Author: Garrett Derr

After strapping on the gloves for nearly 10 years, former UFC middleweight Nate Quarry (12-4) decided to step away from the sport of mixed martial arts once and for all.

While at the time it was one of the hardest decisions “The Rock” had to make, it has led to opportunities he could have never dreamed of.

Quarry, who’s always had a history in public speaking recently signed to be the host of MMA Uncensored Live on the Spike television network.

In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Quarry discussed his newest gig and what it means for MMA fans.

 

Garrett Derr: Nate, Before we talk about your newest gig, what was the deciding factor in retiring from MMA as a fighter?

Nate Quarry: “It was after my last fight with Jorge Rivera. It was just another fight for me. I showed up, competed, went home, it was the usual stuff. But, when I went home, I was so badly busted up that my little girl was upset with what she saw.”

“Fighting was a way to make a better life for myself and my family. Now, I want to think more about taking care of her. I eventually want to be spending time with my grand kids someday. I don’t want to be that guy who can’t do the simple things in life like drink a cup of coffee or even hold a conversation.”

 

GD: So, tell me a little bit about your transition into Spike’s show and how did you actually land this job?

NQ: “I have to give all my credit to my agent. He saw this opportunity and compiled all the speaking engagements I’ve done. That really opened the door for me to come in and do my thing. Even as a child and being a Jehovah Witness, I was speaking in public. I was always in front of the church reading scripture.”

“I’ve told my story in San Fransisco in front of hundreds of business men. I’ve been doing it forever. So, there’s been a lot of things that really helped me lead up to this opportunity. But, this is Spike TV, so it’s definitely a step up, and they have a lot of credibility to their name.”

 

GD: The million dollar question is what is this show all about? What can fans really expect to see?

NQ:  “This show is going to be a lot of fun, especially for the fans. I know as a fan myself that the last thing I want to do is sit and listen to news. I don’t want it to be boring for the fans with us just sitting there reporting stories. If that was the case you could set a camera up in front of a newspaper.”

“For us, it’s opinions, engaging topics and a lot of arguments. UFC 144 is coming up, and I don’t agree with a lot of people on their predictions. It’s definitely controversial, and that’s what fans want to see. There’s a lot of emotion that goes into this sport—that’s what we want to bring to the table.”

 

GD: When will the show be aired and who are some of the guys you’ll be hosting the show with?

NQ: “It’s going to be aired at the MTV studios, and it can be seen every Thursday night. It will also be aired three hours after the first showing and again on Friday mornings. MTV 2 is also looking to pick it up. It’s a show everyone’s excited about. It’s a way for fans to relate to us, and it gives them the opportunity to interact. Fans will be able to tweet in and ask our guests some questions. Dan Henderson will be the first guest so fans can ask Dan whatever they please.”

“Another reason I’m really excited about this show is I get to host it with Craig Carton and Mike Straka. Craig is one of the best sports journalists on the market. Then we have a guy like Mike who’s pretty much the Wikipedia of MMA. He knows every single name, all the fights, the statistics and the whole nine yards. It’s good we have him because there are times where I can’t even remember my own name. My best argument will be, ‘Have you guys every fought inside the cage?’.”

 

GD: We know there’s been some bad blood between the UFC and Spike as they’re no longer collaborating their efforts. But, is this something the UFC is going to pick up and take an interest to as well?

NQ: “You know, I’m not really sure what the UFC plans on doing. And, to be honest, I’m not concerned with what their relationship is like right now. If the UFC wants to air it then great but my focus is on doing my job and providing as much entertainment to fans as possible.”

“I do what I’m told and that’s why I’m here. I’m just trying to be the best I can be. I’ll let the higher-ups take care of all the drama. I’m just here to have some fun.”

 

GD: You’ve been around the sport for a long time so where does this rank among all of your accomplishments?

NQ: “This is something I could have never dreamed of even being possible. You know I’ve fought in the UFC, but I never thought I would have even went the route of fighting. I was just doing it for competition. It was scary man; I didn’t want to get punched in the face. I got convinced to keep going, and it paid off”

“I think this is a lot like that point in my career. I never thought I’d be given this opportunity. MMA has grown so much since I first started. There were only five fights a year for the longest time. Now, it seems like there’s a fight card every weekend. Before I ever became a fighter, I was a fan. This opportunity allows me to come full circle so that I can become a fan again.”

Tune in for MMA Uncensored Live’s debut on Thursday, February 23rd, beginning at 8 p.m. PT and 11 p.m. ET.

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Keep your focus on the task at hand.

That’s exactly what UFC lightweight Benson Henderson (15-2) is doing as he rapidly approaches his championship showdown with Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) at UFC 144 in Japan.

However, in the back of Henderson’s mind is a plan to revenge his only loss in the last five years to fellow lightweight, Anthony Pettis.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s unfinished business,” Benson told Bleacher Report. “But at the same time, I definitely want to seek revenge for my loss.”

“I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for that loss, but it is what it is. Anthony is a tough, tough guy. He’s a tough kid. He’s a great worker, and I can’t say enough about him,” said Henderson. “He goes big or goes home.”

Henderson is confident that he’ll have the lightweight title wrapped around his waist the next time he and Pettis meet.

And, according to Henderson, it might not be as long as some may think.

“I’m sure he’ll work his way to the top,” stated Henderson. “He had a tough loss to Clay Guida, but I know he’s been working on his wrestling and busting his butt.”

“I imagine I will be seeing him again in not too long. So, whenever he gets a shot for my belt, then let’s do it,” said Henderson.

But, in order for his painted picture to become a reality, Henderson will first need to defeat arguably the toughest man in the business in Edgar.

Not only has Henderson been given his long-awaited title shot, but he’ll have a chance to become the newest lightweight champ on foreign soil.

“It really does mean quite a bit to get to fight in Japan. It’s really the birth place of mixed martial arts. MMA was very big in Japan for such a long time,” said Henderson. “It was the Mecca of MMA in the earlier days.”

“Hopefully, being a part of this will spark the return of Japanese MMA,” stated Henderson. “This gives us the chance to bring MMA to the mainstream.”

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

In the world of mixed martial arts, only one thing matters—being better than the man that stands across from you at the start of a fight.

However, in order to arrive to that prestigious stage, one must endure an unexplainable amount of blood, sweat, tears and, of course, help from others.

Enter Ryan Matter.

Matter, a graduate of Lock Haven University in Health and Exercise Science is living out his dream as he prepares UFC middleweight Tim Boetsch (14-4) for his upcoming bout against Yushin Okami (26-6) at UFC 144 in Japan.

“I’ve always wanted to train professional athletes,” Matter told Bleacher Report. “I’ve also always had a passion for mixed martial arts.”

Matter’s passion and expertise in nutrition has allowed him to assist Boetsch to a 5-3 record inside the Octagon, despite all three defeats coming at the light heavyweight division.

After falling short to Phil Davis via second round submission at UFC 123, Boetsch approached Matter proposing the idea of dropping to 185 pounds.

“I was kind of surprised when I heard from Tim after his loss to Davis. Usually after a loss you won’t hear from him for a week or so,” said Matter. “He asked me what I thought about making the move to middleweight.”

“I plugged some numbers in my head and knew it was something we could do. I really believe 185 pounds is where Tim really belongs,” stated Matter. “This is where we’re going to stay.”

As a result, Boetsch went on to throttle Kendall Grove in his middleweight debut, winning by unanimous decision.

“The Barbarian” proved to be even more impressive in his very next bout as he threw fellow middleweight Nick Ring around the Octagon en route to yet another unanimous-decision victory.

Boetsch’s change in appearance hasn’t gone unnoticed as UFC President Dana White was one of the first to comment on the middleweight’s new and improved look.

“When Dana saw Tim he couldn’t believe the way he looked. He was pretty excited and asked him what the heck he’s been doing,” stated Matter. “Tim directed him to me and you could tell he was ecstatic.”

Matter, not your ordinary nutritionist, is Mr. Pennsylvania Super Heavyweight champion 2006 and Mr. Bill Grant Open Heavyweight champion 2009.

However, despite his many accolades, Matter isn’t out to promote his own name. He’s out merely to help his great friend succeed.

“Tim and I have been great friends for a long time. I’m not in this to get my name out there or to self-promote myself. My goal is to continue to help Tim become one of the best middleweights in the world,” said Matter. “That will come eventually.”

Matter, who will also be traveling to Japan, is confident Boetsch will be able to leave Okami’s home country with his third consecutive victory.

“A lot of people say Okami’s strength is his wrestling. Okami is a great wrestler but that’s definitely where Tim shines,” stated Matter. “If he wants to wrestle, he’ll be playing into our strength.”

“I’m confident Tim will leave Japan with another victory.”

To learn more about Ryan Matter, follow him on Twitter.

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

For the first time since December 16th, 2000, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to the birthplace of mixed martial arts for UFC 144.

In one of seven main card bouts, Tim Boetsch (14-4) will meet Japan’s own Yushin Okami (26-6) for a middleweight showdown.

In a recent interview, Boetsch told Bleacher Report of his plans to ruin Okami’s coming home party, as he’ll look to win his third consecutive bout in the 185-pound division.

While “The Barbarian” was certainly expecting to move up the middleweight ladder, he had no idea just how quickly it would take place.

“My initial reaction was really surprised to be completely honest. It was a huge step into competition,” said Boetsch. “I was pretty surprised that they were giving me the chance to fight the top of the ladder so soon.”

“I was like, ‘holy cow.’ I didn’t think I would move up that quickly, but at the same time I was excited because that’s where I want to be,” stated Boetsch. “I’ve always wanted to fight the best guys in the world.”

As Boetsch was notified of his upcoming bout, he was also made aware of the location in which the fight would take place at—Saitama, Japan.

Therefore, in order to leave foreign grounds victorious, Boetsch will not only need to defeat Okami but overcome his hometown crowd.

“It’s an interesting opportunity because of all the heritage MMA has in Japan. But for all the places in the world to fight, I would want to fight right here in the U.S. You don’t have to deal with travel, jet lag and things like that,” said Boetsch. “So a lot of things are stacked against you when you travel there to fight.

“Certainly he’ll be the hometown favorite, but that’s always been one of the aspects I like. I always enjoy going into someone’s house and beating them in front of their crowd,” stated Boetsch. “He’s tough to fight anywhere, yet alone his own country where there won’t be any quit in him.”

Despite recent success at the middleweight division, Boetsch has yet to meet an opponent with the complete skill set of Okami.

Even still, Boetsch believes there are few areas where Okami will hold the advantage when their main card bout begins on February 25th.

“To be truthful, I believe I have the upper hand everywhere. I’m not really concerned where the fight goes, I just hope he doesn’t run too much. We just got added to the main card and it’s the first time we’re going to Japan in a while,” said Boetsch. “So I want to make it an exciting fight for the fans of Japan.”

But Boetsch may need to dominate in impressive fashion if he hopes to leave the MMA stomping grounds with his third consecutive victory.

“The Barbarian” is well aware of the disadvantage he may have entering an opponent’s home country, as the judges’ scorecards tend to favor the native more times than not.

Michael Bisping’s victory over Matt Hamill rings a bell when “The Count” was able to escape with a close split-decision victory at UFC 75 despite the controversy of the decision.

“I think he very much wants to go to the judges’ scorecards. But I very much don’t want to go to the judges. I want to actively pursue him and finish him,” stated Boetsch. “That’s what I’m going to do.”

A win over Okami would certainly be the most meaningful in Boetsch’s career to date, as he’ll have proved he belongs in the upper echelon of the 185-pound weight division.

But it could also mean something else.

Something even greater.

“Honestly, I could see myself fighting for the No.1 contender’s spot after this fight. I won’t get a title shot, but I see myself fighting for that spot very soon,” said Boetsch.

“But, before that can happen, everyone will get to see me smash Okami.”

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Before the biggest fight of his mixed martial arts career, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler (25-5) fell to the ground in pain.

Loeffler’s ankle had given out.

Just minutes later, Loeffler was scratched from what was scheduled to be his UFC debut against fellow middleweight Buddy Roberts (11-2).

Instead of walking out to the bright lights of Omaha, Loeffler found himself being lifted into an ambulance and headed towards the closest hospital.

In a recent interview, Loeffler told Bleacher Report of the unfortunate circumstances that prevented him from making his first Octagon appearance.

 

Garrett Derr: Sean, for those who don’t know what happened, explain how your injury occurred leading up to your bout with Buddy Roberts.

Sean Loeffler: “I was doing some squat jumps back stage where you tuck your knees and bring them up to your chest. My foot fell into a crack in the warm-up mat and I heard my ankle pop twice. Urijah Faber and everyone else in the locker room turned and they were in shock. Right away they all said it was terrible and my trainer Trevor told me it didn’t look good. I did some shadow boxing and sprints while my adrenaline was still pumping.”

“I told everyone this isn’t ballet, it’s fighting and that I was good to go. The doctor came to look at it and asked if it hurt. I said no but it was killing me man. I kept saying no and it hurt worse and worse. I did some jumps, runs and hopped on one leg. I said I don’t care, I’m not letting a foot stop me. I’ve fought 12 years for this so I went to warm-up and it rolled over again as I fell to the ground. My coaches ran over and said we got to call it. I started crying man.”

“That was only the second time it ever happened in the history of the UFC. It happened to Kevin Randleman at UFC 24 so Zuffa told me I was making history. Buddy came over and was shocked with how big my ankle was. Eventually the ambulance came and took me to hospital. They shot me with some morphine and put me on a stretcher and I was off.”

 

GD: How did Roberts respond to your injury?

SL: “You know, Buddy is a great guy. He understood and he knows that I wanted to be out there fighting. At the end of the day, this is a business and we both respect each other. I believe he’ll be back in the Octagon fighting again soon. I apologized to him, but he understood there was nothing I could do. I wish him the best of luck because I know he’ll be fighting soon.”

 

GD: So, how did Dana White and Joe Silva respond to your injury? How did they react to everything that unfolded?

SL: “Dana talked to my coaches for about 15 minutes and said I would definitely be back fighting in the UFC. He put it on Facebook and Twitter that I’d be back. Joe Silva and I talked a few times. He told me at the hotel that I’m no sissy. He said he had a lot of respect for me and that I was 25-5 for a reason. They were really generous and I am thankful for everything they’ve done for me.They were really amazing to me.”

 

GD: Following your injury came word that you may need surgery? Is there any truth behind this?

SL: “I won’t know until I get an MRI actually. It was so swollen that the doctors said they’ve never seen something get so big in just an hour. The MRI wouldn’t show up through all the fluid. They told me that the good thing is that I have some bone fragment chips and they aren’t a big deal. He also said that he didn’t think anything was fractured.”

“Chances are it’s a third-degree strain of the ligament. He won’t be able to say if I’ll need pins or not until after the MRI. He told me that I need to take this injury seriously and that’s what I’m going to do. I need to let this heal because it could play a role in the rest of my career. This is the root to the tree.”

 

GD: So, how did your sponsors react to your injury?

SL: “You know man, my sponsors are all great and I appreciate every single one of them. Some of them understood because there was nothing I could really do. I did everything in my power to fight. I appreciate Dana giving me TV time to show off my sponsors.”

“However, some were a little disappointed with the injury as they invested their time and money into my career. I want to thank Booster Fight Shorts, Ground and Pound Fight Gear, Pain Theory Clothing, Luxery Sports Limousine, Lexani Wheels and Headrush. I hope they continue to believe in what I’m all about and I want them to know how thankful I am for all they do.”

 

GD: Great. I wish you the best of luck Sean and hope for a speedy recovery.

SL: “Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to getting back at it in four to six months. Thanks to all those who’ve stuck with me through this. I will be back.”

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com