Speaking of which, where does Marquardt go from here? He certainly can’t go to Strikeforce, the UFC owns them now. He could go to Bellator, they’ve got their fair share of former UFC fighters. But Marquardt was set to be in the main event of a pretty major UFC show. Can Bellator afford him? How much will Marquardt be charging in order to step into a cage that doesn’t belong to the UFC, doing it for the first time since 2005?

Since no one really knows what medical condition he had that led to him being forbidden to fight and even suspended, I think it’s unfair to judge Nate Marquardt harshly and assume it was steroids or that he tried to cheat a drug test. With his history as a respectable and entertaining fighter, I personally think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. This is a very unfortunate situation, but right now I do wish Marquardt the best. And that won’t be changing unless it’s officially revealed what he did that landed him in suspension and out of the UFC.

5. “UFC on Versus” events tend to deliver more often than not.

Even though this will be only the fourth in the “UFC on Versus” series, this show does have a lot to live up to. The first two events in this series both featured Jon Jones in the main event, dominating his opponents with the same ruthlessness that would lead him to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The third event featured stars like Diego Sanchez, Brian Bowles, Mark Munoz, Alessio Sakara, and more. This is a series with a very good track record, and that’s important heading into a new event.

4. Seven (seven!) free fights on Facebook.

The UFC continues to spoil its fans with free fights on Facebook for virtually every event they’ve ran. At times they’ve cut it  little close in announcing that the fights will appear on Facebook, but they’ve been giving these free fights to us for so long now that I honestly would raise a serious fuss if they were ever taken away. For this event, the UFC is giving us seven free fights for the price of a “like” on their Facebook page. That’s nothing compared to the quality of fights these preliminary attractions tend to deliver.

3. Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft is guaranteed fireworks.

Matt Mitrione has said that he wants to explore areas of his game where he’s not comfortable, but in this fight with Morecraft I think he’s going to have to fall back on his brawling roots. The good thing about that is that these two men have the potential to put on an epic brawl. If it lives up to its potential, there’s a very real chance that this will earn “Fight of the Night”.

2. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo should be a very technical, very exciting match-up between two very gifted kickboxers.

Many people have criticized Cheick Kongo for being one-dimensional, but few seem to remember that the reason why he’s been in the UFC for so long is because he’s very dominant in that one dimension. Against a fellow kickboxer like Pat Barry, Kongo will be able to let loose the full force of his brutal kicks and punches. As technical as both men are on their feet, I see this one getting very ugly very fast. It’ll be a “beautifully ugly” fight, and one of the night’s best.

And the number-one reason to watch this event is…

1. The main event features two very different men with two very different styles and two very different goals fighting each other.

Nate Marquardt both wants and needs to prove that he doesn’t choke in big fights. Much like Kenny Florian, who has also been accused of this in the past, Marquardt is dropping down in weight in hopes that it will alleviate his problems. But will it? Rick Story is no joke, he’s a fantastic young talent and I’ve been impressed with him more and more as I’ve gotten to see him fight more and more. But is Story really ready for someone like Marquardt? It’s questions like these that are on just about everyone’s minds as we head into this event, and it’s definitely the number-one reason to check out this show.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “UFC on Versus 4”

Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story: This is a rare moment where my head and heart are in agreement, although parts of both do question my logic. As a realist, I think a drop down in weight is a great thing for Marquardt and he’ll show up hungry, motivated, and at his best. As an optimist, I think Nate Marquardt has always been good and he’ll continue to be a tough opponent for anybody. Rick Story is a very good prospect and I think he has a very bright future in store for him, but in terms of facing top-division competition, facing Marquardt will be a matter of “too much too soon”. It’ll be close at times, but ultimately Nate Marquardt will win by Unanimous Decision.

Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry: I used to like Cheick Kongo, at one point I even considered him under-rated thanks to his high level of kickboxing skill. But I think time simply hasn’t been kind to the UFC’s premiere Heavyweight gatekeeper. If someone like Frank Mir can rattle Kongo’s chin, Pat Barry could very well KO him. And Pat Barry has looked mostly impressive in the UFC, especially during his last bout where he completely dominated his opponent. I think Barry will out-work Kongo first, softening him up with leg kicks and counter-strikes before going in for the kill. Pat Barry wins by TKO in Round 2.

Matt Brown vs. John Howard: What a weird fight… you have a man that’s lost three straight fights going up against a man that’s lost two straight fights. I just can’t see a way for Matt Brown to win this one: he’s lost three straight with all three losses coming by way of second-round submission, his record is 11-10, he’s been inactive since November 2010 and he hasn’t won a fight since 2009. John Howard may have lost his two most-recent fights, but he won seven straight before those losses. Plus, Howard has six submission wins and Matt Brown has been submitted eight times. John Howard wins by Submission in Round 2.

Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft: Mitrione certainly has come a long way from his days as “Meathead” on the tenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. From his background as a former football player that was little more than the “villain of the season” during TUF 10, Mitrione now stands poised to ascend to top-division status, in much the same way that Brendan Schaub is about to and in much the same way that Roy Nelson has done. Morecraft is tough, but Mitrione is tougher. Morecraft hits hard, Mitrione hits harder. Morecraft has good cardio and technique, Mitrione has better cardio and great technique. This is going to be the fight where people start taking Mitrione seriously as a top-division Heavyweight. Matt Mitrione wins by (T)KO in Round 1.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

The Event: “UFC on Versus 4”, currently scheduled for June 26, 2011 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The entire preliminary card of the event will be streamed live and for free at the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 4:55 PM ET. The main card will be televised live on the Versus network starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This event sees former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Nate Marquardt drop down to Welterweight to face Rick Story. A drop down in weight could wholly revitalize Marquardt’s career: he’s always been an entertaining fighter, but as of late he’s struggled to keep up with the Middleweight elite. Plus you have Ricky Story, one of the UFC’s best can’t-miss prospects at Welterweight. And to top it all off, you’ve got a big pair of Heavyweight encounters that should guarantee fireworks.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: When Nate Marquardt is “on”, he sure is on. We’re talking about a man who (T)KO’d both Demian Maia and Rousimar Palhares and made it look easy. And that’s just in recent history. But when he’s off, he’s been outright dominated. So, which Marquardt shows up, especially now that he’s in a new weight class? Plus, can Rick Story live up to his potential? Depending on who wins this fight, we could either see a “changing of the guard” moment or the debut of a new Nate Marquardt that has his eyes squarely set on the UFC Welterweight Championship.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Ever since his slightly-embarrassing loss to Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry has been a man possessed. In his recent fight with Joey Beltran, he’s never looked more vicious and his strikes have never seemed more powerful. On the other side of the Octagon you’ve got Cheick Kongo, who’s one of the UFC’s premiere gatekeepers and is a tough opponent for any man on any given day. With both men’s love of striking, this should be an epic encounter between two tough kickboxers.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The story behind the main event is quite interesting, as both men need a major win over a tough opponent in order to establish themselves in the Welterweight division. And not only do you have Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo in a good fight, you’ve also got entertaining brawlers Matt Mitrione and Christian Morecraft stepping into the cage and throwing leather. And let’s not forget that the UFC is giving us over five free fights on Facebook.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: As much as I like the dynamic of Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story, I have to admit that I think this is a weaker fight than the original “UFC on Versus 4” main event, which would have seen Marquardt face Anthony Johnson. In general, this is a card that’s been plagued with fighters pulling out, fights getting shuffled back and forth, and even some fights being cancelled. It’s still a good card… it’s just not as good as it could have been.

Closing Thoughts: Like all the other events in this series “UFC on Versus 4” strikes me as a happy medium between a Pay-Per-View and a “Fight Night Live” event. It features an interesting mix of stars both new and old, smartly booked against each other in fights that should bring out the strengths of all involved. It looks to be a good card on paper, perhaps great when all is said and done, so I’m definitely going to be watching this one.

According to the one and only Sherdog, “UFC Live 4” recently had its lineup finalized. The list of matches now stand as such: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, Patrick Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft, Tyson Griffin vs. Manny Gamburyan, Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vasquez, Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton, Matt Brown vs. Rich Attonito, T.J. Grant vs. Charlie Brenneman, Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz, Matt Grice vs. Ricardo Lamas, and Michael Johnson vs. Edward Faaloloto.

As expected, this fourth event falls right back into the “buffer zone” that has become synonymous with this series of shows. I think Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson is more than worthy of being on a Pay-Per-View, just not in the co-main or main event. The same goes for Barry vs. Kongo: it’d make an interesting opener to a Pay-Per-View or a good main event of a “Fight Night Live” card.

I don’t mean to put the “UFC on Versus” series in a harsh light, I’m actually a huge fan of this series. It’s just that, to this day, I still miss the WEC. But I realize that it’s a little unfair to the “UFC on Versus” performers to keep holding that against them, and in a way, I’m not. It’s going to be a good event… the WEC super-fan in me just remembers how things used to be.

Now, with that said, I can’t wait to see what Nate Marquardt fights at when he debuts at Welterweight for the first time. I’ve been a fan of “Nate The Great” for quite a while now, and I’ve always felt that something was holding him back from reaching his full potential and getting another shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship. Marquardt’s main Achilles Heel at Middleweight was the dominant wrestler, and hopefully the drop in weight negates that. Then again, Anthony Johnson is a monster Welterweight and a very dominant wrestler. And that’s one of the reasons this fight is so interesting.

Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo should be an excellent war between two good strikers. So long as both men never leave their feet, this could even be the best fight of the night. I don’t mean to typecast either man as a one-dimensional fighter, I’m just pointing out that I’ve enjoyed both men the most when their striking is at the forefront.

Finally, I’m also looking forward to seeing Matt Mitrione back in action. Mitrione is a character, through and through, but he’s also a constantly-evolving fighter that’s becoming increasingly dangerous. Mitrione is a big Heavyweight with big power, with an interesting style and comparably good cardio. If Mitrione wins this fight, I think this will be the last low-to-mid tier opponent that the UFC gives Mitrione. If Morecraft falls, it’ll be only the best from then on. And that should be a very, very interesting time to be a Matt Mitrione fan.

Overall, this card is quickly shaping up to be the UFC’s can’t-miss free TV event of the summer.

According to Sherdog, the official lineup of “UFC on Versus 4” now looks like this: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft, Manny Gamburyan vs. Tyson Griffin, Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez, Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton, Michael Johnson vs. Edward Faaloloto, and Matt Brown vs. Rich Attonito

Their report also states that the following fights are rumored but not officially confirmed as of yet: Matt Grice vs. Ricardo Lamas, Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira, and T.J. Grant vs. Matt Riddle.

It’s going to be pretty interesting to see what Nate Marquardt looks like as a Welterweight fighter. To be perfectly honest, Marquardt has been showing up to his fights so big lately that I would’ve expected him to move up a weight class, and not down, if he wanted to reinvigorate his career. Then again, I guess I shouldn’t be talking about difficult weight cuts when his opponent is Anthony Johnson, who is rumored to cut weight from as high as a monstrous 230.

But I don’t think it’s just the weight cut that could harm Nate Marquardt. I’ve been a semi-fan of “Nate The Great” for some time now, but I think it’s very apparent that his biggest Achilles Heel is a dominant wrestler. And even if it wasn’t the slugfest we all wanted it to be, Anthony Johnson recently manhandled and dismantled Dan Hardy thanks to his dominant wrestling. And let’s not forget, Johnson was coming off of a substantial layoff and still looked pretty good against Hardy. With the ring rust shaken off, Johnson will be a big threat to Marquardt. But I do think Marquardt has a chance, and I certainly respect him for making his Welterweight debut against such a formidable opponent.

Another big  bout between two big men that I’m looking forward to is Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo. These two fighters match up ridiculously well with each other. Say what you will about either man, but they both are very impressive so long as the fight is played out exclusively on the feet. And that’s more than likely what this fight will boil down to: a technical war between two high-level kickboxers. So long as it lives up to its potential and is a pure striking contest, this should be a great fight.

Overall, I think this will be a good “UFC on Versus” event. It really doesn’t make up for the fact that the WEC is no more, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ll take what I can get, since that’s really the only thing I can do, and the only thing anyone can really do. Thankfully, this card doesn’t seem like a throw-away event at all, and even though the future is very uncertain when it comes to the UFC’s plans for the Versus network, we should at least all appreciate and respect the UFC for trying to make these “UFC on Versus” events something special.

And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on this card?

According to MMA Fighting, the following four matches are now confirmed for the “UFC on Versus 4” broadcast: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft, and Matt Brown vs. Rich Attonito.

Also, several bouts remain unconfirmed by the UFC but do appear to be in the works. Those bouts include Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, Manny Gamburyan vs. Tyson Griffin, and Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vasquez.

I think it will be very interesting to see how Nate Marquardt adapts to being a Welterweight. I’ve always thought of Nate Marquardt as a very muscular Middleweight, and when he’s at his bulkiest I’ve even thought that he could make Light Heavyweight with not much effort. I supposed Marquardt is tired of having to start over again and again in the Middleweight division and is interested in trying his hand at a different weight class.

I also think it’s too soon to tell how successful Marquardt will be at Welterweight.  Anthony Johnson has just come off a very convincing performance against Dan Hardy, and I think Johnson is well on his way towards realizing the potential seen in his first few UFC fights. In facing Anthony Johnson, Nate Marquardt is dealing with an explosive, very muscular wrestler that can knock people out but can also totally control them on the ground. And his deflating loss to Chael Sonnen proves that Nate Marquardt still has a weakness against dominant wrestlers.

In regards to the other “UFC on Versus 4” fights, I’m looking forward to seeing both Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft.

I think Barry/Kongo is the perfect match for both striking-based fighters. It’s become painfully obvious that Cheick Kongo will never have any sort of ground game other than basic Ground and Pound, but Pat Barry loves to keep the fight standing and he’s coming off a very dominating performance. It may not be the most technical fight ever, but we should see fists flying a mile a minute and it could just be one of the best pure brawls of the last several months.

I feel mostly the same way about the Christian Morecraft vs. Matt Mitrione match-up. To be honest, I was hoping that Mitrione would get someone a little higher on the food chain, but I do understand that Morecraft is just coming off of a big win over Sean McCorkle. It’ll be two big, big Heavyweights swinging leather, and with the skill level both men have shown in their recent fights, it should definitely be an entertaining scrap.

All in all, I’m definitely looking forward to this show. And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on the current, confirmed “UFC on Versus 4” lineup?

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.

Both Marquardt and Johnson is expected to headline the event, which takes place on June 26 at the Energy Consol Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Nate “The Great” was last seen in action this in March when he defeated the always scrappy Dan Miller at UFC 128. Marquardt was able to grind out a decision win over the New Jersey native, successfully bouncing back from a disappointing decision loss to current title challenger Yushin Okami, at UFC 122 last November. While Marquardt has come up short on several occasions to claim top-contender status in the middleweight class, a win over Johnson could immediately vaunt him into title contention at 170.

However, Anthony hopes to steal Marquardt’s thunder with a win. After a 16-month layoff due to a severe knee injury, Johnson came back in true form when he utterly dominated one-time title challenger Dan Hardy at UFC Fight Night 24 last month. After an early knockdown courtesy of a strong high kick, Johnson was able to utilize his wrestling background to work Hardy to the mat over and over again. Though it wasn’t quite the bout most people expected, Johnson was able to walk away from the bout with a clear-cut decision win.

MMAJunkie.com were the first to report the welterweight bout, and have learned with sources close to the event that say that both Marquardt and Johnson have verbally agreed to the match-up.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the fight? Who do you favor and do you think a win over the respective opponent will put the winner into title contention? Sound off in the comment section below.

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.

After his win over one half of “The Miller Bros.” this past weekend, Nate “The Great” spoke with Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com and expressed his desires to go to the welterweight division, where most fans may or may not remember that the Greg Jackson product had originally began his career.

In fact, in his primordial years as a mixed martial artist, Marquardt had memorable bouts with future lightweight kingpin Yves Edwards and the legendary Genki Sudo, which were both contested in the welterweight class.

Thereafter, Marquardt moved up to the middleweight division where he would go on to win the prestigious King of Pancrase title not once, not twice, but seven times–a feat that has since been unaccomplished within the organization.

And while Nate has scratched at a shot at the title on several occasions, he has faltered at claiming the top spot in the division after initially failing in his bid to claim the belt at UFC 73, where he was TKO’d inside of the first-round by current champion Anderson Silva. Losses to Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami are among the defeats that have kept the hard-hitting Marquardt from realizing his dream of becoming a UFC champion.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Do you think with the possible move for St. Pierre to the middleweight class, that the path would be paved for Marquardt to enter into the title contention as a welterweight? Sound off in the comment section below.

Jon Jones defeats Mauricio Rua at 2:37 of Round 3 to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Urijah Faber defeats Eddie Wineland by Unanimous Decision. Jim Miller defeats Kamal Shalorus by TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of Round 3. Nate Marquardt defeats Dan Miller by Unanimous Decision. Brendan Schaub defeats Mirko Filipovic by TKO (strikes) at 3:44 of Round 3. Luis Cane defeats Eliot Marshall by TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of Round 1. Edson Barboza defeats Anthony Njokuani by Unanimous Decision. Mike Pyle defeats Ricardo Almeida by Unanimous Decision. Gleison Tibau defeats Kurt Pellegrino by Split Decision. Joseph Benavidez defeats Ian Loveland by Unanimous Decision. Nick Catone defeats Constantinos Phillippou by Unanimous Decision . Erik Koch defeats Raphael Assuncao by KO at 2:32 of Round 1.

Although I once again enjoyed the four free fights the UFC gave us as part of their ongoing “UFC Prelims LIVE” series of shows, I have to admit that my expectations were completely backwards.

I was looking forward to the Facebook stream a lot more, because it boasted bigger names and veteran talents. However, I thought Almeida, Tibau, Pellegrino, and Pyle all put on rather pedestrian affairs. They weren’t bad fights, but they definitely fell short of my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by the Spike TV broadcast, which featured a great TKO win by Luis Cane and a very, very entertaining striking war between Edson Barboza and Anthony Njokuani.

I rarely dislike being right, but I’m not without a heart. I don’t like seeing Mirko Cro Cop lifeless on the mat. This is the second time in a row that Cro Cop has lost by KO, and I think it may be time for him to call it a career. I could possibly see Cro Cop moving down to Light Heavyweight, but I think Cro Cop’s days of being relevant as a Heavyweight are now firmly and finally over and done with, and not even the staunchest Cro Cop supporter can argue against that.

I’m glad Nate Marquardt beat Dan Miller, but I have a new appreciation for how tough Dan Miller is. I didn’t think he would be able to deal with Nate Marquardt’s power for three rounds without going down, and he proved me dead wrong. So here’s some credit where it’s rightfully due: his performance coupled with the fact that he took this fight on ultra-short notice means that Dan Miller far exceeded my expectations at UFC 128, even in losing.

With his win at UFC 128, I think Jim Miller has firmly staked his claim near the top of the UFC Lightweight division. Miller has got to be only a few fights away from a title shot, there’s just no way he’s not unless the UFC doesn’t realize what they have in him. In Jim Miller you’ve got a fighter that will fight anyone anywhere, he’ll strike with strikers and he’ll try to submit high-level Brazilian Jui Jitsu fighters. Miller has the raw talent to go very far in the UFC’s Lightweight division, and his performance at UFC 128 proves that he’s living up to his potential. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Jim Miller.

Eddie Wineland is one tough fighter, but Urijah Faber proved that he still has it at UFC 128. I was happy enough knowing that Faber finally debuted in the UFC, but seeing him win and win big while still retaining his very entertaining style was one of my favorite moments of the night. I think this was a very important, very big step on the comeback trail for Urijah Faber, and I think 2012 could be the year where Faber becomes a champion again. Depending on how things shake out, we may even enter 2012 with Faber as champion.

I called it, fans and friends. I gave Rua his due, I said he could beat Jon Jones, now give me my due. This is the new era, now. Jon Jones is “the chosen one”. Like some mythical fairy-tale, the young champion has now ascended to the throne and will be the one to break “the curse”. It’s a whole new ballgame now, and Jon Jones is the best Light Heavyweight fighter in the world.

And that’s what I thought about UFC 128, fans and friends. What about you? What’s your opinion on “Shogun vs. Jones” now that it’s all said and done?

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.

Dan was originally scheduled to face Nick Catone, however after the withdraw of Yoshihiro Akiyama from his bout with Marquardt due to the tragedies over in Japan, Miller has since taken his place.

Dan is currently riding a two-fight win streak, as mentioned before, which has since helped the New Jersey native rebound from a dissapointing three-fight losing streak inside the octagon, however the losses came to divisional greats Chael Sonnen, Demain Maia, and finally Michael Bisping, who are all top contenders in the division.

After suffering through personal adversity, the death of a child, Miller had become refocused and has since submitted John Salter and taken home a contentious split-decision from veteran Joe Doerksen in order to regain footing in a crowded middleweight class.

While Dan has often times relied on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, which eventually earned him his black belt late earlier last year, he also has a tight stand-up game which compliments his ground skills. However, what has often been lacking is his takedowns defense as well as his inability to take adept wrestlers down.

And while Marquardt is certainly not an adept wrestler, he does have takedown defense, which was not on display during his bout with Chael Sonnen. His biggest asset has always been his physicality and well-rounded game. While market may be a better striker more than anything, he does have solid wrestling that go hand-and-hand with his Jiu-Jitsu game. Perhaps Nate’s only problem has been against stifling wrestlers, ie: Sonnen and Yushin Okami.

But is Miller a wrestler? No. While you can never really bet against a Miller brother, here Marquardt would have to be the obvious choice. I like him either by way of late stoppage or a dominating decision, as Miller’s any chance at winning would be to take the action to the mat, which he will find is easier said than done against a fighter the caliber of “The Great” Nate Marquardt.

So, MMA peeps, agree or disagree? Who do you favor in the bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

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.

UFC President Dana White released a statement concerning the new match-up and had this to say:

“New Jersey native Dan Miller proves once again that he will fight anyone, anywhere, any time by agreeing to step up from the prelims to face Nate Marquardt…Marquardt has long been a top-10 ranked middleweight, and Miller jumped at the opportunity to face him.”

According to recent tweets by the UFC head honcho, Akiyama and his family are fine following the recent earth quakes and tsunami’s that have errupted in Japan, however no time table of his return has been confirmed.

Miller is currently riding a two-fight win streak inside the cage, where he most recently picked up a split-decision win over tested veteran Joe Doerksen this past December. The recent positive stretch helped snap a disappointing three-fight losing streak, though those losses came against some of the division’s best in Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, and Demian Maia–all by decision.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new match? Of course, Marquardt will be heralded as the early favorite heading into the bout, though Miller is competitive in all of his contests and should not be overlooked. Sound off in the comment section below.

In a new interview first seen over at MMA Fighting, the eleven-year, 30-10-2 veteran recently shared the following sentiments: “”I don’t really pay attention to that kind of stuff… You have to deal with that talk crap all the time and just basically brush it off… I still got a lot more time in this sport and I still believe I’m going to be the champion… I criticize myself enough… I’m focused on what I gotta do to win this fight. I feel like I’m one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC and I feel like I will be able to prove that again.”

Marquardt’s UFC record basically speaks for itself: nine wins, four losses, and one major (albeit failed) championship opportunity. In two of his three most recent outings, Marquardt has fought in “contender eliminator” fights in order to determine the next contender for the UFC Middleweight Championship. However, Marquardt lost both times, suffering deflating one-sided losses to Chael Sonnen and then to Yushin Okami.

I honestly think that it’s quite unfair that a few members of the MMA fanbase are beginning to suspect that Marquardt may soon be fighting for his job if he can’t get another win under his belt. Even in today’s hyper-competitive world, Marquardt is still a proven commodity and a pretty good fighter. He may have lost two of his last three, but in-between those losses there was a fantastic first-round KO, and it’s not like Sonnen or Okami were able to finish Marquardt.

I think there’s still plenty of hope for Nate Marquardt, and all the doom-saying surrounding him is definitely misplaced. I’ll admit that the man is not perfect, and I’ve got no problems stating that even as a veteran, Marquardt could still stand to learn some new tricks in order to better adapt with the times. The MMA game is constantly evolving, sometimes at a pace that makes everyone’s head spin. Marquardt may be a bit behind the curve, but it’s not like he can’t catch up.

Marquardt has all the tools necessary to one day challenge for a championship again. He’s a very crafty veteran that’s good at just about everything, although when put up against someone who’s really good at one thing, his performances tend to suffer. But he trains with one of the best MMA camps in the world, and despite what some fans may think, it really doesn’t get much better than Team Greg Jackson. In the end, Nate Marquardt has earned my respect and I consider myself a fan of the man. His situation may be a bit dire, but he certainly isn’t knocking on death’s door, and he can certainly turn it all around if he tries hard enough and trains long enough.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you think Nate Marquardt will get back to his winning ways?

According to MMA Weekly, two new bouts have been made official for UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Evans”. A planned match-up between Nate Marquardt and Yoshihiro Akiyama is now a full-fledged fact rather than a mostly-confirmed rumor. Also, former WEC Featherweight Championship contender Manny Gamburyan will be taking on Rafael Assuncao at UFC 128 in the other recently-announced match-up.

Currently, the UFC 128 fight card stands as follows: Mauricio Rua (C) vs. Rashad Evans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland, Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland, Mirko Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub, Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus, Nate Marquardt vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama, Raphael Assuncao vs. Manny Gamburyan, Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle, Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau, Anthony Njokuani vs. Edson Barboza Jr. Dan Miller vs. Nick Catone, and Luiz Cane Jr. vs. Karlos Vemola.

As a perennial Nate Marquardt fan, I really do hope that “The Great” comes back strong after another deflating loss. I think Yoshihiro Akiyama is a great test for Marquardt as it stands right now. Akiyama needs a win and needs it badly, so he’ll likely fight Marquardt as if his job was on the line, because if Akiyama loses three fights in a row (Akiyama went winless in 2010, losing both times he competed)… it most likely will be. At the very least, it should be an entertaining scrap between two gifted high-level performers.

I think this card is shaping up to be a real can’t-miss attraction. I’m already hooked due to the main event (more on that later), but it seems as if the UFC’s undercards just keep getting better and better. Of course, that’s thanks in no small part to their merger with the WEC. Nevertheless, there’s a difference between merging with a company and effectively merging with a company, and the UFC 128 fight card is a great example of a card that’s top-heavy with big UFC names while having plenty of exciting undercard bouts thanks to scrappy WEC performers hungry to make their mark in the Octagon.

And just in case you forgot, fans and friends, I’d like to once again loudly and proudly proclaim that this event will see the downfall of Mauricio Rua. Rashad Evans is simply too well-rounded for “Shogun”, and if Evans keeps his mind focused and his wits clear, he may even be able to finish Rua in the first round. Evans is a world-class wrestler with real KO power, and he trains with one of the best MMA camps on the face of the planet. You can doubt all you want, but Evans is taking home the gold for a second time at UFC 128.

And of course, if I’m wrong I’ll be more than happy to eat another serving of humble pie. But in a world where Evans is constantly disrespected and “Shogun” fans are shouting from the rooftops that their favorite son is “back”, I’ve got no problem just as loudly voicing my opinion that Evans is going to become a two-time UFC champion before UFC 128 is through. And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on these latest developments, and the UFC 128 fight card in general?

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.

Sonnen’s suspension comes on the heels of his most recent escapades, when the Team Quest product had recently plead guilty to money laundering charges stemming from 2010. The felony comes with a potential 20 year sentence along with a fine of up to $500,000, though it has been reported that with Sonnen’s guilty plea, he will be on a two-year probation and has succumbed $10,000 along with his Realtor’s license.

Marquardt will now look to move towards title contention yet again should he claim victory against Japanese star, Akiyama.

The Judoka expert was last inside the octagon when he dropped a decision to season three winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” in Michael Bisping. Yoshihiro went out on his shield, striking big throughout the bout, however was unable to connect on the proper knockout blow, though he staggered the Brit several times on the feet. The loss signaled his second consecutive defeat inside the cage, with his first coming at the hands of another TUF vet in Chris Leben last July. Akiyama was controlling “The Crippler” early, however Leben was able to work from his back and lock up a triangle choke to end the fight in the waning moments of the third-round, in a bout Akiyama was edging on the judges score cards.

Yoshihiro is now 1-2 under the UFC banner, with his lone win coming over former top contender Alan Belcher via close split-decision in July of 2009 at UFC 100.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the new match up? I think it’s safe to say that Marquardt should be the decided favorite, and what makes things more interesting is that both competitors are trained under the tutelage of Greg Jackson, though Akiyama just came into the New Mexico fold in his more recent performances. Yoshihiro’s claim to a win here would be if he could work Nate “The Great” to the mat, though his cardio would come to question once again–only time will tell. Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Demian Maia

After several big “fall from grace” moments that came in the form of a KO loss to Nate Marquardt and a humiliating Unanimous Decision loss to Anderson Silva, it appears that Demian Maia has finally begun to win back some of the luster he had when he first entered the UFC and was being hailed as the next Royce Gracie. Stann has only been submitted once, but he’s never faced an expert the caliber of Maia. This fight would prove that Stann is well-rounded enough to overcome any threat in all areas of the MMA game, because make no mistake, Maia is still an ace on the ground and his stand-up continues to show noticeable improvement.

4. Alan Belcher

This fight would test Stann’s adaptability and especially his takedown defense. It would be entertaining, of that there can be no doubt, because Belcher has no problem making it a brawl if you want to make it a brawl. The test for Stann, however, lies not in who brawls the best, but what he’ll do if and when Belcher feels that he’d stand a better chance of winning the fight by taking Stann down. If Stann can deal with Belcher’s strong takedowns and his brawling prowess, he’d set himself up for several major match-ups in the future.

3. Michael Bisping

We know Brian Stann can beat Chris Leben, but we also know that, for all intents and purposes, Michael Bisping is a better version of Chris Leben. Bisping has better Octagon control, more precise punches, and a very good ground game. Much like Leben, Bisping is also on a pretty good win-streak right now and once again he’s flirting with top-division status. If Stann puts another halt to another good win-streak, he’ll have earned a sizeable amount of credibility with the UFC top brass, who will most likely begin taking him seriously as a true top-division threat.

2. Nate Marquardt

I think we’ve all been forced to realize that Nate Marquardt shines against mid-level competition but consistently falters when matched up against high-level threats. More than any other fight, this one would prove which of those two classes of fighters Stann belongs to. If Stann isn’t ready for the absolute best, Marquardt should be able to beat him and perhaps even beat him dramatically. But if Stann is a true championship contender, he’ll prove that by beating Marquardt.

And my #1 pick for Brian Stann’s next opponent is…

1. Wanderlei Silva

I admit that this is the Wanderlei Silva fanboy in me talking. A lot of people have taken to calling out Wanderlei recently, now that he’s established some credibility in the Middleweight division by scoring a thrilling victory over Michael Bisping. I think Wanderlei vs. Stann would be an epic brawl that would only end with one man face-down on the canvas and out cold. Even though Silva is still in the process of finding himself in the crowded UFC Middleweight division, this fight has the most potential to be exhilarating, entertaining, and a firm step in the right direction for whomever ends up winning it.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think of Brian Stann, and who would you like to see him fight in the future?

In a recent interview with Fighters Only, Marquardt said the following: “…My next opponent needs to be an elite fighter who will stand and bang with me in the center of the Octagon until one of us is knocked out. The fight that makes the most sense to me is Wanderlei Silva.  I have a ton of respect for Wanderlei and have wanted this fight for years… Wanderlei is an amazing fighter who is very aggressive, I will pursue him with unwavering tenacity, then I will knock him out! I promise the UFC, Dana, my fans, my team, my coaches and most importantly myself that never again will there be a question about my cage aggression.”

If you’re keeping track, fans and friends, several notable UFC fighters have called out Wanderlei Silva in recent months. In addition to Marquardt, both Chris Leben and Alan Belcher have vocally called out Wanderlei Silva and more or less made the same promise as Marquardt: that they would come at Wanderlei aggressively and knock him out.

As a Wanderlei Silva fan, I’m just happy that people are beginning to take “The Axe Murderer” seriously again. It wasn’t too long ago that Silva was facing possible retirement, and the unfortunate fact remains that he’s lost five out of his last seven fights. Silva needed a big win in a big way, and he got just that when he made his Middleweight debut and narrowly edged out Michael Bisping at UFC 110 back in February. It’s tough to say what the future holds for Wanderlei Silva, this comeback of his has just barely gotten underway and he’s just started to figure himself out as a Middleweight.

But I can say one thing for certain: I think Wanderlei Silva could beat Nate Marquardt, and Alan Belcher, and Chris Leben, and anyone else for that matter. On any given day, Wanderlei Silva could beat practically anybody. His skills may not match up perfectly, his opponents may be younger and somewhat faster, his hand speed and his punching power and even his chin may not be what they used to be back in his legendary PRIDE FC days… but don’t tell that to Silva himself, because he won’t believe you. And even if he does, he’ll ignore it and continue fighting with every fiber of his being.

Because that’s what Wanderlei Silva does. I can’t recall a single occasion where I’ve been bored watching a Wanderlei Silva fight. It’s just not computing. Now that he’s got a fresh cast of characters looking to make a name for themselves by knocking him out, I think the future is quite bright for “The Axe Murderer”. If nothing else, he’s got three potential fights against three big-name Middleweights. And who knows? If he answers all three calls and beats all three, he may even challenge for a championship. Far, far stranger things have happened.

In the end, I can’t wait to see what’s next for Wanderlei Silva. Whether it’s Alan Belcher, Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt, or anybody else, I think Silva will approach his next fight with the same tremendous heart and same fierce aggressiveness that has been his hallmark since the days when PRIDE was the be-all and end-all while the UFC played second-fiddle. It’ll be an interesting 2011, that’s for sure.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who should Wanderlei Silva face next, and what do you think his chances are as a Middleweight?

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.

“We’ve signed a new contract for Toquinho today, he’ll fight four more times, it’s renewed and we are on the expectations to know about his next fight”, said former UFC middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante while speaking with TATAME.com, who doubles as Palhares’ trainer and manager.

Rousimar splashed onto the UFC scene garnering a 7-1 record outside the octagon, with a first-round submission victory over former top contender Ivan Salaverry. With the victory, Palhares picked up “Submission of the Night” honors for his efforts and set a tone for his style in the middleweight division.

Of his four wins inside the the cage, Palhares has submitted three of his opponents, two of which came via heel hook.

The 31-year-old present a formidable opponent for Nate Marquardt, who in his fight just before Rousimar was out grappled by Chael Sonnen. However, after Palhares paused mid-fight when he announced to the referee that Marquardt was supposedly “greased”, Nate seized the opportunity and TKO’d Rousimar for the win. The controversy was later averted when it was discovered that Nate was not in fact using any banned substances. Since the loss, the Brazilian Top Team product has since been itching to get back in the cage, preferably against Nate.

“He’s very motivated, he know that he let the victory escape, he made a mistake, but these things happen in life, but he’s crazy to fight Nate again”, said Bustamante.

“He wants this fight pretty bad and he’s training for it. Rousimar is conditioned and training every day as if he had a fight schedules. Our expectations are the best possible ones and I’m sure that Toquinho and these new guys from BTT will bring the Brazilians many reasons to be happy”.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Rousimar? Obviously, a bout with Marquardt is unlikely, but who would you like to see him tangle with? Sound off in the comment section below.

According to Sherdog, Palhares has recently signed a new four-fight contract with the world’s largest and most competitive Mixed Martial Arts organization. The article also revealed that a source close to Palhares says that Palhares is focused on securing a rematch with Nate Marquardt sooner rather than later.

Since debuting in the UFC in May 2008, Palhares has worked his way up to a 4-2 record in the UFC, only losing to the aforementioned Nate Marquardt as well as Dan Henderson. Clearly, Palhares only loses to some of the best the UFC has to offer. Of Rousimar’s four wins, three have come by way of submission, and two have come by way of his favorite submission, the heel hook. As a whole, Palhares has scored four heel hook submissions in his time as a professional Mixed Martial Artist.

I think the possibility does indeed exist that Rousimar Palhares could right the ship and have a great 2011 before all is said and done. Palhares has found himself in a couple of controversial spots recently, but he’s always taken them in stride. He apologized profusely both for holding the submission against Tomasz Drwal and for insinuating that Nate Marquardt’s leg was greased. I don’t think it’s fair to say that Rousimar Palhares is a dirty fighter. He just seems to lose his head a bit when he steps into the Octagon. But if you took that away from him you’d be taking away one of the things that makes him so explosive and entertaining to watch.

There are still a bevy of opponents left for Palhares in the UFC’s growing Middleweight division. I’d like to see him take on a fighter like Chris Leben, or Alan Belcher, or perhaps even Yoshihiro Akiyama. Palhares matches up very well with almost any type of fighter, whether that fighter is striking-based,  wrestling-based, or grappling-based. Palhares is good at just about everything and great on the ground, so make no mistake, he can still be a big threat at Middleweight.

2011 might just be a huge year for Rousimar Palhares. He’s been trying to set himself up as the next big championship challenger, but falling just short of that goal against marquee opponents. With a renewed sense of focus as well as his always-dangerous killer instinct, I think Palhares has it in him to win all four of the fights he’s just signed himself up for. But if worse comes to worse, Palhares may find himself firmly embedded as a championship gatekeeper before the new year is through. It’ll be interesting to find out which version of Rousimar Palhares will become the dominant version in 2011.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who would you like to see Rousimar Palhares fight, and how successful do you think he’ll be in 2011?

According to MMA Weekly, UFC 122 “pulled in an average viewership of 2.2 million, according to Spike TV officials. UFC 120, which aired from England via tape delay in October, drew 1.9 million average viewers.” UFC 120 saw Michael Bisping taking on and ultimately defeating Yoshihiro Akiyama in the headlining attraction. UFC 122 would see veterans Nate Marquardt and Yushin Okami battle to determine the next man to challenge for the UFC Middleweight Championship after current champion Anderson Silva fights current top contender Vitor Belfort.

I think this show succeeded in the ratings for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I think that Nate Marquardt was a bigger draw going into this event than Michael Bisping was heading into his event. The last time Nate Marquardt was on free TV, he was viciously KO’ing Rousimar Palhares at UFC Fight Night 22 in September of this year. The last time we saw Michael Bisping on free TV prior to UFC 120 was when he was on the tape-delayed rebroadcast of UFC 105 back in November of 2009. Apparently absence absolutely does not make the heart grow fonder when it comes to MMA fans.

There’s another reason that this show probably did as well as it did, especially compared to UFC 120, although I hate to blame 120’s downfall (which I honestly felt was the superior card) on this reason alone. Putting it plainly, the absence of spoilers probably helped UFC 122 in the ratings department. The one and only ESPN found itself quickly drawing the ire of countless MMA fans when the network spoiled the results to UFC 120 before the tape-delayed rebroadcast. Nothing of the sort happened leading up to the rebroadcast of UFC 122.

But, at the end of the day, I suppose I shouldn’t be complaining. Big ratings are a good thing for all involved, especially now that the UFC will be merging with the WEC and hopefully that means we’ll be getting better fights on a per-event basis. I hate to sound so negative, but I really was surprised that this show did so well.

Am I wrong here? Is there something I’m missing? I can appreciate that the preliminary fights were pretty fun, but a lot of the main card encounters just felt flat to me. Nevertheless, I look forward to the next free MMA card put on TV. Because, at the end of the day, it’s free MMA. So long as you know what you’re getting yourself into, most of the time you can enjoy yourself.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you think this show deserved to rate higher than UFC 120? What did you think of UFC 122, as a whole?

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.

“He is a choker, he choked tonight”, said White following UFC 122. Marquardt never seemed to pull the trigger on Saturday’s middleweight main event, and in the end Okami walked away the victor by unanimous decision.

Nate, since riding a four-fight win streak heading into the UFC, has gone 5-4 with pivotal losses to Anderson Silva, Thales Leites, Chael Sonnen and the aforementioned Okami.

Dana blames the Greg Jackson camp for Marquardt’s troubles.

“Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I’m seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp, this camp continuously, when these guys fight, their corner is either telling them they’re ahead or they’re winning”, said White.

“I mean, Nate Marquardt sat here tonight and said that he thought he won the fight. Where the [expletive] is his corner? You go into the last round and you’re getting outstruck by a wrestler, and you think you won the fight? And this is consistent with the Greg Jackson camp.”

I’ll admit, when push comes to shove, Nate doesn’t seem to have an answer for well established wrestler’s in the game. Against Silva, he was outclassed by superior technique, both on the feet and grappling, but you can chalk that up to championship jitters. Plus, the bout took place over three years ago.

Against Leites, the 31-year-old was deducted of two-points due to illegal strikes, and lost by split-decision.

In Okami and Sonnen, whom are now regular training partners, Marquardt succumbed to their superior wrestling skills and was unable to negate their momentum.

So, MMA peeps, do you agree with White’s sentiments? Is the Jackson camp feeding the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt false information? Did you have Nate ahead on the score cards or was Okami the clear cut winner? Whatever the case, it’s clear that the dude needs to work on his wrestling. Sound off in the comment section below.

Thanks to MiddleEasy.com for the transcribe and find.

Here’s what Marquardt said at the UFC 122 post-fight press conference, courtesy of MMA Mania: “I felt great coming into this fight. Mentally, I felt ready… When he was catching me, it wasn’t really affecting me, but the judges perceive it as him controlling the fight. I felt I did enough to win, but I wasn’t a spectator… Either way, I’m still one of the best, and I’m going to get back in there and be the champ one day.”

Dana White, however, disagrees. Here’s what he said at the same post-fight press conference (courtesy of Bloody Elbow):  “He is a choker, he choked tonight.  Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I’m seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp…  I mean, Nate Marquardt sat here tonight and said that he thought he won the fight. Where the [expletive] is his corner? You go into the last round and you’re getting outstruck by a wrestler, and you think you won the fight?”

I have to agree with Dana White on this one, although I disagree with the comments he made about Greg Jackson’s camp (more on that later). I didn’t find the judges giving the nod to Okami controversial at all, I think Okami did more than enough to win all three rounds of that fight. It’s tough to say what’s truly holding back Nate Marquardt, perhaps it’s the pressure, perhaps he simply can’t deal with high-level wrestlers. But whatever it is, Marquardt is setting a dubious precedent when he runs through mid-level competition while continuously faltering to high-level threats. If this chain isn’t broken and broken soon, Marquardt may quickly find himself fully embedded in the position of middleweight gatekeeper.

I don’t think you can blame his camp, though. The success of Team Greg Jackson is well-documented. They’ve got several championships under their belts and have propelled many fighters to great heights. The problems Marquardt ran into at UFC 122 do not mean that the Greg Jackson camp as a whole is flawed and needs reworking. Marquardt and his camp definitely need to go back to the drawing board in this one particular case, but the entire system is very sound.

If Marquardt really does want to stand and bang for the majority of his fights, he should focus on training to become the next Chuck Liddell, to use his “wrestling in reverse” to keep the fights standing. Team Greg Jackson has some incredibly dominant wrestlers filling its roster, Nate needs to be defending their takedowns on a daily basis if he wants to keep his fights standing and look for the big power KO. So while the future definitely looks bleak,  I firmly believe that all hope is not yet lost for Nate “The Great”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you take from Nate Marquardt’s comments, as well as the comments made by Dana White?

Dennis Siver was awarded “Submission of the Night” for his quick Rear Naked Choke victory over Andre Winner. The bout started and nearly ended on the feet, with Siver nailing a good counter-punch that floored Winner. After following it up with some quick ground-and-pound, Siver brilliantly transitioned to back mount and sunk in the choke. Siver takes home an additional $60,000 for his performance.

Preliminary fighter Karlos Vemola took home the “Knockout of the Night” bonus for his big first-round TKO’ing of “The Kimbo Killer” Seth Petruzelli. It seems as if my recent article on Petruzelli was right: the man will forever be known solely as the guy that punched out Kimbo Slice. Petruzelli remains winless in the UFC. Vemola also took home a cool $60,000 for his great performance.

UFC 122 was a night for the preliminary fighters, as the “Fight of the Night” award was handed out to Pascal Krauss and Mark Scanlon, two international talents that wowed the German crowd and UFC officials with their three-round fight. The German Krauss would go on to win the bout by Unanimous Decision, and both he and his opponent pocket an extra $60,000 for their spirited performances.

To be perfectly honest, this event strikes me as the kind of card people talk about when they say how the UFC/WEC merger will result in better UFC cards. Something simply felt “off” about this entire show. The preliminary fights were good, I’m not arguing that point. And it’s nice that some of them were included towards the end of both the live broadcast and the tape-delayed Spike TV rebroadcast. But the main card just felt flat to me.

Perhaps it has something to do with all the fights going to a decision. Now, normally I don’t subscribe to the train of thought that says that a fight absolutely has to end with a dramatic finish or else it’s boring. I think that a great three-round war can be just as entertaining as a first-minute KO or submission. But the main card didn’t really feature any “wars”. There were some close fights, but never anything to really write home about.

Above all else, this card reinforced the notion that the UFC saves their best for either the United States or Canada. I appreciate the effort it takes to put on an international event, especially with all the negative press the UFC has to deal with in Germany, but that effort honestly feels a bit wasted if all we’re given is a glorified “Fight Night Live” card. Again, I hesitate to call UFC 122 a bad event. There was never a time when I considered flipping the channel in earnest. But it was certainly a bit underwhelming.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”, and what do you think of the event’s bonus winners?

Next for Krzysztof Soszynski: I predict that a third and final encounter with Stephan Bonnar will happen sooner rather than later. Both men have an incredible amount of history with each other, and both of their fights have been very, very entertaining. Even thought it looks like a longshot that either man will challenge for a title anytime soon, I think a good third fight with a dominant finish would help inch either man towards both Light Heavyweight relevancy and that long-sought-after title shot.

Next for Amir Sadollah: Even though he got the big win he needed at UFC 122, I think Sadollah will be grinding it out against mid-level talent for the foreseeable future. Sadollah’s lone submission victory now stands against three decision wins, a decision loss, and a TKO loss. He’ll remain employed for quite some time so long as he keeps winning, but I don’t see him gaining any real momentum in his division until he starts finishing fights again.

Next for Dennis Siver: With another dominant performance now under his belt, I think Siver has taken an important step in his career. If he keeps winning, look for him to be given consistently higher threats on a per-fight basis. I think the UFC saw Siver’s potential at this event, so he’s going to have some really tough challenges in the near future. If he can get past them, we may see Siver transform into a legitimate title challenger before 2011 is through.

Next for Andre Winner: He’ll most likely get one last shot inside the Octagon, and if he loses he’ll be released. Look for Winner’s next fight to take place on another international card, most likely in Winner’s home base of England. So long as Winner wins his next fight, his exciting style coupled with his former past as a member of “The Ultimate Fighter and a winning record is realistically all he needs to be employed in the UFC for quite some time.

Next for Yushin Okami: The toughest test of his career, no matter who’s holding the belt. Whether it’s Anderson Silva or Vitor Belfort, Okami is set to face an incredibly deadly striker that can end the fight on a moment’s notice. Right now it looks very unlikely that Okami will wear the gold by 2011’s end. Okami earned his date with destiny, but I think it’ll be a date he’ll soon wish he could forget.

Next for Nate Marquardt: As tough as this is to say, since I consider myself a moderate Nate Marquardt fan, the future doesn’t look too good for him right now. I think this fight has finally edged Marquardt out of the “elite” rankings. I don’t see how you can argue the opposite when Marquardt continues to lose these kinds of big fights. He’ll look like an absolute wrecking machine one fight and then you’ll wonder where that guy went in his next fight. Marquardt’s going to be in the UFC for a long time, but this hit-and-miss record of his will probably be staying with him.

And that’s my take, fans and friends. What about you? What do you see the future holding for the winners and losers of UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”?

Carlos Eduardo Rocha defeated Kris McCray via submission (kneebar) at 2:21 of round 1. Karlos Vemola defeated Seth Petruzelli via TKO (punches) at 3:46 of round 1. Kyle Noke defeated Rob Kimmons via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:33 of round 2. Pascal Krauss defeated Mark Scanlon via unanimous decision. Vladimir Matyushenko defeated Alexandre Ferreira via TKO (elbows) at 2:20 of round 1. Duane Ludwig defeated Nick Osipczak via split decision. Krzysztof Soszynski defeated Goran Reljic via unanimous decision. Amir Sadollah defeated Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision. Dennis Siver defeated Andre Winner via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:37 of round 1. Yushin Okami defeated Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision.

Overall, I found myself disappointed in this show. I admit, part of it has to do with the bitterness I’m feeling right now at Nate Marquardt’s continued inability to shine in big fights while looking like a monster against lesser opponents. It’s hard to be a Nate “The Great” fan right now. I don’t know where Marquardt goes from here, but unfortunately, my gut tells me that we’re going to see him play the role of divisional gatekeeper for a long, long time.

And to be perfectly honest, another reason why I didn’t like this show was the absolutely horrendous decision in the Ludwig/Osipczak fight. Nick clearly won both Round 1 and Round 2, although his performance in Round 3 was downright pitiful. I don’t know what happened to Nick in Round 3, whether he developed some injury or if he was simply gassed out to the extreme, but I don’t think that one round should have caused the entire fight to be held against him. Even if Osipczak performed atrociously in Round 3, he performed admirably for the first two rounds and deserved the victory for surviving until the end of the third. It was yet another ridiculous decision in a long line of ridiculous decisions.

Amir Sadollah performed very well in his fight, and I admit that I may not have given the man enough credit. He completely outworked Peter Sobotta and earned every bit of his Unanimous Decision win. I’m not quite sure where “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 winner goes from here, but at least he displayed the kind of skill required to make me think that one day he may not just be “the guy who won TUF”.

The easy highlight of the night for me was Denis Siver’s destruction of Andre Winner. It was fast, it was furious, and it ended with a massive, massive crowd reaction. There’s really nothing more to say; I look forward to seeing how Siver capitalizes on this kind of momentum.

But overall, I was a bit disappointed with UFC 122. I know the usual response will be something like “what did you expect from an international card?”, but even for an international card this event felt a bit underwhelming. But, hey, at least UFC 123 is only a week away, and with fights like Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson and BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes, I’ll give the UFC one weak card so long as their next event impresses, which I wholeheartedly believe it will.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of UFC 122: “Marquardt vs. Okami”?

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic: Experience favors Soszynski in this fight, as he’s the one with the better win/loss ratio and has double the fights in the UFC when compared to Reljic. Both men have shown the ability to go all three rounds in the past, despite losing those fights, so we may be in for a long one here. I’m thinking both men give us two rounds of good action and then a slower third round to start off the night pretty well. Look for Soszynski to take a Split Decision.

Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta:  Both men need a win very, very badly, so look for both Sadollah and Sobotta to constantly be going for a finish. Another loss for Sobotta means the unemployment line, there’s really no other way to put it. Sadollah needs a win in order to keep his name value alive and not just be remembered as another TUF champion. Something tells me that having the hometown crowd behind him (Sobotta is German) will give Sobotta that extra inch he needs to get the job done. I’m predicting Peter Sobotta wins by TKO in Round 3.

Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner: This one is going to get very ugly very quickly. Siver is no Nik Lentz, if Winner wants to stand and bang Siver will almost certainly be more than happy to oblige. Not unlike Peter Sobotta, I think the fact that Siver holds the hometown (more like “homecountry”) advantage will help propel him to great heights. It’s a pretty even match-up, but the extra desire to perform at your best since friends and family are here with you will push Siver over the edge and we’ll see him TKO Andre Winner in Round 2.

Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara: Both men have an incredible amount of experience heading into this fight: Sakara’s first UFC fight was five years ago, Rivera’s first time inside the famed Octagon was seven years ago. Along that remarkable span of time we’ve seen that both men can get submitted and can get (T)KO’d, while also possessing the ability to (T)KO their opponents. Both men have three straight wins, both men were finished in their last loss. Both men even have two (T)KO victories and one Split Decision win in their current winning streak. You couldn’t make these two more similar if you tried. It’s a toss-up through and through, although I’ll go out on a limb and say that Rivera wins by KO in Round 2.

Nate Marquardt vs. Yushin Okami: There’s really no other way to put it: I believe it’s Nate Marquardt’s time now. He’s worked hard to get back into title contention, he’s been faced with some tough losses, and he’s gotten some huge wins under his belt. I think the Nate Marquardt of today would utterly destroy the Nate Marquardt that lost to Anderson Silva in 2007. Marquardt is smarter, hits harder, and is more tactical. It’s going to be a blowout, mark my words. Nate Marquardt wins by KO in Round 1.

And that’s where I stand, fans and friends. It’s your turn now: what do you think we’ll see at UFC 122?

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.

MMAJunkie.com was on site for the weigh-ins, which took place at the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

MAIN CARD

* Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Yushin Okami (185)
* Jorge Rivera (185) vs. Alessio Sakara (186)
* Dennis Siver (155) vs. Andre Winner (155)
* Amir Sadollah (170) vs. Peter Sobotta (169)
* Krzysztof Soszynski (206) vs. Goran Reljic (205)

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira (204) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (205)
* Pascal Krauss (170) vs. Mark Scanlon (170)
* Duane “Bang” Ludwig (170) vs. Nick Osipczak (171)
* Rob Kimmons (184) vs. Kyle Noke (185)
* Seth Petruzelli (205) vs. Karlos Vemola (205)
* Kris McCray (171) vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (170)

Kris McCray, who competed as a middleweight and battled his way to the finals of the eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter” makes his official welterweight debut and his first return to the octagon since a loss to eventual show winner Court McGee, last December.

Karlos Vemola also has shed some pounds since his initial UFC debut when he lost a unanimous decision to powerhouse wrestler Jon Madsen at UFC 116, who is a main training partner of former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. He has since become a svelte and lean 205-pounder, which suits his 6’0 frame.

Goran Reljic originally began his career as a 220-pound heavyweight, eventually whittling down to the light heavyweight division. In the 205-pound class, he made a successful UFC debut against former contender Wilson Gouveia, defeating the veteran with a second-round TKO at UFC 84. After a two-year absence due to a debilitating back injury, Reljic returned to the promotion looking to keep his undefeated record intact as a middleweight. However, after back-to-back decision losses to C.B. Dollaway and Kendall Grove, Goran will now return to the light heavyweight class to face “The Polish Experiment” later today.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Any surprises? Sound off in the comment section below.

“When I watched the Chael fight, I realized I lost some focus of my desire to be champion.  Now I have that back fully 100% and just very excited for the fight and feel very prepared and very ready.”

Okami, like Marquardt, has recently lost to Chael Sonnen.  Yet, Marquardt says he is not looking to replicate how Sonnen defeated Okami.  In fact, he said watching the Sonnen/Okami tape has not been of much use at all.

“The bottom line – Chael is a different style fighter than I am.  I am going to be looking for openings to finish the fight.  It is not going to help me that much.  That fight, he fought completely differently than I am going to fight him. It doesn’t help me that much to watch that fight. There were other fights more valuable for me to watch.”

If he gets past Japan’s most successful UFC fighter, Marquardt is quite confident about facing Anderson Silva, should he defend the title against Vitor Belfort.  He feels Silva has always had holes in his game yet only since his narrow title defense victory over Chael Sonnen has the mainstream MMA media taken notice of the “The Spider’s” flaws.

“It’s been known to me that Anderson has holes in his game and if anything it has been eye opening for the media because they put him on this pedestal as if he was unbeatable.  Chael was able to expose, obviously that he is susceptible to take downs, and ground and pound and even if someone lands on a punch he gets wobbled.”

But first things first, and Marquardt has a giant obstacle in Okami blocking his second-chance title shot.  Will this go to the ground or stay standing … Marquardt didn’t divulge particulars, but sounded quite confident in his general game-plan.

“I fight best when I look for the opening and wait for the opening to come and then I capitalize and go for the finish 100%.   That how I fight best, how I do the most damage and this fight is not going to be any different.

—

How does Marquardt beat Okami?  We want to hear your prediction?  Which fight at UFC 122 has got you fired up.

5. Rampage Jackson v. Lyoto Machida (UFC 123)

This fight is all about the questions at hand.  Is Rampage mentally still excited about MMA. In several interviews he has not seemed to be his old wacky, trash talking self.  My view is that he is just clocking in to get his paycheck. Does he still burn to fight?  Will Lyoto be the old dominating Lyoto before Shogun knocked him out?

My concern is that both these guys like to counter.  Each needs the other to engage first.  This scenario can lead to a tentative, less exciting fight, as neither wants to commit first.

4. Matt Brown v. Brian Foster (UFC 123 Spike TV)

Matt Brown came into the UFC via the Ultimate Fighter show as a tough guy who came forward always looking to brawl and bully.  This led to winning 4 out of his first 5 fights.  His last two fights have ended badly, getting finished by Ricardo Almeida and Chris Lytle on the ground.  Can he return to his tough-guy standup strengths?  He will have to, to win and keep his job in the UFC.

3. Joseph Benavidez v. Wagnney Fabianno  (WEC 52)

One of the great things about the WEC joining under the UFC banner is the world will be exposed to some great fighters which have never received big media.  Wagnney Fabianno is one of these names.  A world class third degree Jiu Jitsu black belt with heavy hands.  Google the Fabianno / Lierley video from the IFL to see his knockout power.  At 35, Fabianno has been in the game a long time but should now have the stage to really shine.  However, he will have his hands full against Benavidez, who recently lost his title shot vs. Jose Aldo.

2. Nate Marquardt v. Yushin Okami (UFC 122)

Nate the Great is coming off an ackward win over Rosuimar Palhares and should lock up a title bout if he beats Okami.  With Chael Sonnen out of the picture, this is the time and chance for Marquardt.  Okami is coming off a solid win over Mark Munoz and also is back in title contention talk.  Both are warriors and this could be a classic, if one or both decide to come forward and not onlu wait to counter.

1.  Joe Lauzon v. George Sotiropoulos (UFC 123)

Lauzon and Sotiropoulos will not be the fight to headline UFC 123 commercials or brand the Times Square billboard, but these two are each peaking and the winner is primed for a title shot in the near future.  Sotiropoulos is simply beating people up across the board. 6-0 in the UFC, he is looking unstoppable on the ground.  Lauzon was a beast in easily dispatching Gabe Reudiger at UFC 118.  Since both have stellar ground games, this one may stay standing longer than most think.  This fight may showcase the highest level of skill on the entire UFC 123 card.

–

Which fights are you most looking forward to this month?

“Definitely I want to be exciting, but the main thing is I want to win this fight. Obviously if I get the chance I’m going to knock him out or submit him, but the number one thing for me is to win this fight, and for me, I have to follow the game plan… If I can follow my game plan and find my shots and find the openings to attack him, that’s where I’m going to be able to win the fight… I feel very comfortable. We’ve worked on some specific things that I think are going to be money in this fight. I feel very confident.”

Hopefully Marquardt is able to do both, and entertain as well as win on November 13. I’ve always been a semi-fan of Nate Marquardt, and I think that he’s really come into his own in his last few fights. He lost a very tough decision to Chael Sonnen, but other than that he’s had a fantastic run. His recent and dominating win over Rousimar Palhares was simply further proof that he’s ready for championship-caliber opponents once again. He’ll be 6-2 since losing to “The Spider” back in 2007 if he can beat Okami, so I think he’s definitely ready for another title shot.

And I’ll be honest, I like Nate Marquardt’s chances if he ever does get his rematch with Anderson Silva. I think the toll of being champion has begun to wear Silva down, and this is coming from an Anderson Silva super-fan. Anderson Silva just hasn’t looked the same in quite some time, even though he does have flashes of brilliance that remind us all why he holds the record for the most consecutive UFC wins and most consecutive UFC championship defenses. Still, with the way Marquardt’s been improving, I like his chances against Anderson Silva.

But don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean that I’m looking past Yushin Okami. Okami is a huge test for Marquardt, and I think Okami has been and will continue to be a huge test for anybody in the UFC’s middleweight division. He’s got an incredible amount of heart and skill, and it’s not a stretch of the imagination by any means to picture him beating Marquardt and challenging for the championship. It should be an excellent fight no matter who wins or loses. So I’m not and I won’t be counting out Yushin Okami. I’ll simply be pulling for Nate Marquardt.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you see winning this match-up and why? Also, who do you think poses the bigger threat to Anderson Silva?

5. Demian Maia

If Bisping wants to prove once and for all that he’s truly ready for top-level competition, he needs to face a top-level grappler. Maia has fallen from grace pretty hard, but he’s still a submission expert and Bisping would be in a lot of danger if it ever got to the ground. This fight would be a perfect showcase of Bisping’s well-roundedness if he wins it, so it’s definitely good enough to make this list.

4. Nate Marquardt

This is assuming that Nate Marquardt loses to Yushin Okami at UFC 122. I think a win over Marquardt would be huge for “The Count” and immediately put him into title contention. Marquardt has been looking fantastic in his fights lately; this would be a tough all-out war that would earn Bisping a lot of credibility if he won it.

3. Chris Leben

This is the perfect rematch: both men are at very different points in their careers than when they first met, and both men have displayed some interesting improvements since that first encounter. They’ve always been good strikers, yet we’ve recently seen how well-rounded both men are. This would still be a war, but it would be a lot more technical than I think a lot of people would give both fighters credit for leading up to this second fight.

2. Vitor Belfort

This is assuming that Belfort loses to Anderson Silva at UFC 126. I personally think a win over Belfort as he is now (a resurgent “Phenom”) would be as big for Bisping as a win over Dan Henderson would have been if Bisping beat Henderson at UFC 100. Bisping would enter top-division status with a roar and not a whisper if he managed to take down Vitor Belfort. This would likely be the toughest test for him out of anyone on this list, but it comes in at number two simply because I think my top pick is one that everybody wants to see.

And of course my number one pick goes to…

1. Wanderlei Silva

As a huge fan of Wanderlei Silva, I say this with absolutely no malice: Silva only won the first fight with Bisping because he stole some rounds with his round-ending flurries, and I think Bisping can beat and even KO “The Axe Murderer”. If Bisping fights in a style designed to drain Wanderlei’s energy, and if he avoids any and all flurries towards the end of the round, Bisping will be able to tee off on Silva at will by the third round, and Silva’s chin simply isn’t what it once was. This would be a huge rematch for both men, and I think nothing would erase the errors of the past for Michael Bisping quite like a big win over Wanderlei Silva.

But what about you, fans and friends? Who would you like to see Michael Bisping get in the Octagon against, and what did you think of my picks?

In what will go down as one of the better fights in 2010, Sonnen put up an almost savage-like beat down on the reigning defending middleweight champion, however the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt battled back from adversity after being taken down and pummeled for four-and-a-half rounds, and submitted his rival with a triangle choke.

Why the stoppage was marred in controversy for a short period of time, Sonnen’s post-fight drug test will blemish his career for the rest of his life. Following the loss, a spirited one at that, the former Olympic wrestling hopeful, was found to have under the influence of performance enhancing substances due to highly elevated testosterone levels, according to the California State Athletic Commission.

Sonnen has since refuted the claims and will be appealing the suspension handed out by the Commission, which if sustained will render him unable to fight until September 2 of next year.

Silva, though, a true sportsman, believes that it’s innocent until proven guilty, and doesn’t necessarily buy into all of the allegations.

“I’d give him the benefit of the doubt. I let the people decide”, said the UFC middleweight champion in a recent interview with Marcelo Alonso on behalf of Sherdog.com.

“I’m an athlete; he’s an athlete. We worked hard for the sport, so giving him the benefit of the doubt would be better than for me to speak any nonsense”, which is an stark contrast to Sonnen’s pre-fight hype leading to the pair’s August 7th affair, where Chael berated the champion with insults dating back to March of this year, even prior to his bout with former opponent Nate Marquardt–UFC 109.

With that said, though, Silva admires that Sonnen put up such a performance against him, but if he couldn’t get it done within 20 or so minutes he was given, than he doesn’t deserve a rematch, which prior to his failed drug screening, Sonnen had gained an immediate rematch slated for sometime next year. Silva is reportedly now facing former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, tentatively scheduled for UFC 127 on February 5 of next year in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“In my opinion, he never deserved a rematch”, said Silva. “He stayed in the same position all fight. I don’t think he deserves a rematch. If he couldn’t win in 30 minutes with me injured, could he win in a rematch”, stated Anderson, who competed against the Team Quest product with fractured ribs leading into their bout. “Maybe, maybe not. But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt”.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Silva’s position against Sonnen? Should Chael become resolved of all allegations stemming from his post-fight drug test, should he be entitled to a rematch? Sound off in the comments section below.

The Okami-Belfort bout was to serve as ufc 122′s headliner, the organizations second foray into Germany which is taking place on November 13 via-tape delay on Spike TV, however since Belfort had been pulled the bout, most speculated that the Brazilian was injured when former title challenger Nate Marquardt stepped up to the plate to face the Japanese star.

MMAjunkie.com found out the promotions plans with sources close to the event, UFC 125 where Anderson Silva is expected to return to defend his title for a record 8th time against fellow Brazilian and former friend Vitor Belfort.

The two have traded barbs left and right since they were originally to meet at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi last April, however Vitor had pulled out of the bout due to injury and Demian Maia stepped in his place–he lost via unanimous decision.

Silva was last seen in action where he defended his belt against Chael Sonnen, who had a commanding performance against the champion before he was submitted in the fifth round by triangle choke and by all sources was leading in the score cards. However, Sonnen has come under heavy fire as it has been speculated that he was under the influence of performance enhancing drugs since a failed drug test has come back from the California State Athletic Commission following their bout at UFC 117 in August.

Belfort’s return to the octagon came in September of last year, when the former professional boxer knocked out former middleweight champion Rich Franklin inside of the first round at UFC 103, in a catch-weight bout of 195 pounds. Belfort has yet to compete in the UFC’s middleweight division, however has seen 185-pound action outside of the UFC. He holds two knockout victories at 185 against standouts Terry Martin and Matt Lindland under the now defunct Affliction banner.

Vitor has willingly stepped up to the plate to attempt to claim the title from his former training partner Silva, after Sonnen had failed his drug test and as such has erased any implications of him returning to the octagon early enough to challenge Silva in February (UFC 125) for the Super Bowl weekend card. His suspension is expected to carryout well through 2011, until September 2 of next year.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this news? Should Belfort bypass a number one contenders bout and get the immediate shot? Is there anyone you’d rather see in there? Let your opinions be known in the comments section below.

According to the report, Belfort was stricken down with an as-yet-unknown injury, with details still developing. The one-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is on a five-fight win-streak, his last loss occurring back when PRIDE FC was still around. Despite not having a fight at Middleweight in the UFC, his 195-pound catchweight bout with former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin, where “The Phenom” turned out Franklin’s lights in record time, propelled him to the top of the contender’s list. Belfort hasn’t fought once since that September 2009 fight.

It was confirmed that the winner of Belfort/Okami would be given the next shot at Anderson Silva’s Middleweight crown, and the odds are likely that this stipulation will still be attached to the Okami/Marquardt match-up. Despite a few bumps in the road, Nate Marquardt has been slowly, steadily, and sometimes dramatically working his way towards another title shot after getting TKO’d by Anderson Silva back in 2007. Yushin Okami remains the last man to have ever beaten Anderson Silva, even if the loss came when Silva threw an illegal kick and was disqualified.

I’m honestly a bit disappointed that Belfort/Okami has gone the way of the dodo. I was really looking forward to the return of “The Phenom”, who I’ve both admired and followed for quite some time. I think Belfort/Silva is destined to happen, no matter how many roadblocks are put in front of it. And if it’s not meant to be, I just hope that Belfort remains healthy enough to at least fight again in the UFC. He’s in the middle of a dramatic rebirth, and it keeps getting halted. It’s a shame to see, and I’d hate to see Belfort’s career resurrection be cut short if all these injuries result in him coming back to the Octagon with a sizeable amount of ring rust.

But there’s nothing any of us can really do, Marquardt/Okami is what we’re going to get. And you know what? That isn’t a bad match at all. In fact, I think it’s a credible main event for a foreign card. Marquardt has really impressed me lately, and if it weren’t for the stumbling block that was the loss to Chael Sonnen, I’d say that Marquardt is ready for an immediate title shot. Yushin Okami has always been an incredibly tough fighter, and while he may not be the most exciting athlete of all time, he gets the job done and I think it’s high time that he finally gets a chance to fight for the title.

And if you want to know what I think? It’ll be a rough night for Yushin Okami fans, since he’ll take another step backwards and once again be in a “so close and yet so far away” scenario. I’m thinking Nate “The Great” will win this by TKO or KO, based on his superior striking and footwork. If Okami does win, it’ll have to be by grinding out a decision. And that’s a very tall task for someone who can be as sneakily explosive as Nate “The Great” Marquardt.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you see winning the changed UFC 122 main event?

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 episode 1 scored a 1.3 household rating with an average of 1.6 million viewers, and was the top-ranked show on cable with males ages 18 to 49. This number is down from Season 11’s opener, which landed a 1.8 household rating and an average of 1.9 million viewers. Fight Night 22 was able to draw an average of 1.2 million viewers and peaked with 1.6 million for the main event.

I can understand how people will point at TUF 12’s opening number and predict a rough season ahead when it scored so poorly in comparison to Season 11 and especially the juggernaut that was Season 10, but I think a little understanding is called for. Season 10 and 11 featured can’t-miss television from the get-go. Season 10 had Kimbo Slice, an incredibly controversial fighter that many thought would never step foot in the UFC in a million years. Season 11 saw the next chapter in the Tito Ortiz/Chuck Liddell rivalry, a rivalry that will undoubtedly go down one day as one of the most bitter feuds in MMA history.

And Season 12? Season 12 has an all-Lightweight cast at a time when the lighter weights are still unfairly fighting off the stigma that less muscles equals less fighting ability. And the pairing of Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre certainly doesn’t help: GSP is many things, including one of the best MMA fighters of all time, but he’s never been all that charismatic.

Ultimately, this is one of those seasons that has to grow on you. I didn’t expect this season to immediately come firing out of the gate, and I think that the ratings can be very deceiving when it comes to predicting how successful a show will be. Season 10 gave us some of the biggest ratings ever while also giving us the absolute worst fights in TUF history. If this season gains steam, which I think it can, the ratings should improve quite a bit. So I think it’s far too early to say that this season won’t be successful. It deserves a fighting chance, and I’m more than willing to give it one.

And one last thing: Spike TV and the UFC must be positively giddy that TUF 12 was the most-watched show between males ages 18 to 49. That’s their exact market! The UFC may not be a ratings powerhouse, Spike TV may not be the biggest cable channel, but both play to their strengths and both benefit because of it. It may be one giant sausage-fest every time a UFC event airs on Spike TV, but to the sides of those sausages are pockets, and those pockets have money, and that money is going into Spike and the UFC.

When you consider it that way, TUF 12 was actually a rather positive success, as was Fight Night 22. Both events saw some good fights, some entertaining action, and all the MMA goodness we’ve come to love and expect from the world’s biggest, most elite promotion. I personally can’t wait to see what’s in store for this season’s TUF, and while not the most exciting card of the year, I never once flipped the channel from Fight Night 22. It may not have been a gigantic ratings smackdown, but the UFC scored another victory Wednesday night.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the ratings tell us about the first episode of TUF Season 12 and Fight Night 22?

Here’s what Marquardt had to say at the Fight Night 22 post-fight press conference (via MMA Mania): “It’s kind of disappointing to have to try and defend yourself over something like that. I’m not a dirty fighter, and I don’t cheat. I don’t grease … Basically, I believe what happened was I had a good sweat going before the fight. He felt as I turned out of the ankle lock that it slipped a little bit, and he felt that I had greased or something, so I’m sure he was a little upset.”

Famed MMA trainer Greg Jackson, the man behind the likes of Georges St. Pierre and Rashad Evans, recently gave his thoughts on the situation to Sherdog.com. Jackson is also Marquardt’s trainer, and he had this to say: “I’ve never seen Nate follow a gameplan so well. We’ve been training that counter [to] that ankle lock for two months. So just to be sure, because I do not cheat, I had the ring doctor check, I had the cornermen check, I told every single commissioner in there, I said ‘check’. I wanted everybody to check. Everything came out clear. Everything is 100% BS as far as that’s concerned. We’re not going to grease to win. Get over it. Nate Marquardt is a great fighter.”

I hope those two quotes settle it once and for all: there is no “GreaseGate II”. We’re getting into some serious conspiracy theory nonsense if we start to believe that there’s some grand plot afoot where Marquardt greases to steal a win and the commissioners, the ring doctors, and everyone else who had the power to catch him were co-conspirators in on the plan. I think Palhares has nobody to blame but himself. Thinking your opponent cheated does not magically grant you the ability to call a time-out. Palhares forgot to defend himself, Marquardt made him pay for it, and the rest is history. The case is closed. Marquardt inches one step closer to a title shot while Palhares continues to struggle against top-division athletes.

Now, let it be known that I don’t have a problem with Rousimar Palhares as a fighter. I don’t even have a problem with him insinuating that Marquardt greased. My problem with Palhares is how he handled the situation: instead of finishing the round and voicing his concerns during the in-between rest period, which would have allowed a thorough examination to be conducted before the fight went into round 2, Palhares was so angry that Marquardt slipped out of his patented heel hook that he wanted the fight to come to an immediate halt. It doesn’t work that way. Palhares has no one to blame but himself. He’s not the victim in this situation. If anything, Marquardt is the victim, because some fans will never let a thing like this die even when all evidence clearly points to there being no wrong-doing. It’s just the nature of a conspiracy theorist nutjob.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Do you see this having any sort of negative impact on Nate Marquardt’s title aspirations? And where do you think both men go from here?

Here’s how it all broke down for UFC Fight Night 22: “Marquardt vs. Palhares”: Nate Marquardt defeats Rousimar Palhares by TKO due to strikes at 3:28 of Round 1. Charles Oliveira defeats Efrain Escudero via Submission due to a Rear Naked Choke at 2:25 of Round 3. Jim Miller defeats Gleison Tibau via Unanimous Decision. Cole Miller defeats Ross Pearson via Submission due to a Rear Naked Choke at 1:42 of Round 2. Yves Edwards defeats John Gunderson via Unanimous Decision. Kyle Kingsbury defeats Jared Hamman via Unanimous Decision. Rich Attonito defeats Rafael Natal via Unanimous Decision. Dave Branch defeats Tomasz Drwal via Unanimous Decision. Brian Foster def. Forrest Petz via TKO due to strikes at 1:07 of R1. Anthony Waldburger defeats David Mitchell via Unanimous Decision.

I really liked Fight Night 22’s main event. It was a fast and frenetic bout that had a very low amount of stalling. I really liked how Marquardt did a great job of defending the takedown, and I thought he was in serious trouble when Palhares got him to the ground. Remember, my early prediction for this fight would be Nate pulling out the Unanimous Decision or Palhares pulling out the shocking submission in Round 1. I think Palhares dug his own grave when he tried to have the fight stopped after complaining that Marquardt had greased his leg, which allowed for Nate to seize the moment, land an unprotected shot that hit Palhares right on the money, and then TKO him.

There really is no cause for controversy in this match, as Marquardt was cleared of any wrongdoing immediately after the fight was finished. Both the on-sight doctor as well as an official athletic commission representative gave Marquardt the all-clear. Marquardt also explained in a post-fight interview that he had warmed up a lot before the fight, meaning that he had purposely came out sweaty in order to improve his chances of escaping submissions. And even if Marquardt did grease, Palhares should have known better than to immediately call for a break. He should have stayed active, finished the round, and then voiced his concerns. Instead, he temporarily forgot to defend himself and he paid the price. Case closed.

In other UFC Fight Night 22 news, I was really impressed by Charles Oliveira, who put on a great performance against the very tough Efrain Escudero. I honestly would have given the fight to Escudero had it gone to the judges, even though I’ll freely admit that it would have been a very close call. With a big win over Escudero, Oliveira has further justified his hype and gone a long way towards justifying his status as a can’t-miss prospect. Efrain Escudero continues to struggle with the big league after winning the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, but I think he has some good fights left in him.

Overall, it was a good event, although one filled with decisions. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Nate Marquardt, as I think he’s now closer than ever to getting one more crack at the UFC Middleweight Championship. Palhares should continue to rip off the limbs of lesser-skilled opponents, but I honestly see him continuing to run into trouble when put against an athlete that’s at the top or near the top of the division. And Charles Oliveira proved once and for all that he’s the real deal, so I’ll be eagerly looking forward to his next bout.

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that it’s in the history books, what did you think of Fight Night 22?

Here’s what Hardy had to say in another This is Nottingham blog post: “I was just expressing my view, as a fan of the sport as much as a fighter, and I was happy to see a lot of fans out there agreed with most of what I wrote. Sadly, there were some people who clearly couldn’t grasp the points I was making. The column wasn’t about wrestling’s place in MMA, it was about using wrestling purely to stall and avoid fighting.  One guy who struggled to keep up with the points I made was UFC middleweight and charisma donor Nate Marquardt, who always seems to have something to say about me, for no other reason than I once competed against one of his friends. Sadly, we can now add ‘literacy test’ to the types of tests Nate has failed, because he either misread the whole thing or – like writers from AOL and Yahoo did – just read the first paragraph or two and had to stop because reading gives him a headache. Ultimately, people can agree or disagree with what I wrote, but the facts are on my side. The Nick Lentz fight at UFC 118, which was the catalyst for my column, was the only UFC Prelim fight to ever lose TV viewers. That hurt the pay-per-view buy rate, it hurt Andre Winner‘s career, it hurt lightweight Joe Lauzon – who had an amazing performance immediately after Lentz’s effort, which fewer people witnessed because of Lentz – and it hurt the sport as a whole.”

Taken purely at his word, I wholeheartedly agree with Dan Hardy. I was one of the ones that had to suffer through Lentz vs. Winner, and let me tell you: that fight blew the big one. I’ve talked in the past of the “beautiful ugliness” that results in a dominant wrestler grinding out his opponent, but that fight was just plain ugly. Lent grounded his opponent for three rounds and did virtually nothing other than land pitter-patter shots. I’m honestly not surprised that the fight lost a lot of viewers, it was downright boring and had I not been watching it only halfheartedly, mostly as background noise in fact, I can honestly say that I too would have switched the channel. And I too might have missed one of the best performances of Joe Lauzon’s career.

What I think Dan Hardy is trying to say is that stalling as a whole is detrimental to this sport, and that wrestling is at the forefront simply because it’s much more prevalent in fighters with wrestling backgrounds. If he means what he says and believes what he means, and isn’t doing this just to keep his name in people’s minds, then Dan Hardy has an excellent point. Even if you’re of the “if you don’t like it, learn to defend against it” opinion, you have to at least grudgingly admit that a boring fight is a boring fight, and that fight that goes to a decision with virtually no action in the fifteen/twenty-five minutes beforehand is a potentially powerful blow to a fight card’s bottom line.

But as always, it’s the fan’s opinions that matter. So what do you think, fans and friends? With this new follow-up blog, do you find yourself continuing to disagree/agree with Hardy, or has this new post changed your stance somehow?

Courtesy of Sherdog.com, here’s how it all broke down: Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Rousimar Palhares (186), Efrain Escudero (159) vs. Charles Oliveira (154), Jim Miller (155.5) vs. Gleison Tibau (154), Cole Miller (156) vs. Ross Pearson (156), Yves Edwards (155) vs. John Gunderson (156), Jared Hamman (205) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (206), Rich Attonito (185) vs. Rafael Natal (186), David Mitchell (170.5) vs. Anthony Waldburger (171), Brian Foster (170.5) vs. Forrest Petz (170), Tomasz Drwal (185.5) vs. Dave Branch (186)

Co-main event participant Efrain Escudero showed up four pounds overweight for his 155-pound Lightweight tilt, and will forfeit a whopping twenty percent of his fight purse to his opponent, Charles Oliveira. Escudero most recently rebounded from the first loss of his professional career at UFC Fight Night 20 with a Unanimous Decision win over Dan Lauzon at UFC 114. Charles Oliveira most recently made a successful UFC debut at UFC on Versus 2, beating Darren Elkins by Armbar.

I think Escudero honestly fell into the same trap that Paul Daley recently became a victim of: he’s fighting at his natural weight and may have undercompensated because of it. I’m usually in favor of telling a fighter who misses weight to stop fooling himself/herself and fight in their natural weight class, but I don’t feel the same for Daley or Escudero. When you see Escudero fight, he looks like a natural Lightweight: he doesn’t have a bulky frame, his bread and butter has always been his quickness and athleticism. I honestly believe that Escudero would look very out-of-shape if he ever tried to make the transition to Welterweight. He just probably got a little lax knowing that he didn’t have a difficult weight cut in store. This should be a pretty humbling learning experience for him.

In regards to the card itself, I’m definitely looking forward to this one. As I’ve said in the past, I’ve got a good feeling about Nate “The Great” beating Palhares. Even with the loss to Chael Sonnen, I think Marquardt will once again challenge for a title shot in the near-future. If he gets past Palhares and continues to stay active and win, I think he’d be next in line for a championship opportunity once Sonnen gets his rematch with Anderson Silva and either Vitor Belfort or Yushin Okami get their shot at the winner.

The rest of the card looks solid from top-to-bottom, and the icing on the cake is that we get another season of TUF directly afterwards. September 15 should be a great day for MMA, so I’m anxiously anticipating it.

And what about you, fans and friends? Are you looking forward to Fight Night 22? And who do you think will come out the big winners and losers from this event?

Here’s what Aoki had to say on the subject: “…When we look at martial arts in its most extreme form, we need to win by submission or knockout… The American wrestling style – punching a little bit, getting a takedown and moving to side control to win the round has no risk. It’s an easier fight. It’s just using the judges. They don’t even have to worry about injuries or anything like that. There is no risk… I’m a huge fan of the UFC, but I think that it hasn’t been very interesting lately. There are good fighters of course but not so many interesting fights. They punch a little bit, then get a takedown and every round is just a repetition of that. Japanese MMA is totally different. We go for knockouts and submissions from the beginning and going for the decision isn’t an option.”

I actually disagree with Aoki for a number of reasons. For one, I think the UFC has more exciting fights than any other promotion out there. The WEC certainly comes close, but nothing really tops the UFC’s atmosphere and big-money fights. I think there are a few stinkers here and there, some bad matches that go a long way towards making you want to switch the channel, but if we’re being perfectly honest, when was the last honest-to-goodness bad UFC show? Some might be lackluster, some might not live up to their potential, but the UFC always does their best to produce interesting fights that the fans want to see. And more often than not, they deliver.

Also, I disagree with Aoki’s stance on MMA being vastly different in Japan than in the United States. Trust me: “lay and pray” crosses all boundaries, no country is immune to the problem of a fighter playing it safe and winning a round through ground domination. In Japan, it’s just far more likely that a submission expert will use “lay and pray” tactics than a wrestler, and at least a submission specialist goes for submissions every once in a while. Aoki shouldn’t throw stones while inside a glass house, either: if he’s got something to say about one-dimensional wrestlers, maybe someone should point out how utterly one-dimensional he himself is. Without hyperbole, Shinya Aoki has some of the most atrocious stand-up I’ve ever seen. It’s utterly abysmal. For proof, try and find a video of his DREAM 10 fight against Vitor Ribeiro. Aoki’s standup is so horrendous that the Japanese fans boo him back when he was still the squeaky-clean baby-faced do-gooder that could do no wrong.

I think you can argue that Dan Hardy’s original statements were 50% truth and 50% sour grapes, but in regards to Aoki, I think the percentage of negativity for the sake of negativity is quite a lot higher.

But what do you think, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on Shinya Aoki’s opinion?

Here’s what Marquardt had to say regarding Dan Hardy’s comments: “I think that’s just something from someone who isn’t a good wrestler. I think wrestling is a big part of MMA, and you shouldn’t complain about it, you should learn it and learn how to defend against it… With mixed martial arts we see waves of changes, trends in the sport where one minute it’s strikers that are dominating the sport, then all of a sudden it’s the wrestlers, then it kind of goes back and forth, and I think it’s just something you have to pay attention to and be prepared for.”

For the most part, I wholeheartedly agree with Marquardt, and not simply because I’m a fan of the man. I think those that do nothing but whine and complain about dominant wrestlers doing nothing with their takedowns are simply angry at themselves for not being good enough wrestlers to avoid being taken down and grinded out. I’ve used this term before, but it’s a very fitting analogy: there’s a “beautiful ugliness” that comes from a dominant wrestler grinding out a decision. Look at Chael Sonnen and Jon Fitch:  they’re always active on the ground, but they rarely finish their fights. Their skill comes in taking an opponent into their area of expertise and dominating them so thoroughly in that one area that, by the time the final bell rings, the judges have no choice but to give them the Unanimous Decision victory.

But as I’ve said before, let’s not sugar coat this: there is a growing amount of “lay and pray” going on in the UFC. This problem isn’t UFC-specific, it’s happening in other promotions around the world too, but the problem is heightened in the UFC because they set the standard for all other MMA promotions to follow. And boring one-sided fights aren’t the standard the UFC wants to set. I think Dan Hardy is actually right: if a fighter is not active on the ground, stand them up. If they keep going to the ground and doing nothing with their advantageous positions, start taking points away.

Now, this is not a knock on the UFC’s talented roster of word-class wrestlers. The problem I have is with how some fighters choose to implement their wrestling in a UFC octagon. There are a host of excellent examples besides Fitch and Sonnen of wrestling-based fighters producing very entertaining fights: Brock Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre, and of course, UFC legend and Hall of Fame member Randy Couture. A few bad apples do not indicate that the bunch as a whole is spoiling. So Nate Marquardt and Dan Hardy are both right in some cases and wrong in others.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Do you side with Dan Hardy, who thinks that wrestlers should be stood up as quickly as possible if they don’t do anything with their takedowns? Or do you agree with Nate Marquardt that a fighter can only blame himself if he gets dominated by his opponent’s superior wrestling?

In an interview with Fighter’s Only, here’s what Palhares had to say on the situation: “Murilo [Bustamante] always told me to wait until the referee stops the fight. He had problems with [fake taps] in the past and Anderson almost had the same problem in his last fight. It’s not that I want to hurt anyone but I am trying to be fast with my submissions so the referee needs to be fast as well, to stop the fight. My opinion is that the referee in my last fight was too far away and took too long to stop the fight. If he had been closer then he could have stopped it right away and then we would not even be having this conversation at all!”

I think Palhares has a point about the referee being in a bad position to end the fight. One could argue that the referee was simply giving both men room to work, but that’s a debate for another time. What’s not up for debate is the fact that the referee had to sprint all the way back to both men while Drwal was already tapping out. It would have made a lot more sense if the referee had given the fighters room, noticed the submission attempt, and then closed in to see if it was going to result in a tap-out. Instead, the referee waited until Drwal tapped out to rush in and break the submission.

The problem with that, though, is that Palhares wouldn’t let go of the submission even after the referee had stopped the fight. Palhares kept wrenching it in even as the referee was trying to break it up. Palhares didn’t immediately let go when the referee stopped the fight, and due to that, I think he should be rightly criticized. You can call it “getting caught up in the heat of the moment”, but Palhares is a professional fighter fighting in the organization that sets the benchmark for MMA as a whole. He should have known better.

But at the end of the day, Palhares has served his time. He was handed a ninety-day submission and has served it without controversy. Tomasz Drwal’s career isn’t over, in fact, he’s scheduled to compete at the very same UFC Fight Night 22 that Palhares is headlining. So, honestly, I don’t hate Rousimar Palhares. And if we’re being completely honest, I don’t “anything” Rousimar Palhares. I’m rooting for Nate Marquardt because I’m a fan of “The Great” and I think he’ll one day get another crack at Middleweight gold. I want to see Palhares get KO’d, maybe even KTFO’d, but not because I think he’s a dirty fighter.

And what about you, fans and friends? Where do you stand- is Palhares a dirty fighter or a victim of circumstance? And how do you think he’ll do against Marquardt?

UFC Fight Night 22: “Marquardt vs. Palhares” has seen a string of injuries practically play havoc with the announced card, resulting in several major to minor shake-ups. As it stands now, the official event line-up is as follows: Nate Marquardt vs. Rousimar Palhares, Efrain Escudero vs. Charles Oliveira, Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau, Ross Pearson vs. Cole Miller, Jared Hamman vs. Kyle Kingsbury, Tomasz Drwal vs. Dave Branch , Rich Attonito vs. Rafael Natal, Anthony Waldburger vs. David Mitchell, and Brian Foster vs. Forrest Petz.

I like this card for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the main event fight was scheduled to be on a Pay-Per-View, and personally, I think that’s very justified. Nate Marquardt is an awesome fighter and he’s creeping closer and closer to another shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship, even if his recent loss to Chael Sonnen knocked him back a not-insignificant number of steps. Palhares is gaining a lot of steam as well, and he’s even got a little bit of controversy behind him, since many believed that he held onto his fight-winning heel hook on Tomasz Drwal for far too long. A big win could prove very beneficial to both fighters, so it should be an awesome main event.

I also like the fact that this show highlights the lighter weight classes. There’s only one fight above Middleweight, and it’s on the preliminary card. There are three Middleweight, three Lightweight, and two Welterweight showdowns. For an event that’s traditionally been designed to get you pumped for the show that immediately follows it, betting on the lighter weight classes is a good gamble, especially when you consider that all eight of the fighters scheduled to compete on the televised card have a majority of their wins by stoppage.

In regards to what I see happening, here’s where I stand. I think Marquardt will take a hard-fought but Unanimous Decision, or Palhares will pull out a quick submission in Round 1. Marquardt is strong, but Palhares has never been knocked out. I think Marquardt has very good submission defense, so I think it’s very likely that Marquardt will keep it standing and out-strike his way towards the victory. But if Palhares can find a way to make a submission stick, I think it could be a very early night for Marquardt.

I think Escudero and Oliveira will fight to a Split Decision. Both men have a majority of their wins by submission, so they’ll nullify each other on the ground. Oliveira has five more (T)KO’s than Escudero, but Efrain is one tough fighter and I think it’s far more likely that he’ll gut it out than get stopped. It’ll be tough to call, but I think Efrain will be the one with his hand raised by the end of the night.

I think the two Millers will win both their fights. Tibau has always hit some big stumbling blocks in his career right as he starts to gain momentum, and Jim Miller is on a real hot streak. Ross Pearson has looked pretty good since winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 9, but Cole Miller has a lot more experience inside the Octagon and, even if he loses, should be Pearson’s toughest test to date. I’m thinking Jim Miller will win by Unanimous Decision while Cole Miller will pull out a Submission in Round 2.

And what about you, fans and friends? How excited are you for Fight Night 22, and who’ve you got winning?

After his losses to former champion BJ Penn at lightweight, and then budding welterweight star John Hathaway, Diego will try his hand once again at the 170-pound division at UFC 121 against Paulo Thiago. Sanchez largely made his name after winnings “The Ultimate Fighter” season one as a middleweight, before dropping down to the welterweight division in dominating fashion.

After defeating fellow finalist Kenny Florian at the TUF finale, Diego would make a name for himself in victories over Karo Parisyan, Nick Diaz, and Joe Riggs. While Diego can attribute a large amount of his success to his hard work and dedication, but in some respects a little of that success also needs to be addressed to the man, the myth, the legend–Greg Jackson.

In the beginning, Sanchez was one Greg Jackson’s first success stories. Soon more would follow, and flock towards Albequerque, New Mexico, to be trained under his tutelage. Now, Jackson hosts some of the worlds top fighters in all different weight classes, including UFC phenom Jon Jones, welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre, former champions Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and additionally WEC contenders Damacio Page, Leonard Garcia and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

Early rumors dubbed Sanchez’ initial reasons for leaving the camp was due to none other than one GSP who joined the crew before meeting with adversary BJ Penn at UFC 94, where at the time Diego was dubbed at the top of the heap in that division, before meeting his first set of back-to-back losses against division standouts and American Kickboxing Academy teammates Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch (respectively).

After a move with Saulo Ribeiro‘s school was short lived, spanning just the last couple of fights, Diego is hoping that a change to New Mexico might be the difference maker–and he’s going to need it, should he expect to fair well against welterweight standout Paulo Thiago.

So, is the change back to Jackson’s camp too little-too late for Sanchez, or will he have a shot against Thiago? You decide.

The news, which was highlighted previously on Fighters.com , where according to Vitor himself on Twitter, “this year I am not going to fight for the title because the champion (UFC Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva) is hurt but November we will be in action for sure that is what I can say.”

Silva, who was later reported injured prior to his bout with contender Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, is on an indefinite hiatus away from the cage. Anderson sustained fractured ribs before his last outing with Sonnen, while training with Judoka Satoshi Ishi and former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

So, that definitely rules out Anderson for the rest of the year, and Vitor accordingly. But what about Sonnen? According to Belfort, in an interview with Sherdog.com, Chael is off the table as well for the surging middleweight, who began his career at 185 initially with a victory over Terry Martin under the Affliction banner in 2008, knocking out the UFC veteran on strikes in the second round.

The Brazilian followed up the performance with another commanding stoppage over the well traveled and well respected Matt Lindland, knocking out the former top middleweight in just 37 seconds, in January of 2009.

In his UFC return after the collapse of the aforementioned promotion Affliction, Belfort immediately put himself on the map when he needed just over three minutes to top former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 103 in Dallas, Tex., knocking out the former math teacher turned MMA fighter last September.

Since then, Belfort’s absence has gone noticed, and while many speculated that a match pitting both Sonnen and Vitor would be the next logical step, that doesn’t appear so likely now.

“I talked to Lorenzo (Fertitta) this week and will return in November,” Belfort said in his interview with Sherdog.com. “I just asked him to not be (on the November card in Germany). I’m tired of traveling. I would like to return to fighting here in America. According to my conversation with Lorenzo, my opponent will not be Sonnen, but another guy that will be decided soon.”

So, if not Sonnen, and not Anderson, than who? The only middleweight fighter that stands out to me, who isn’t already tied up in a fight, would have to be Chris Leben–or even Yushin Okami.

Nate Marquardt is tied up in his middleweight affair with Rousimar Palhares at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, Demian Maia is mixing it up against Mario Miranda at UFC 118, Alan Belcher is sidelined with a detached retina that may keep him away from fighting for good, and in my mind, there are no other viable contenders besides Okami and Leben.

Do you disagree? Anybody else in mind for Vitor?

A Renzo Gracie student, Almeida has made a successful transition to the 170 pound division after a well established career as a middleweight, which has seen him garner wins over the likes of Kendall Grove, Kazuo Misako, and perennial contender Nate Marquardt.

Matt Hughes, has had a long and storied career in the UFC. After making his debut nearly 10 years ago, a 20 second submission loss to nemesis Dennis Hallman, Hughes would then go on to capture the welterweight title with a knockout slam over then champion Carlos Newton, and would then go on to set the precedent for 5 consecutive defenses–the most ever cemented in the welterweight division.

While both have had successful careers, it’s Hughes who will be garnering the most attention come this Saturday, for several reasons dating back since 2000.

In 2000, Hughes was a participant in the Abu Dhabi competitions, where he crossed paths with Ricardo Almedia, winning on points in the grappling tournament. Six years later, at UFC 60, Matt Hughes defeated former multiple-time UFC tournament champion Royce Gracie, and made it look easy. After taking the fight to the floor–which most eluded to being the Gracie’s sweet spot with his obvious ground prowess–the two Hall of Famer’s engaged in what turned into a one-sided beatdown, with Hughes able to secure back mount, and after a failed submission attempt, settled for pounding the legend, before he was saved by the referee.

Thereafter, Hughes would go on to eventually lose his title to current kingpin Georges St. Pierre, and follow up the loss with another to top contender Thiago Alves, before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over foe and former champion Matt Serra, and the aforementioned Renzo Gracie.

In the bout with Renzo at UFC 112, the bout saw Hughes take advantage of the aged Gracie, where after a sluggish start in the third round for the brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, would eventually signal the end, as the 35-year-old, Hughes would end the welterweight contest after crippling him with leg kicks, and ending it with powerful punches against the fence, marking the first time that the former two-time champion had ended a fight with strikes, on the feet.

While Almeida has attested that he requested this bout, not out of malice or out of a sense of “revenge”, it would be hard to imagine that while his master Renzo, and fellow idol Royce had fallen short to Hughes, that Almeida wouldn’t feel a sense of urgency, to reclaim what was lost.

While Matt is riding a two-fight win streak, and with a “win” over Almeida, it’s Ricardo who appears to have the upper hand. More athletic, explosive, competent striker is Ricardo over his predecessor Renzo, and with time on his side, it seems that Hughes’ run through the Gracie clan may be short lived.

Do you think Hughes still has the upper hand? Or will Ricardo reclaim the Gracie name, and exact revenge?

Middleweight contender Alan Belcher reported via Twitter, that a detached retina will prevent him from competing opposite of Demian Maia, a match that “The Talent” had been campaigning for since his victory over former title challenger Patrick Cote.

While the Belcher-Maia match was to serve as the main event of the evening, with the loss of Alan, the UFC scrambled to find a suitable bout to headline the event.

The decision was made, and through the grape vine, Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares were called to duty, and will now fill in, and will now take over headlining duties on September 25.

The date should prove beneficial for both competitors, as they will now have almost a full-month more to be able to prepare for the bout, since both competitors were originally scheduled for the main card of UFC 118, in Boston, Mass.

Demian, on the other hand, will be playing catch up, as he will now fill in at UFC 118, and will now be taking on Mario Miranda.

Miranda, who entered the UFC undefeated, has split his two bouts inside the octagon, debuting initially against budding middleweight Gerald Harris and losing by knockout in the first round, Miranda was able to bounce back at UFC 115 against former UFC middleweight contender David Loiseau, winning via TKO in the second round.

Maia, a heralded Jiu-Jitsu specialist and Abu Dhabi veteran, is probably most remembered for his most recent performance at UFC 112 against Anderson Silva, challenging for the middleweight title.

The bout saw Silva taunt, and berate the mild-mannered Maia throughout the fight, before Maia would become the aggressor in the later rounds, seemingly striking Silva at all, but ultimately lost by unanimous decision.

So, is Marquardt vs Palhares a suitable fight to covet main event honors for the Fight Night–which also serves as a lead into the 12th season of “The Ultimate Fighter–and does Maia have ample time to change his game plan, and prepare for a well versed opponent like Miranda (who has split training camps with AMC Pankration and The famed Black House team in California, training alongside the likes of the aforementioned Anderson Silva, Nogueria brothers, and Lyoto Machida)?