After his awesome knockout of Tyron Woodley, a win that crowned Nate Marquardt Strikeforce welterweight champion, the former UFC star said something outrageously, outlandishly and ridiculously hilarious. “I really feel like it’s my time,” he told MMAju…
After his awesome knockout of Tyron Woodley, a win that crowned Nate Marquardt Strikeforce welterweight champion, the former UFC star said something outrageously, outlandishly and ridiculously hilarious.
“I really feel like it’s my time,” he told MMAjunkie.com. “I’m one of the best in the world, and actually, I feel like I’m the best in the world, the best welterweight.”
Now, there’s nothing wrong with confidence. A fighter needs it just to strap on his jock and step into the cage against another snarling, highly skilled beast of a man. And, leaving aside Georges St-Pierre’s iron grip on the title of world’s best welterweight, it may even be conceivable that Nate is right. Maybe, in the moment, he’s the best guy in the world.
The problem with that statement is less Marquardt’s ability and more his promotional affiliation. Times have changed in mixed martial arts. The days in which a fighter could compete in one of a handful of promotions around the world and still claim to be the best of the best are long gone.
The truth is, the best fighters compete in the UFC. No one can claim to be a top-five fighter in today’s sport without stepping into the Octagon. That’s a fact. I will grant no exceptions and issue no apologies.
I don’t deny that there are fighters outside the UFC with the potential to be top fighters. It’s obvious by watching him that Daniel Cormier is something special. Gil Melendez is also a very skilled fighter, and I watch Bellator’s Michael Chandler with awe.
As great as they are, none of those guys can lay claim to a spot near the top of any sensible rankings. Their level of competition just doesn’t warrant it.
The UFC is the sport’s ultimate proving grounds. Nothing is real until it happens under the bright lights in front of thousands of screaming fans in the arena and millions more on television. The UFC is the home of the world’s best. Anything else is foreplay.
Nate Marquardt feels like he’s the best in the world, and it would be hard to argue with him after his impressive victory over Tyron Woodley on Saturday night.At “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy,” Marquardt returned after over a year layoff and knock…
Nate Marquardt feels like he’s the best in the world, and it would be hard to argue with him after his impressive victory over Tyron Woodley on Saturday night.
At “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy,” Marquardt returned after over a year layoff and knocked out Woodley at 1:39 of the fourth round to capture the welterweight title.
The victory represented a fresh start for Marquardt, who was released from the UFC in June 2011.
“It’s a dream come true,” Marquardt said in his post-fight interview with Mauro Ranallo. “But when I go home to my family, I’m a champ every day.”
Marquardt’s title victory didn’t come without a couple of scares. Early in the first round, Woodley landed a huge right hand that had the former UFC middleweight contender scrambling for his senses.
The opening salvo of strikes kept Marquardt honest throughout the rest of the fight. Despite controlling the center of the Octagon, Marquardt seemed hesitant to let go of his punches, a reoccurring issue that has cost him in past bouts.
In the third round, the tide of the fight shifted back in Woodley’s favor when he stopped backpedaling and became the aggressor. He hurt Marquardt with another hard right hand and nearly finished the fight with vicious ground-and-pound.
“I tell you what, T-Wood is one tough dude,” said Marquardt. “He was a lot more game when I started catching him than I thought. He’s one tough dude.”
After three rounds of back and forth action, the fourth round was all Marquardt, as he opened up with a barrage of elbows and uppercuts that put Woodley away in devastating fashion.
In an interview with MMAjunkie, Marquardt talked about weathering the storm and coming back for a highlight reel knockout.
“I trained hard for it, and it’s a great accomplishment,” Marquardt said. “Tyron’s a very tough guy, a very skilled world-class fighter, and I trained my butt off. I felt like he was trying to finish me off, and he was using a lot of energy. That’s kind of where the experience came into play. I was just able to weather the storm, and as soon as he started to slow down, I decided to get out.”
Marquardt was a top-10 middleweight contender before making his welterweight debut. Despite this being his first victory at 170 pounds, his name is already being put in the conversation of upper-echelon UFC welterweight contenders.
As always, people will talk and formulate their own opinions, but in Marquardt’s mind, he isn’t merely a contender. He believes he is the best in the world.
“I really feel it’s my time,” Marquardt told MMAJunkie. “I’m one of the best in the world, and actually, I feel like I’m the best in the world, the best welterweight.”
It’s a shame that Strikeforce is getting the Bamboo Lounge treatment, but after the entertaining main card that those of us who watched were treated to, at least the promotion is fading into obscurity with dignity.
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold earned a convincing unanimous decision over the formidable Tim Kennedy. He came forward with an aggressive striking attack throughout the fight, managing to stuff numerous takedown attempts as well. Granted, Kennedy never seemed like he was in danger of being knocked out or submitted, but that’s far more of a testament to how game Kennedy is than it is a criticism of Luke Rockhold.
“And now there’s a tree in the woods involved? Geez, throw me some more curveballs, Dana!”
It’s a shame that Strikeforce is getting the Bamboo Lounge treatment, but after the entertaining main card that those of us who watched were treated to, at least the promotion is fading into obscurity with dignity.
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold earned a convincing unanimous decision over the formidable Tim Kennedy. He came forward with an aggressive striking attack throughout the fight, managing to stuff numerous takedown attempts as well. Granted, Kennedy never seemed like he was in danger of being knocked out or submitted, but that’s far more of a testament to how game Kennedy is than it is a criticism of Luke Rockhold.
For the twenty-seven year old, the Strikeforce championship has to feel far more like a curse than an achievement. He’s arguably a top-ten middleweight, but can’t book a fight against a big enough name to prove this. He’s defeated virtually everyone that Strikeforce can offer him, yet still has to stick around to be used as a measuring stick for guys like Roger Gracie and Lorenz Larkin (more on that later). In the post-event press conference, Rockhold called for a rematch with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, because hey, what else can he rally for? All of the top non-Zuffa middleweights are going to be offered UFC contracts without even discussing the possibility of sending them to Scott Coker. And frankly, when the UFC is in the position to offer a top non-Zuffa middleweight a laughably bad contract, that speaks volumes about the “future plans” for Strikeforce.
On a slightly less depressing note, Nate Marquardt answered almost all of the questions that we had about him after his year-long absence from the sport in his welterweight title fight against up-and-comer Tyron Woodley. How did he look without using TRT? Pretty damn good, if you managed to catch the fight. Is he still a dynamic striker? Was he able to keep his power while dropping to welterweight? Did his cardio hold up by the end of the fight? Could he still be a top-tier fighter in a new weight class after all of the time away from competition? Yes to all of the above – just ask Tyron Woodley’s face after eating those elbows and uppercuts.
Of course, the only question that remains unanswered is can Nate “The Great” do the same thing against the UFC’s welterweights. To which, we can do nothing but speculate for the time being.
As for Roger Gracie and Lorenz Larkin, I say make them fight each other before putting them up against Luke Rockhold. Both fighters looked impressive last night, but I’m not convinced that either guy is ready for a title shot yet.
This is especially true in Roger Gracie’s case; his fight was far more of a wake-up call for Keith Jardine that he should retire than a breakout performance for Roger. This isn’t meant to disrespect either fighter, but when you manage to land only three strikes in the first round – and five total power strikes, according to the Strikeforce announcing crew – against a Gracie on your way to a unanimous decision loss, it’s time to call it a career. “The Dean of Mean” is the same fighter that had been figured out years ago, except now he’s in the twilight of his career. A prospect that’s ready for the big leagues can beat an opponent like Keith Jardine, and that’s exactly what Gracie did…
…Wait, didn’t I write the exact same thing last time Jardine got in the cage? Yeah, I did. You looked good in your middleweight debut, Roger Gracie, but failure was literally never an option against Jardine. I’ll need to see one more convincing victory before I clamor for a title shot.
Likewise, Lorenz Larkin was always small and doughy at light-heavyweight. When he decided to drop to middleweight, we all assumed it would be a good idea. Sure enough, Larkin looked convincing in his middleweight debut against Robbie Lawler. While the aging veteran managed to rock Larkin early on, Lorenz Larkin kept his composure and out-struck him for the remainder of the fight, earning the unanimous decision victory. But again, I’d like to see one more test for Larkin before Strikeforce offers him a title shot. Lawler always shows up ready to scrap, but let’s be honest with ourselves – he’s also in the final stages of his career and has lost three of his last four outings.
For the time being, I say let Rockhold have his rematch against Jacare and let Larkin fight Gracie. It may not be the best option, but it’s probably the easiest option. And the easiest option for Strikeforce is just business as usual.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy In the headlining fight of the night, Luke Rockhold defended his middleweight title with a unanimous 49-46 decision victory over challenger Tim Kennedy. Rockhold controlled the majority of the fight.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy
In the headlining fight of the night, Luke Rockhold defended his middleweight title with a unanimous 49-46 decision victory over challenger Tim Kennedy. Rockhold controlled the majority of the fight and did enough to win even if his performance wasn’t overwhelming. Kennedy was game but simply didn’t have the skills to threaten Rockhold. He struggled with the size and reach disadvantage throughout the fight and was never able to impose his gameplan.
The first round was one that could have been scored for Kennedy on the strength of one of his few takedowns. He managed to stay on top of Rockhold and maintain control but was unable to do any significant damage. Rockhold controlled most of the rest of the round pushing Kennedy against the cage and landing a few right hands. The second round saw Rockhold begin to take control of the fight. He stuffed Kennedy’s takedowns and scored one of his own. He took Kennedy’s back briefly and worked for a choke but never got close to finishing. Again, he landed several right hands and generally controlled the pace of the fight. The third round was Kennedy’s best as he gained his most dominant position by climbing to Rockhold’s back after a takedown. Again, this round could have been scored for Kennedy and was probably the one the judges gave him. The fourth round saw the most significant moment of the fight with Rockhold landing another right hand but this time landing clean enough to drop Kennedy. He attacked for the finish but Kennedy survived. The fifth round saw little action, which is a bit disappointing considering that an optimistic view could have had the fight at two rounds each. But neither fighter seemed to feel a sense of urgency and Rockhold deserved the round based mostly on cage control.
Neither fighter was overly impressive in the fight but Rockhold earned the decision and the right to retain his belt. As is the case in most divisions, Strikeforce doesn’t have much to offer in terms of competition at middleweight so we’ll have to wait and see who’s next for Rockhold. Kennedy has established himself as a quality fighter but has now lost twice in title fights and seems unlikely to ever hold the belt. A match with Lorenz Larkin would seem to make sense after his victory over Robbie Lawler earlier in the night.
Nate Marquardt vs. Tyron Woodley
Nate Marquardt made the most of his first fight in Strikeforce scoring an impressive knockout over Tyron Woodley. The fight also marked his first appearance at 170 lbs and the weight cut didn’t seem to impact his performance at all. At this weight, he’s going to be tough to deal with and shouldn’t have much competition in Strikeforce. Hopefully, he can put together one or two more performances like this and get a second chance in the UFC.
The fight started with Marquardt and Woodley both landing big right hands. Woodley’s landed on the temple and staggered Marquardt. But Marquardt was able to defend, recover and take over the fight from there. The key going in to this fight was whether or not Woodley would be able to take Marquardt down and we found out quickly that he was not able to do so. Marquardt stuffed every takedown attempt easily and the only way Woodley was ever able to get the fight to the mat was by scoring knockdowns with his punches. But Marquardt was the one landing the majority of the strikes and continuously battered Woodley with right hands. By the end of the first round, Woodley was barely able to stand and seemed to not be fully aware of where he was when the round ended. Woodley came out tentative and still hurt in the second round. Marquardt took advantage and continued to batter him with strikes. Woodley seemed to wilt as the round continued and Marquardt was in full control of the fight by the end of the round. But Woodley wasn’t done yet and showed his heart by exploding on Marquardt to open the third round. He dropped Marquardt with a flurry of punches and tried to finish but couldn’t land anything clean enough to end the fight. Marquardt recovered and was back in control of the fight by the end of the round. He then came out in the fourth wasting no time and looking to end the fight. He landed several big combinations before eventually backing Woodley against the cage and landing an impressive elbow and punch combination to score the knockout. Woodley was never going to win the fight unless he could consistently earn top position and once Marquardt established the pattern of the fight as a striking match, the outcome was inevitable.
Marquardt is clearly the best welterweight in Strikeforce and should hold the belt for as long as he wants. No one currently in the division is a threat to him. Realistically, he should be in the UFC but based on all the drama surrounding his release, who knows if that will ever happen. For Woodley, this will either be the fight that establishes his ceiling or the fight that motivates him to work harder than he ever has before. If his gutsy performance to start the third round is any indication, he will come back stronger from this loss. He has the wrestling base and athleticism to be a title contender but he simply does not have the experience to compete with someone like Marquardt. As his striking becomes more fluid and he can mix it with his wrestling, he still has the potential to become a championship caliber mixed martial artist.
Roger Gracie vs. Keith Jardine
The second fight of the night was a bit of a head scratcher. Roger Gracie completely dominated the first two rounds. But he was only able to dominate because Jardine showed an egregious lack of discipline. To start each of the first two rounds, Jardine rushed Gracie putting himself off balance and allowing Gracie to score easy takedowns. From there, Gracie completely dominated the ground game as would be expected. He repeatedly made his way into dominant positions and used them to slice Jardine’s face with elbows. He also spent a significant amount of time in the second round on Jardine’s back and was probably only prevented from locking up a rear naked choke because of all the blood pouring out of Jardine’s head making it difficult to hold on to any submissions. The fight was clearly over after the second round unless Jardine could pull off a finish. In the third round, Jardine executed the exact gameplan he should have used in the first two rounds. Instead of rushing in recklessly, he stayed on the outside and despite all the punishment he had already taken, was able to win the round. Two of the judges gave that round to Gracie but I can only assume their scoring was basically a carry over from the first two rounds. Had Jardine employed that strategy for all three rounds, he probably would have won the fight because Gracie showed nothing to indicate that he could have scored a takedown without Jardine so anxiously throwing himself off balance. Regardless, Gracie earns the victory and will likely get a tougher fight in his next appearance. Unfortunately for those who want so desperately to see a Gracie climb the MMA ranks again, he showed little improvement in his wrestling and striking. His shots lacked explosion. His chin was high and waiting to be hit. Better and smarter fighters than Jardine will exploit those weaknesses. Jardine continues to slide down the rankings and has now lost both of his fights at 185 lbs. Strikeforce’s relatively weak middleweight roster will likely ensure that he gets more fights but at this point, he can no longer be considered a serious threat.
Robbie Lawler vs. Lorenz Larkin
In the opening fight of the main card, Lorenz Larkin outstruck Robbie Lawler on his way to a decision victory. The fight went exactly the way most people thought it would. Both fighters came to the cage looking to strike. Lawler landed a solid right hand to Larkin’s temple early in the opening round but was not able to take advantage and finish the fight. After than, Larkin controlled the fight and Lawler seemed to fade as the fight continued. Larkin showed the more diverse striking game as expected and Lawler was never able to land the type of power shot that could have earned him the victory. Larkin showed no ill effects from his first cut to 185 lbs. However, he still needs to develop the rest of his game if he hopes to be a serious contender. Lawler remains essentially a gatekeeper in the middleweight decision and should continue to provide interesting matchups for Strikeforce because of his willingness to stand.
Saturday night, Strikeforce featured a fight card with two title shots, and still, many didn’t know about it.Nonetheless, it was a great card with many highly contested close fights, including the crowning of a new welterweight champion.Let’s take a lo…
Saturday night, Strikeforce featured a fight card with two title shots, and still, many didn’t know about it.
Nonetheless, it was a great card with many highly contested close fights, including the crowning of a new welterweight champion.
Let’s take a look back at the most memorable moments of Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy.
Nate Marquardt made his return to the cage tonight, and in his highly anticipated return, he faced off against Tyron Woodley for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title.Marquardt won the early two rounds, displaying good striking to take it to Woodle…
Nate Marquardt made his return to the cage tonight, and in his highly anticipated return, he faced off against Tyron Woodley for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title.
Marquardt won the early two rounds, displaying good striking to take it to Woodley. Woodley fought back, rocking Marquardt twice and even almost finishing him on the ground but was unable to do so.
Marquardt finished the fight with a few elbows followed up with two vicious uppercuts, as Woodley fell to the floor and Marquardt claimed the vacant Strikeforce belt.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
The finishing combination that finished Tyron Woodley. My oh my was that a finishing uppercut to Woodley.
What we learned about Nate Marquardt:
Marquardt looked really good in his first fight at welterweight. He did an excellent job of dictating the fight, being aggressive and being able to utilize elbows, punches, knees and kicks to weaken Woodley.
What we learned about Tyron Woodley:
Woodley didn’t utilize his wrestling skills in this fight. He had a really good third round and even rocked Marquardt a couple of times. Woodley possesses power but couldn’t find a way to finish off Marquardt.
What’s next for Marquardt?:
Whoever Strikeforce feels is ready for that welterweight battle will be his next opponent.
Maybe they bring someone over from the UFC? I can’t figure out who could possibly be Marquardt’s first title defense at this point.
What’s next for Woodley?:
Much like Marquardt, I don’t know where to put Woodley. I can’t see a rematch with Tarec Saffiedine, although it would do Saffiedine well to set himself up for a title shot if he can get past Woodley this time.
Maybe a fight with Jordan Mein who won on the preliminary card would be in order.
After his awesome knockout of Tyron Woodley, a win that crowned Nate Marquardt Strikeforce welterweight champion, the former UFC star said something outrageously, outlandishly and ridiculously hilarious.
