Current UFC middleweight fighter Nate “The Great” Marquardt (31-1-2) dreams of winning a UFC title one day, he’s already lost once to champ Anderson Silva once and dropped two number one contender bouts, most recently to Yushin Okami at UFC 122.
So the longtime 185 pounder is considering a move down to welterweight to pursue his dreams of earning UFC gold.
Speaking to Tapology.com, Marquardt offered his thoughts on how fighting at welterweight might be. Ultimately though, he said the decision isn’t up to him it’ll be up to the UFC to decide.
“The UFC, my training partners, and my coaches are all important to my decision. For sure if the UFC doesn’t want me to do it then I won’t be able to do anything about that, but my guess is they’re all going to be good with it and see it as a good idea….With any weight class you look at, it’s not always going to be an easier weight class for you if you’re dropping down; it could even be harder. I think it all depends on your body type. The lower weights are going to have speed, endurance, and in many cases superior technique. I feel like I have a very good idea of how I’d match up with them. I’ve fought at 170lbs before, I’ve fought guys at 185lbs who later dropped to 170, and obviously GSP is one of my main training partners. There won’t be any surprises for me.”
Marquardt earned a unanimous decision over Dan Miller earlier this month at UFC 128 after Miller took the fight on short notice, replacing Yoshihiro Akiyama who pulled out because of the earthquake that rocked Japan recently.