Anything can happen in the world of mixed martial arts. Submission fighters can score major knockouts, judges can turn in scorecards that don’t remotely reflect the action inside of the cage, and 4-to-1 underdogs can absolutely dominate a well-known world champion in the swan song of a dying promotion.
On Saturday night, Nate Marquardt saw his momentum train crash into a steel barrier as little-known Tarec Saffiedine scored a monumental upset (and more than 100 significant strikes) in the Strikeforce main event.
Where does this leave the former champion and 14-time UFC veteran? Clearly, Marquardt is a big enough star that both Bellator and World Series of Fighting would love to add him to their roster. For that reason alone, it would be surprising if the UFC didn’t import Nate “The Great.”
Here is a look at five fights that await Marquardt in the UFC.