Does anyone remember that knockout artist Johny Hendricks was supposed to be the next challenger in line to face UFC champion Georges St-Pierre?For a moment there, it seemed like some MMA fans forgot.Going into the final Strikeforce event on Satur…
Does anyone remember that knockout artist Johny Hendricks was supposed to be the next challenger in line to face UFC champion Georges St-Pierre?
For a moment there, it seemed like some MMA fans forgot.
Going into the final Strikeforce event on Saturday, questions were already being asked about the likelihood that Nate Marquardt, the promotion’s welterweight champion, might have to face his own teammate for the 170-pound UFC title.
Thankfully for Hendricks, Tarec Saffiedine came along and upset Marquardt in a beautiful display that saw the Greg Jackson MMA fighter chopped down with savage leg kicks and gusty striking.
In one of the year’s biggest upsets, so far, that’s one less challenger who could potentially leapfrog the deserving Hendricks.
Granted, “Bigg Rigg” hasn’t been very high on the UFC’s priority list lately.
Despite notching three “Knockout of the Night” awards in a dominant 5-0 stretch over the last two years, Hendricks has been cheated out of his rightful title shot by St-Pierre.
Instead of facing GSP for the welterweight title, he’ll instead have to battle Jake Ellenberger at UFC 158 while Nick Diaz slides into the main event.
As usual, it’s another case of the term “No. 1 contender” not meaning much in the UFC.
“Dollars over sense” has been the major impetus behind Hendricks getting shafted from the welterweight title picture, as St-Pierre vs. Diaz will most likely make substantially more money on pay-per-view than St-Pierre vs. Hendricks would.
That’s also been the same reasoning behind Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen, as the former middleweight talked his way into a title shot and a coaching stint opposite Jones on The Ultimate Fighter.
Had Marquardt beaten Saffiedine in the same brutal fashion as he did in his Strikeforce title fight debut against Tyron Woodley, it’s not crazy to think that he may have leapfrogged Hendricks.
But with Marquardt out of the picture, that’s one less potential obstacle between Hendricks and Georges St-Pierre. That is, unless he loses to Ellenberger—or Diaz somehow pulls off the upset of the year in Montreal this coming March.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.
Strikeforce has delivered plenty of action to fans over the course of their seven-year run and on Saturday night, the welterweight division was on display in the promotion’s final fight.Although oddsmakers didn’t seem to give much hope to the underdogs…
Strikeforce has delivered plenty of action to fans over the course of their seven-year run and on Saturday night, the welterweight division was on display in the promotion’s final fight.
Although oddsmakers didn’t seem to give much hope to the underdogs on Saturday night, title contender TarecSaffiedine showed fans why you can’t put too much stock in what Las Vegas thinks.
Through five rounds of action, Saffiedine used superior speed and conditioning to produce an all-out assault on champion Nate Marquardt.
With his conditioning failing him, Marquardt wasn’t quick enough to avoid the seemingly endless supply of leg kicks that Saffiedine delivered round after round.
It was a much-deserved exclamation point in the final chapter of Strikeforce.
What we’ll remember about this fight
The emergence of TarecSaffiedine as a new star in MMA. Spending much of the fight chopping down Marquardt with devastating leg kicks, Saffiedine painted a red and purple canvas on the thigh of “Nate the Great.”
What we learned about Nate Marquardt
That the weight cut might be too much for the former middleweight contender. In the third round, Marquardt continued to breathe deeply as he continued slowing down.
Additionally, we learned that Marquardt apparently forgot how to defend leg kicks. When he was eating 15 of them in Round 4, it became easy to confuse Marquardt‘s thigh with ground beef.
What we learned about TarecSaffiedine
Despite his lack of notoriety and underdog status, he is deserving of competing with the best welterweights on the planet. The fact that he was able to pick apart a seasoned veteran like Marquardt is impressive enough, but getting to enter the UFC as the final Strikeforce welterweight champion puts that statement in bold.
What’s next for Nate Marquardt
With connections to Tristar Gym and a quality name, Marquardt will likely be offered a UFC contract. However, that is far from a given considering the unceremonious release that Nate suffered in 2011.
If he arrives in the UFC later this year, Marquardt should not be awarded a bout against a contender. This loss drops Nate considerably in the ranks. Perhaps the ill-fated Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story fight could see the light of day after all.
What’s next for TarecSaffiedine
Entering the UFC as the reigning Strikeforce champion is a major feather in his cap, although Saffiedine should not be thrust immediately into the title scene. After all, champion Georges St-Pierre is currently scheduled to meet Nick Diaz before likely defending his belt against the winner of Johny Hendricks vs. Jake Ellenberger.
A fight with a ranked opponent is a must. Although I don’t care for his chances, perhaps a fight against the winner of Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia is in order.
(I know what you’re thinking: Why the hell did they leave Nandor Guelmino off the poster? Well I don’t mean to alarm you, but that bright shining ball of fire in the background *is* Nandor Guelmino.)
Like a spirit guide leading us from one realm of existence to the next, Jim Genia will be sticking round-by-round results from the “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” Showtime broadcast after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Make your voices heard in the comments section, and please, let’s honor this moment.
(I know what you’re thinking: Why the hell did they leave Nandor Guelmino off the poster? Well I don’t mean to alarm you, but that bright shining ball of fire in the background *is* Nandor Guelmino.)
Like a spirit guide leading us from one realm of existence to the next, Jim Genia will be sticking round-by-round results from the “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” Showtime broadcast after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Make your voices heard in the comments section, and please, let’s honor this moment.
Please stand by…
“Like a spirit guide”? Is that a reference to my Native American heritage? Booyah, Jim Genia here, ready to deliver some tender hospice care to the terminally ill Strikeforce. But shed not a tear for its passing, as it lived a long, fruitful life.
-Estevan Payan def. Michael Bravo via TKO (Punches) at 4:01, R2
First bout of the main card: Jacare Souza vs. Ed Herman.
As a former Strikeforce middleweight champ who’d faced just about everyone worthwhile in what has traditionally been an anemic division, Souza literally had no one to dance with at this last Strikeforce event. Wat do?! Well, the options were to either put an ad on Craiglist or get someone from the UFC to slum it. Enter: TUF runner-up Herman, because, hey, why not.
Round 1: These two waste no time mixing it up, with Herman and Souza getting up close and personal against the cage and banging on each other with their fists. They separate, and when Herman lurches forward to re-engage, the Brazilian easily changes levels and takes him down. From his back, Herman furiously fires off upkicks to his opponent – which, uh, with Souza on his knees trying to pass the American’s guard, is pretty illegal. The referee stands them up, warns Herman but inexplicably does not dock him a point, and to add insult to injury, restarts them on the feet. No matter. Souza blasts Herman in the grill with a front kick, dumps him back onto the canvas, and nails the shoulder-busting kimura submission that has Herman tapping at 3:10 of the first round.
Jacare Souza def. Dave Herman via Submission (Kimura) at 3:10, R1
Next up, Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi.
Once upon a time, Kyle was a dude who’d fight you, bite you, and kick you in the head when you were on the ground. But after a lengthy suspension and possibly a readjustment of his psychotropic drug regimen, Kyle has returned a calmer, more mature competitor. Mousasi was once a Strikeforce light-heavyweight champ, a title he earned by virtue of his pinpoint-accurate boxing – and a title he lost by virtue of his dismal wrestling. So, yeah, good times.
Round 1: Kyle comes out headhunting, and Mousasi answers with some solid head-movement and a kick that slams into the American’s leg with a sound like a baseball bat slapping into a slab of meat. They trade more kicks and punches, and the former champ ducking low and grabbing Kyle around the waist. No takedown comes, so they separate and bang it out some more. With three minutes left, Mousasi gets the takedown, and on the ground he slowly but surely begins the prison rape that results in Kyle’s doom. First it’s side-control, then mount, then massive blows from above, and the end comes when Mousasi slips on the rear naked choke and forces Kyle to tap at 4:09 of the first round.
Gegard Mousasi def. Mike Kyle via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:09, R1
Next, Josh Barnett vs. Nandor Guelmino.
Barnett was once a UFC champ before he pissed hot and had to give up the belt, yet he’s remained relevant throughout the years by kicking ass just about everywhere else. He of course fell short in Strikeforce’s much-maligned heavyweight grand prix, coming in second place to Daniel Cormier, but his opponent tonight is literally just some dude with a cool name and nothing else.
Round 1: It takes about all of nine seconds for Barnett to get Guelmino down. He spends a minute there, methodically dropping a forearm or two, then falls back into a heelhook attempt that Guelmino escapes from by getting back to his feet. The former UFC champ follows him up, clinches, and pulls him down, then slides into mount and deftly applies an arm-triangle choke. Guelmino taps out at 2:11, and we never hear from him again.
Josh Barnett def. Nandor Guelmino via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 2:11, R1
Next, Daniel Cormier vs. Dion Staring.
After winning the aforementioned heavyweight grand prix, Cormier is pretty much a lock on being someone of note in the UFC. But first he has to get through the always-dangerous Staring, who… who… Ah man, I can’t do it. I can’t lie to you. Staring is the only man on the planet not named Nando Guelmino who was dumb enough to agree to face a top-level heavyweight he has no business being in the cage with. So hold onto your hats, because this one might be ending with a deep voice declaring “Fatality!”
Round 1: Staring stands in front of Cormier with his hand outstretched, perhaps as some sort of gesture of peace or maybe a distraction. Cormier doesn’t fall for the trick, though, and nails him in the face with a high-kick. Seconds later Cormier tries a trip that Staring avoids, but the follow-up throw does it, and the number one heavyweight in Strikeforce scrambles around threatening his foe with a crucifix and an armbar. Staring escapes back to his feet, gets taken down again, escapes back to his feet, and gets taken down even more easily. From mount, Cormier simply batters him, and to the surprise of many, Staring makes it to the end of the round.
Round 2: Staring comes out aggressive, and is immediately stifled against the cage by Cormier’s far-superior wrestling. They break after a minute and Staring is huffing and puffing, and when they tie up, Cormier uses a textbook inside-trip to put his opponent down. Staring rolls and turtles, eats punches and rolls some more, all the while eating enough leather to choke a horse. Cormier is on him like white on rice no matter where he goes, and with the beating delivered nonstop and Staring’s defense nonexistent, referee John McCarthy is forced to step in at 4:02 of Round 2 lest Staring die.
Daniel Cormier def. Dion Staring via TKO (Punches) at 4:02, R2
Next and final bout: Nate Marquardt vs. Tarec Saffiedine.
Marquardt was always the bridesmaid but never the bride in his tenure with the UFC, but when he showed up at Strikeforce’s doorstep and had a stellar performance against Tyron Woodley, he was suddenly a man with a championship belt. Saffiedine has been a top contender in the organization for a while, and his keen striking and Team Quest-honed wrestling should make for a nice little scrap in this main event.
Round 1: It takes 30 seconds for one of these guys to break their steady circling and land something, and it’s a fast kick to the thigh by Saffiedine. They circle some more, and Marquardt lands kicks of his own. It’s pretty much tit-for-tat, until the champ comes forward, eats a punch and drops to a knee for a split second. Saffiedine attempts to capitalize, yet he’s met with a takedown attempt, and when he stuffs it and they separate, one thing is clear: the challenger is faster and crisper with his strikes. Perhaps cognizant of that fact, Marquardt makes sure the rest of the round is spent clinching against the fence.
Round 2: Like the opening of the first, they start off this round circling, and after a minute expires Marquardt goes for a takedown. He doesn’t get that one, but gets the next one 30 seconds later. Saffiedine pops right up, and Marquardt resumes trying to push the Belgian fighter through the fence like he’s a piece of cheese on a grater. Referee McCarthy gets sick of the man-huggery after a bit and pulls them apart, and Saffiedine continues to chips away at his foe with lightning-like leg-kicks. The horn sounds with Marquardt looking like he’s shook.
Round 3: Saffiedine continues on with his mission to turn Marquardt’s leg into hamburger, so of course Marquardt tries hug him to death against the cage (with varying levels of success). They make some space and Saffiedine walks forward covering up but coiled like a cobra, and Marquardt attempts a flying knee that really does nothing. The two bang on each other a bit, Marquardt with punches and Saffiedine with his kicks, and the horn sounds with the champ going for a fruitless takedown attempt.
Round 4: Marquardt’s thigh is a bright shade of purple, and Saffiedine resumes chopping it to bits. The champ turns up the heat with his punches, yet each successive shin to his leg threatens to crumble him. Marquardt changes tact and tries to catch those kicks, but to no avail, and from the punching exchanges he ends up with blood on his face. It is almost all Saffiedine at this point.
Round 5: The limb destruction continues, and to show he’s got other tricks, Saffiedine throws a sweet question mark-kick that Marquardt barely dodges. They end up grinding against the cage for a bit, then separate and kickbox – an endeavor that the Belgian striker cannot lose. With 45 seconds to go, Saffiedine flips the script and nails a takedown, and finishes the round beating on Marquardt from above. There is no doubt he’s got the unanimous decision in the bag when all is said and done.
(I know what you’re thinking: Why the hell did they leave Nandor Guelmino off the poster? Well I don’t mean to alarm you, but that bright shining ball of fire in the background *is* Nandor Guelmino.)
Like a spirit guide leading us from one realm of existence to the next, Jim Genia will be sticking round-by-round results from the “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” Showtime broadcast after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Make your voices heard in the comments section, and please, let’s honor this moment.
(I know what you’re thinking: Why the hell did they leave Nandor Guelmino off the poster? Well I don’t mean to alarm you, but that bright shining ball of fire in the background *is* Nandor Guelmino.)
Like a spirit guide leading us from one realm of existence to the next, Jim Genia will be sticking round-by-round results from the “Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” Showtime broadcast after the jump, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. Make your voices heard in the comments section, and please, let’s honor this moment.
Please stand by…
“Like a spirit guide”? Is that a reference to my Native American heritage? Booyah, Jim Genia here, ready to deliver some tender hospice care to the terminally ill Strikeforce. But shed not a tear for its passing, as it lived a long, fruitful life.
(My God, Daniel Cormier is going to WRECK this dude.)
Tomorrow night, the once great promotion known as Strikeforce will fade into obscurity, joining the ranks of such infinitely-inferior-yet-similarly-dissolved promotions as Affliction, EliteXC, and the oft forgotten Tank Abbott’s Backyard Brawlin’ Beergut Buddies.
So with their future careers on the line, make sure to swing by CagePotato at 5 p.m. EST to catch weigh-ins for all of the fighters participating at tomorrow’s Strikeforce: Pros vs. Joes event. Who knows? Maybe some of the randoms plucked from MMA obscurity will be too scared to show up, or piss themselves when they realize the huge mistake they’ve made. In either case, it should be fun.
(My God, Daniel Cormier is going to WRECK this dude.)
Tomorrow night, the once great promotion known as Strikeforce will fade into obscurity, joining the ranks of such infinitely-inferior-yet-similarly-dissolved promotions as Affliction, EliteXC, and the oft forgotten Tank Abbott’s Backyard Brawlin’ Beergut Buddies.
So with their future careers on the line, make sure to swing by CagePotato at 5 p.m. EST to catch weigh-ins for all of the fighters participating at tomorrow’s Strikeforce: Pros vs. Joes event. Who knows? Maybe some of the randoms plucked from MMA obscurity will be too scared to show up, or piss themselves when they realize the huge mistake they’ve made. In either case, it should be fun.
Few things come easily in the sport of mixed martial arts. In a realm where success is based on a fighter’s ability to impose their skill set on the opposition, the process alone is grueling. The cage door closes. The four-ounce leather gloves fly. One…
Few things come easily in the sport of mixed martial arts. In a realm where success is based on a fighter’s ability to impose their skill set on the opposition, the process alone is grueling. The cage door closes. The four-ounce leather gloves fly. One fighter celebrates and the other struggles to accept another man was better.
But in some cases, as strange as it may seem, fighting is the easy part.
The majority of fighters’ careers are affected by their ability to find victory; but for some, what happens inside the cage is overshadowed by actions taken outside the spotlight. Due to scandal or suspension, they become a lightning rod for the topic at hand.
Where they’ve spent years perfecting their ability to avoid punishment in order to dish it out, this situation leaves them dazed and against the cage. They realize there is no way to stop what is coming at them, and the only option is to brace themselves, cover up and weather the storm.
It is a process Nate Marquardt knows all too well. That being said, his time of taking shots with his back to the wall have come to an end, and Marquardt is firing back strong.
After his release from the UFC and the 16-month layoff which accompanied it, the 33-year-old returned to action against TyronWoodley to compete for the Strikeforce welterweight title left vacant when Nick Diaz joined the UFC.
In addition to his return to the cage, it was also his long-awaited debut at 170 pounds. While it was assumed all of the tools which made Marquardt a perennial contender at middleweight would transition with him into the lower weight class, there were no guarantees.
Questions about the layoff and weight cut lingered, but after a slow start in the first round against the former Missouri University wrestling standout, Marquardt provided a definitive answer.
In one of 2012’s most brutal knockouts, Marquardt put on a clinic of power, accuracy and video game-esque violence as he left the previously unbeaten Woodley bloody and slumped over on the canvas. It was a moment of redemption for the Colorado resident, but in the same turn, a thunderous statement to the rest of elite welterweights in the world—all who currently fight under the UFC banner.
Before Marquardt can make his return to the Octagon, he still has a solid test standing in his path. This Saturday night, the former Pancrase champion will square off with TarecSaffiedine in Strikeforce’s final event from Oklahoma City. Should Marquardt emerge victorious with another stunning performance, his return to the UFC could very well come with a bypass to the top of the ladder.
A Defining Chapter Remains Unwritten
During his previous four-year run with the UFC, Marquardt was widely regarded as one of the world’s best at 185 pounds. Over this stretch he collected nine wins, and his success provided him the opportunity to compete for the middleweight title against Anderson Silva. By all means, it is a fight I’m sure Marquardt would like to forget, but after suffering a first-round knockout at the hands of “The Spider,” he began working his way back to contention.
Marquardt went on to win five of his last seven fights inside the Octagon. But with his two setbacks coming in title-eliminator bouts against ChaelSonnen and YushinOkami, it appeared unlikely he would ever get over the hump at 185 pounds.
He eventually took one final bout at middleweight against Dan Miller, and after defeating the New Jersey native, Marquardt announced he would be dropping into welterweight waters.
The fiasco in Pittsburgh may have delayed Marquardt‘s first 170-pound showing inside the Octagon, but it is only a matter of time before Nate “The Great” becomes a staple on the welterweight scene in the UFC.
Alongside the lightweight roster, the welterweight division is the organization’s deepest and most competitive.
In addition to dominant champion and pound-for-pound great Georges St-Pierre, the division’s top 10 is a “Murderers Row” of talent. Marquardt will be entering a dog-eat-dog race to the top with the likes of Johny Hendricks, Nick Diaz, Jake Ellenberger, Jon Fitch and Rory MacDonald, who are more than happy to welcome him to the mix.
The biggest question lingering now will be if Marquardt can make good where he previously failed at middleweight.
On paper you have to put him in the upper tier in the UFC welterweight division, but what will happen when Marquardt finds himself in position to get another crack at UFC gold?
There is no doubt in my mind he is one of the most talented fighters on the planet, but carving his way through the ultra-competitive 170-pound scene is going to be no easy task. If Marquardt has what it takes to reach the top of the heap and battle longtime friend GSP for the title he can write the definitive chapter of his career.
The main reason being: The weight class he rose to the top of previously had nowhere near the depth of the situation he is about to enter.
Should Marquardt face and defeat a collection of world-class talent in the UFC, it will make a lasting impression. Of course it is impossible to tell if future success will overshadow the setbacks of the past, but a successful run in his return to the UFC would undoubtedly bolster his stock in the bigger picture.
Hypothetical scenarios aside, I truly believe Marquardt has all the tools necessary to make his success match his potential. Much like the road which brought him to where he currently stands, the path ahead will come with a tremendous amount of opposition. The biggest difference now is that it only comes down to fighting, and some times, fighting is the easy part.
Does anyone remember that knockout artist Johny Hendricks was supposed to be the next challenger in line to face UFC champion Georges St-Pierre?
