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| Win and he’s back in?: MMAmania.com exclusive UFC 88 interview with Nate Marquardt Posted: 04 Sep 2008 07:48 AM CDT
And he looked … um, "Great" in a well-publicized UFC 85 bout with Thales Leites. The only problem is that he lost the fight thanks to two separate point deductions — an illegal knee to the head in the second round, and in the third, an elbow to the back of the head — the latter of which was probably erroneous. The decision was split, and the victor Leites through his arms up in celebration for a fight he theoretically lost. This presents an interesting question. On the UFC's middleweight "depth chart," how far do you drop Marquardt for losing a fight he really won, and how far do you raise Leites' stock? Or do you at all? To keep climbing that chart, Marquardt must first get past the dangerous Martin "Hitman" Kampmann (13-1), who's fresh off his own UFC 85 win over Jorge Rivera and on a nice nine-fight win streak. To make it 10 it all goes down this Saturday, September 6, at UFC 88: "Breakthrough" at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. We caught up with Marquardt when he was training at his High Altitude Martial Arts academy in Aurora, Colo. Marquardt splits time between there, Greg Jackson's Gaidojutsu mixed martial arts team in Albuquerque, N.M., and with UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre up at BTT Canada and Tristar Gym in Montreal.
Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Your split decision loss to Thales Leites has got to be a bitter pill to swallow. How do you feel about the two points that you were docked, the second of which looked unjustified? Nate Marquardt: Yeah, you know, it's not as bad as it seems to be honest. That fight got me a lot of publicity. Everyone who saw the fight said that I won. So it's not really like I really lost that fight. Yeah, I thought the second point deduction … I don't feel like what I did was illegal, but sometimes that happens in fights. To be honest, I think I could have finished Thales, and that was my fault for not keeping on him at a couple of points in that fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I read that after the fight, Leites didn't want to grant you an immediate rematch. Is that true? Nate Marquardt: Yes. We asked Joe Silva immediately after, and he said that Thales didn't want a rematch. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Do you think he was trying to dodge you? Nate Marquardt: I don't know. It's the smarter decision on his part. He ran away with the win on his record. And he's looking to get a title shot, so it would be a smart choice on his part. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So is it difficult to bounce back from something like this, or are you looking at it as a win … or at least not a loss? Nate Marquardt: Yeah, exactly. I see some mistakes I made during that fight, and I always try to work on that. I just try to get better after every fight. I'm not trying to look at it as a win or as a loss. I'm just trying to look at it and see what I did right, and try to copy that, and see what I did wrong and try to fix it. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well you're now set to face Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 this Saturday. Kampmann is a hard-nosed kick-boxer. He has a few submission wins under his belt. Although he's stated that he's unable to pinpoint a weakness on you, he also has said that he thinks his striking is superior to yours. How do you feel about the matchup? Nate Marquardt: I feel great about it. He's definitely a tough guy. He's well rounded. He doesn't have any big holes in his game at all. But I definitely feel that I'm going to be the dominant fighter, wherever the fight goes. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You're one of the biggest guys at 185, while Kampmann is on the smaller end of the division. Do you see size being a major factor in this fight? Nate Marquardt: Yeah, well not so much size, but definitely I feel that I'm going to be the stronger and the faster fighter. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): So what happens in a situation where the fight hits the ground? What do you see happening there? Nate Marquardt: I think I'm going to hit him as hard as I can and try to knock him out. I'm going to try to hurt him, make him make a mistake or knock him out. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You had mentioned on your blog that you think a win over Kampmann should solidify you as the number one contender. Do you think the loss to Leites, in the UFC's eyes, could hinder your chances for the next title shot? Nate Marquardt: No, not really. They obviously know what happened in the fight. They know that Thales is a tough fighter. They know how I fought with him. After this fight, they'll see that I beat a guy that beat him, so I don't think it's going to come back to haunt me at all. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I wanted to ask you about how you've been training for Kampmann. Has this camp been any different than how you've trained in previous camps? Nate Marquardt: Well barring the fact that I have to fight on six weeks notice, all my previous fights I think I've had around three months. So, we've had to speed everything up. But that's not a big deal. I used to fight over in Japan in Pancrase, where you usually only have about six weeks — four to eight weeks was pretty average to know who my opponent was and things like that. I was still in shape from my last fight, and I have a great strength and conditioning coach in John Chambers, and he's got me ready for this fight. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You had also mentioned on your blog that you were training with Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine down in New Mexico, as well as with GSP up in Montreal. Is it common for you to travel around that much to train leading up to a fight? Nate Marquardt: Yeah. I do a lot of my training here in Denver and down in Albuquerque and Montreal as well. I kinda bounce around in between places. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Can you tell us a bit about how this strategy helps improve your overall fight game? Nate Marquardt: For one, we're from different places, but we're all teammates, so we're all helping each other out. I think that's really important. It's actually a good thing that we're located in different areas, because in New Mexico, the guys that live down there are constantly working with Mike Winkeljohn, the kickboxing trainer down there. They're working with Greg Jackson. They have Mike VanArsdale, they have a lot of great coaches down there. And guys up in Montreal, they're working with guys like John Chambers, our strength and conditioning coach. They're working with Phil Nurse, who is actually from New York, who is a Muay Thai coach with the wrestling club up there, working with high-level, world-class wrestlers. I have the same thing here. I have my boxing coach Trevor Whitman, I have some really good wrestling coaches, like Keith Wilson. I have my jiu-jitsu guys that I go with from my gym and from Boulder. You know we have a good gym here as well. It's good to be located in different areas, because you're going to learn different things depending on where you're at. When I go to Montreal I get to learn their stuff, when I go down to New Mexico, I get to learn their stuff, and vice versa. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You also mentioned that you were filming some kind of pilot for a reality show. Can you tell us more about that? Nate Marquardt: Oh yeah. That was like a month or six weeks ago. They were down in Albuquerque filming a pilot for a reality show, but to be honest, I don't really know when it's going to air or what it's going to be or anything. I just know it's going to be about some of the guys on the team. But if I hear more I'll put it up on my blog. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Okay, so it's some sort of MMA-related reality show. Nate Marquardt: Yeah, definitely. Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Okay, Nate, thanks a lot for talking with us. Would you like to thank any sponsors? Nate Marquardt: Cool. I just want to thank all my coaches, all the gyms I train at, and all my sponsors, especially TapouT. And you can check out my website at NateMarquardt.com. |
| Dana White’s UFC 88 Video Blog for September 3 (video) Posted: 04 Sep 2008 07:31 AM CDT |
| Kim Couture: ‘I kind of feel sorry for’ Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 Posted: 03 Sep 2008 09:57 PM CDT
Props: TheMMANews Quoteworthy:
Count Kim Couture, the wife of UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture, as among those who feel that inexperience will play a large role when “The Natural” takes on Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 15. Lesnar has just three professional mixed martial arts bouts while Couture has nearly 25. Whatever, maybe she’s correct — experience could play a factor. But Lesnar is much bigger than Gonzaga or Sylvia. Maybe this thought process helps her sleep better at night. |
| Pride FC and WEC action figures coming soon from Jakks Posted: 03 Sep 2008 08:48 PM CDT
JAKKS is a very popular toy manufacturer with a wide range of products that feature some of the most popular children’s toy licenses in the world. The company has or has had successful partnerships with some of the biggest companies in the world, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Cabbage Patch Kids and now the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The mixed martial arts “action figure” line will also include popular fighters from the WEC — another Zuffa owned MMA organization. Here’s a snip from Stephen Berman, President and COO, JAKKS Pacific:
UFC President Dana White also felt good about the deal, saying:
This line of mixed martial arts “collectible action figures” is set to hit the shelves sometime in spring 2010. For more details on the UFC action figures, which was announced earlier this year, click here. |
| Reminder: ‘UFC Countdown’ 88 to ‘Breakthrough’ on Spike TV tonight Posted: 03 Sep 2008 07:59 PM CDT
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| Affliction MMA and HDNet Fights strike TV partnership Posted: 03 Sep 2008 03:40 PM CDT
Affliction MMA and HDNet today announced a deal to air live mixed martial arts action exclusively on the premium cable/satellite network. The deal calls for HDNet to air the live lead-ins to Affliction’s pay-per-view (PPV) events — similar to the way Fox Sports Network aired the Vitor Belfort vs. Terry Martin and the Gary Goodridge vs. Paul Buentello bouts prior to the Affliction: “Banned” event last month. HDNet is already one of the top dogs when it comes to covering mixed martial arts. It has a very popular weekly program titled “Inside MMA,” which airs on Friday nights. In addition, the network covers numerous events from organizations such as Strikeforce, Adrenaline MMA, DREAM and others. This partnership is another step in the right direction for both parties on the road to success. Here’s a snip from Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights:
To kick this thing off, HDNet will air the first 90 minutes of Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” live from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 11. The fights that will be featured on the telecast are a welterweight showdown between Jason High and Mike Pyle followed by a heavyweight tilt between Paul Buentello and Roy Nelson. Bas Rutten, Kenny Rice and Ron Kruck will handle the play by play duties for the HDNet portion, which is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. |
| Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar video UFC 91 on ESPN Posted: 03 Sep 2008 01:26 PM CDT The media blitz for the bout between heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 is already insane … and we’re still more than two months away from fight night: |
| DREAM 6: Middleweight GP, Cro Cop vs Overeem and the return of Kharitonov Posted: 03 Sep 2008 12:47 PM CDT
Former PRIDE superstar and UFC jetsam Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) will finally attempt to silence current Strikeforce heavyweight champion and perennial trash-talker Alistair Overeem (28-11). "Demolition Man" — who submitted Mark Hunt last month at DREAM 5 — has accused the Croatian of ducking him on more than one occasion - and of being a ‘douchebag’. If that weren’t enough, Saitamaniacs will also be treated to the much-anticipated return of Russian gladiator Sergei Kharitonov. The 15-3 ‘Kharit-top’ has been homeless since pounding out Alistair Overeem at K-1 Heroes nearly a year ago but does hold victories over some of the bigger names in MMA, including current UFC title contender Fabricio Werdum. His opponent will be none other than Siala “Mighty Mo” Siligia (3-0). Like Kharitonov, Siligia was last victorious at K-1 Heroes after a first-round mutilation of Ruben “Warpath” Villereal. Don’t let the 3-0 record fool you: Mo knows fighting. Aside from MMA, Siligia is an accomplished kickboxer with a devastating overhand right that he calls “The Right Hand of God”. Concluding the middleweight grand prix is tournament favorite "Marvelous" Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) who will be facing Jurojin pupil Gerard Mousasi (22-2-1). Manhoef is coming off a devastating TKO win over Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba at DREAM 4 back in June and is the winner of five straight - all by (T)KO. He won't have a free pass however as the "Armenian Assassin" Mousasi has been on something of a tear himself. Like Manhoef, Mousasi is also a perfect 2-0 in DREAM competition, including his opening round upset over potential tournament finalist Denis Kang at DREAM 2 earlier this year. The winner of Manhoef vs. Mousasi will have the unenviable task of facing either Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (9-1) or Zelg "Benkei" Galesic (9-3), who face off in classic striker vs. grappler match. Souza earned his spot in June by outpointing Jason "Mayhem" Miller at DREAM 4 while Galesic bagged and tagged Taiei Kin and the same event. Former PRIDE tomato Dong Sik Yoon (4-5) and Brazil’s Andrews Nakahara (0-1) round out the grand prix with their reserve bout. Both fighters came up short in their last DREAM appearances but will try to use this opportunity to sneak into the finals. Also added to the card is a featherweight bout pitting the new and improved Hideo Tokoro (21-13-1) against Shooto and Pancrase veteran Atsushi Yamamoto (11-5-1). Tokoro was victorious in both of his DREAM appearances, recently defeating Takeshi Yamazaki at DREAM 5. Yamamoto is coming off a decision loss to Masakatsu Ueda at Shooto 8 back in January despite a strong performance. For all the latest on DREAM click here. |
| UFC 91: Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar on ESPNs Mike & Mike in the Morning (Audio) Posted: 03 Sep 2008 11:27 AM CDT |
| Memory lane: Photos of Randy Couture’s MMA career Posted: 03 Sep 2008 10:55 AM CDT
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