Things get started early for UFC fans stateside on Saturday, as Nate Marquardt and James Te Huna will exchange firepower live from New Zealand in UFC Fight Night 43. Fans in the east can expect to enjoy the main event over a cup of coffee and some eggs…
Things get started early for UFC fans stateside on Saturday, as Nate Marquardt and James Te Huna will exchange firepower live from New Zealand in UFC Fight Night 43. Fans in the east can expect to enjoy the main event over a cup of coffee and some eggs while also using it as a lead-up to UFC Fight Night 44, which is happening later in the day.
The Marquardt-Te Huna bout headlines a card that’s not particularly rich with interesting bouts but falls in line with the UFC’s commitment to regionalism in its programming so far in 2014. The fight itself is decent insomuch as it pits two sputtering contenders against one another at a time when they’re both reinventing themselves, but it offers little else.
Little else, that is, beyond that standard level of danger that comes with exchanging head kicks with one’s fellow man. With that in mind, there are some notable keys to victory for both men at a time when neither can afford to lose for a third (Te Huna) or fourth (Marquardt) time in a row.
For Marquardt, a middleweight-turned-welterweight-turned-middleweight, it’s going to be pretty simple: avoid Te Huna’s notable strength and size advantage. The New Zealander is a hulk of a man, one who wasn’t small at light heavyweight and who has respectable athleticism to match his sheer physicality.
If Marquardt gets entangled in any sort of brawl, there’s a very good chance he’s going to be kissing the Auckland canvas in short order, as Te Huna has power by the bucketful and Marquardt’s been knocked out by 170-pounders in his last two outings.
On the other side of the ledger, if Te Huna is to be successful, he’s going to need to be measured in his attack but incredibly forceful when it comes time to turn it on. A 20-pound weight drop is no joke, and that’s what he’s doing for the first time in his bout at UFN 43—dropping from light heavyweight to middleweight.
He needs to use his gas tank conservatively but not concernedly, picking his spots and then using his advantages without remorse when he commits.
You can expect Marquardt to notice a difference going back up from 170, where he was usually larger than his opponent, to face a monster of a middleweight who was known for power and strength as a 205-pounder. You can also expect Te Huna to stick with the power and strength that got him to the dance.
The man who comes out on top will be the one who can better manage that situation and implement his own attack.
If Marquardt can stay technical and disciplined, he has a hope; if Te Huna can disrupt that with his advantage of physical tools, he’ll make quick work of The Great and look pretty great in his own right by doing it.
Throwback Thursday is a new recurring column that pays tribute to the stars of an upcoming UFC event by taking a look back at some of their greatest defining moments. This week, we look back at the night Nate Marquardt ended Demian Maia’s undefeated MMA career in emphatic fashion ahead of his do-or-die fight against James Te Huna at Fight Night 43 this weekend.
Despite being brutally knocked out twice in 3 minutes or less since returning to the UFC, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt will be headlining the Fight Pass card (Fight Night 43) of this weekend’s Fight Night doubleheader. Paired against yet another knockout artist in James Te Huna, Marquardt will need to show some flashes of his old self if he is to defeat the game New Zealander and remain employed with the UFC.
Prior to his past two contests, however, Marquardt had only been stopped once by strikes in some 45 fights, and had actually been building a reputation as a rather fierce striker in his own right with his wins over Martin Kampmann and Wilson Gouveia. Of course, it was his 21-second whoopin’ of the then undefeated Jiu-Jitsu master Demian Maia at UFC 102 that truly opened our eyes to the destructive power “The Great” possessed when he was on his game.
(Marquardt vs. Maia via the UFC’s Youtube page.)
Throwback Thursday is a new recurring column that pays tribute to the stars of an upcoming UFC event by taking a look back at some of their greatest defining moments. This week, we look back at the night Nate Marquardt ended Demian Maia’s undefeated MMA career in emphatic fashion ahead of his do-or-die fight against James Te Huna at Fight Night 43 this weekend.
Despite being brutally knocked out twice in 3 minutes or less since returning to the UFC, former Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt will be headlining the Fight Pass card (Fight Night 43) of this weekend’s Fight Night doubleheader. Paired against yet another knockout artist in James Te Huna, Marquardt will need to show some flashes of his old self if he is to defeat the game New Zealander and remain employed with the UFC.
Prior to his past two contests, however, Marquardt had only been stopped once by strikes in some 45 fights, and had actually been building a reputation as a rather fierce striker in his own right with his wins over Martin Kampmann and Wilson Gouveia. Of course, it was his 21-second whoopin’ of the then undefeated Jiu-Jitsu master Demian Maia at UFC 102 that truly opened our eyes to the destructive power “The Great” possessed when he was on his game.
Allow me to set the scene for you: The year was 2009, and one of the most credentialed BJJ fighters to ever enter the UFC had racked up five straight submission wins in the promotion (and four “Sub of the Night” awards) over the likes Nate Quarry, Chael Sonnen, and Ed Herman. All of them decisive, all of them dominant. Yes, Maia was on a roll as they say, already being heralded as the next middleweight title challenger if not the next champion for his ground prowess alone. We were so young.
Matched up against Marquardt, a former title challenger with outstanding wrestling skills and proven power in his hands, Maia realized that he would need to hone his striking skills if he was ever going to get within arm’s reach of his well-rounded opponent.
“He’s been working his striking with Wanderlei Silva,” Mike Goldberg informed us in the opening seconds of the fight. Joe Rogan seemed to be in agreement for once, but before he could even reassure the viewing audience of Maia’s true intentions, Marquardt caught Maia charging in with his hands down. The shot he landed was an earth-shattering, first punch KO that quite literally sent Maia into a tailspin.
Maia’s face bounced off the canvas like a basketball with a sickening thud. Thankfully, Marquardt realized that Maia was out cold mid-follow up punch and opted against inflicting any further damage.
“Every fight starts standing,” declared Mike Goldberg, with yet another astute observation.
Marquardt’s third straight TKO win earned him a #1 contender’s match against Chael Sonnen at UFC 109, where he would be treated to a good old fashioned grapplefucking by the Gangster from West Lynn. Despite going 3-1 in his next 4 fights, Marquardt would be unexpectedly axed by the UFC when his UFC on Versus 4 pre-fight medical exam revealed that he had elevated levels of testosterone running through his system.
Marquardt’s positive test served as the precursor to the TRT-riddled landscape the UFC would soon become, and according to his Wikipedia page, was the result of a variety of contributing factors. Aren’t they always.
On June 28, 2011, Nate appeared on MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani and stated that in August 2010 he felt tired and moody and his doctor discovered he had low testosterone levels. That doctor put Nate on hormone replacement therapy, and when Nate applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption with the New Jersey state commission, they allowed it but declared that he must go off the therapy for ten weeks, then have his levels retested by a specialist to determine if he really needs to be on the therapy or not.
At the end of that period, both the specialist and Nate’s primary doctor agreed his levels really were low and he was a candidate for replacement therapy. Nate’s primary doctor injected him with testosterone to quickly get his levels back up in time for his scheduled fight against Story. The Pennsylvania commission had set standards for what his testosterone levels could be at fight time and Nate’s levels, though trending down over the last week before the fight, still failed to fall to within the range required in time for him to be cleared to fight. Nate claimed that he retook tests on the day of the fight and was actually within qualifying limits, thus having his suspension lifted by the commission.
Which brings us to this weekend, where Marquardt will arguably be fighting for his career against Te Huna (who is in similar territory himself). I only say “arguably” because the non-firings of guys like Charlie Brenneman have only further diluted my understanding of the UFC’s hiring and firing policies. I mean, have you heard that Sexyama and Kid Yamamoto are being booked for the UFC’s return to Japan? Despite the fact that neither of them have fought in 2 years and have combined for a UFC record of 1-7? Sheesh.
There are far bigger, more relevant fighters to main event a mixed martial arts card than James Te Huna and Nate “The Great” Marquardt. However, when it comes to sheer desperation, Te Huna and Marquardt should have plenty.
Both men are on a losing stre…
There are far bigger, more relevant fighters to main event a mixed martial arts card than James Te Huna and Nate “The Great” Marquardt. However, when it comes to sheer desperation, Te Huna and Marquardt should have plenty.
Both men are on a losing streak and can ill-afford another loss. That dynamic could make the feature bout of UFC Fight Night 43 in New Zealand a smashing affair. This card will be exclusively broadcast Saturday, June 28, on UFC Fight Pass. Click here for details.
UFC Fight Night 44 will take place later in the day from San Antonio.
Marquardt has dropped three fights in a row, and that includes back-to-back first-round KO defeats at the hands of Hector Lombard and Jake Ellenberger.
Te Huna has lost two in a row himself. Most recently, he was knocked out by Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in Dec. 2013. In the fight before that, he was submitted by Glover Teixeira.
Te Huna is a native of New Zealand, and he talked about how much of an honor it will be to main event a card in his homeland.
Te Huna told MMA Kanvas: “For me it’s an honour to represent my country and headline the card. I dreamed about this when I was a kid, and for me to fulfill these dreams is the best.”
While neither man has fallen to flimsy competition, the name of the game is winning. Neither of them have been accomplishing that goal of late. Something has to give on Saturday—unless there’s a draw, of course. That would likely be terrible for fans.
Let’s hope for a winner. Here’s a look at the entire card, viewing information and predictions.
Deeper analysis into the picks for the top main card bouts is below.
Charles Oliveira vs. Hatsu Hioki
As prospects 25 and under go in the UFC, few have a brighter future in the sport than Oliveira. He appears to get better with each fight. His long arms have helped to augment his budding striking skills, and that only complements his superb ground game.
During a 10-fight UFC career, the 24-year-old has collected six fight-night bonuses worth $295,000. Additionally, even after a two-fight skid, he got a main-card slot at the recent UFC Fight Night 36 event, where he submitted Andy Ogle earlier this year.
Against Hioki, Oliveira will be facing another hungry fighter. Hioki snapped a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous-decision win over Ivan Menjivar in March. Both Hioki and Oliveira will be looking to establish momentum.
Oliveira won’t have the same height advantage he enjoys over most featherweights. In fact, Hioki is listed at one inch taller by UFC.com. Still, Oliveira’s overall repertoire will prove too much for Hioki.
Oliveira is adept at using strikes to set up trips and takedowns. Once the fight goes to the ground, few can match him there. Oliveira will win by submission.
Soa “The Hulk” Palelei vs. Jared Rosholt
From the looks of the images Palelei has been posting on Twitter, he’ll be in the best shape he’s ever been in for a UFC bout on Saturday.
No one would ever doubt The Hulk’s strength or ground-and-pound prowess, but his conditioning has been suspect in the past. If he’s in great shape, he could be a real force in the heavyweight division. How he handles Rosholt will give fans the first indication of how serious a contender Palelei is.
Rosholt has a solid record overall, and he’s undefeated in two UFC bouts, but it’s hard to go against a fit Palelei—especially in front of his home crowd. Hulk will smash his way to a first-round TKO.
At 35 years old, Marquardt could be making his last stand in the sport. Having lost three straight, he has to be dangling by a thread as it pertains to release from the promotion.
Te Huna, who is also not the most secure talent in the UFC, will nudge Marquardt over the edge. With faster hands and harder punches, Te Huna will win what figures to be an exciting stand-up clash.
Marquardt’s best approach will be to take the fight to the ground, but that could be easier said than done. In limited UFC action, Te Huna has thwarted 66 percent of the attempts to take him down.
Because he knows Marquardt will likely try to turn the bout into a grappling contest, Te Huna should be ready.
Neither man has shown an overly sturdy chin lately, and they have nearly identical striking stats, with both fighters landing 52 percent of their strikes thrown and absorbing 46 percent of opponent attempts. So, the advantage has to go to the harder hitter, which one would have to think should be Te Huna, given that he’s coming down from 205 pounds.
Marquardt has faced and defeated some of the best fighters in his era, but it’s about time to call it a career.
Just For Kicks
EA Sports UFC just released on Xbox One and Playstation 4 on June 17. I thought it would be cool to simulate the main event. Neither Nate Marquardt or James Te Huna are included in the roster at this point—although updates are said to be on the way—so I created both men with the GameFace feature.
The image of Marquardt was modeled after the most current picture on UFC.com. Te Huna’s hairstyle was difficult to get down, but their stats were based on their respective numbers from FightMetric.com.
James Te Huna has been waiting a long time for the UFC to touch down in New Zealand.
Over the past four years he’s spent competing under the UFC banner, the 32-year-old Canterbury native has competed in nearby Australia on several occasions, but …
James Te Huna has been waiting a long time for the UFC to touch down in New Zealand.
Over the past four years he’s spent competing under the UFC banner, the 32-year-old Canterbury native has competed in nearby Australia on several occasions, but Saturday night will mark the first time Te Huna will step into the Octagon on his native soil.
While being able to compete in front of his countryman is a dream he’s long waited to see materialize, doing so as the main event on the card will only serve to make the experience that much more surreal for the heavy-handed Kiwi.
“I’m definitely excited about this fight and it’s a dream of mine that has come true,” Te Huna told Bleacher Report. “It’s definitely a surreal experience for me. I knew the UFC was going to have an event in New Zealand, but I was actually quite surprised it happened so fast. I thought the event would take place later in the year when Mark [Hunt] would be ready for it, but his injury kept him off the card. They went ahead with the event and I’m really looking forward to it.
“There is a love for MMA here and a lot of great UFC fans. Kiwis are very passionate about their sports. I’ve been here in Auckland for the past four weeks preparing for my fight and the support I’ve received has been amazing. People have been coming up to me on the streets, shaking my hand and wishing me well. I was quite surprised to be honest, but certainly appreciative of their support.”
The Sydney transplant will square off with former Strikeforce champion Nate Marquardt in the headlining bout of Fight Night 43 on Saturday night in Auckland. Being able to sling leather in his own backyard under the bright lights of the sport’s biggest stage is undoubtedly a large perk of Te Huna’s next assignment, but additional circumstances at play that will add a touch of tension to an otherwise ideal scenario for the Athletic Allstars-trained fighter.
The most prominent of which is the current rough patch Te Huna has fallen into. And it is one he desperately needs to break out of on Saturday night.
While Te Huna’s time in the UFC got off to a red-hot start—successful in five of his first six showings, including an impressive run of four consecutive victories—his momentum has come to a grinding halt as of late. His four-fight winning streak was snapped at the hands of Glover Teixeira at UFC 160 in May 2013, and his attempt to rebound back into the win column was snuffed out by former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at Fight Night 33 six months later in Brisbane, Australia.
Suffering back-to-back losses at the highest level of the sport would force any fighter to take a hard look at the state of things in their career, and Te Huna was no exception.
Yet, rather than dwell on the negatives and results he had no power to change, the proud New Zealand representative made the decision to drop down a weight class and look for a fresh start in the middleweight division.
“I’ve been fighting my entire career at light heavyweight, but those who know me know that I’m not a natural light heavyweight,” Te Huna said. “I don’t walk around that heavy, but I was getting the job done at that weight and there was no reason for me to drop down to middleweight. But I had two recent losses and things weren’t going too well in training, so I needed to make a change. I believe it will make a big difference and I can’t wait to get out there and perform.”
The bout against Marquardt—whose current three-fight skid has put him in a rocky position of his own—will mark his official debut in the 185-pound ranks and will provide Te Huna a solid opportunity to get things back on track.
That said, he has refused to allow the pressure at hand to rest heavily on his shoulders. Te Huna understands all of the negative things that could potentially accompany a third consecutive loss, but in the same turn, those are elements he’s not paying any mind to.
He is coming to Vector Arena on Saturday to put on a show, and everything else will take care of itself once his hand is raised inside the Octagon.
“I’m not worrying about pressure or anything like that,” Te Huna said. “My confidence is up and I’ve moved on from those last two fights. I’ve been in this position before. I know what I need to do and all I’m concentrating on right now is winning this fight. That’s the only thing that matters to me.
“I think this is going to be a great matchup. We both like to get in there, get after it and bring the row. We like to get to it. That’s the way I fight and that’s the way he fights as well. We both come to bang and it’s going to make for an exciting fight. I always come to put on a show. I always bring it.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Nate Marquardt and James Te Huna will make a piece of inauspicious history on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 43.
According to statistical wizard Mike Bohn at MMAJunkie.com, Te Huna vs. Marquardt will be the first UFC main event ever to feature two fighter…
Nate Marquardt and James Te Huna will make a piece of inauspicious history on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 43.
According to statistical wizard Mike Bohn at MMAJunkie.com, Te Huna vs. Marquardt will be the first UFC main event ever to feature two fighters coming off back-to-back losses in the promotion.
Perhaps it goes without saying, but this is probably not one the MMA bards will immortalize in song and story.
The last time we saw Te Huna he was being sacrificed at the altar of Shogun Rua, playing the role of stepping stone at a Fight Night event in Australia, so Rua could go on to lose a rematch against Dan Henderson at a Fight Night event in Brazil. Before that, he fought Glover Teixeira as an injury replacement for Ryan Bader, suffering a first-round submission loss to the eventual light heavyweight No. 1 contender.
For Marquardt, things have been even worse. Formerly a member of the middleweight elite, the 35-year-old has likely lapsed into permanent journeyman status after dropping three straight since July 2012. He fumbled his Strikeforce welterweight title in an upset loss to TarecSaffiedine in Jan. 2013 and—upon returning to the UFC after his TRT-related firing in 2011—suffered disastrous first-round knockouts at the hands of Jake Ellenberger and Hector Lombard.
With Marquardt on the verge of the golden sombrero and Te Huna at risk of conceding his third straight loss, conventional wisdom says whoever loses this one is probably going to get cut. Even in a new reality where the UFC isn’t as liberal with the pink slips as it used to be—it needs warm bodies to staff all these Fight Nights, after all—it’s tough to imagine either of these guys remaining viable after another consecutive defeat.
As my colleague Ben Fowlkes noted on this week’s Co-Main Event Podcast, all of this sends a fairly murky message. What are we to make of a “main event” fight where the loser could be immediately (and justifiably) fired? Have we finally stretched the term as far as it can go? And with nine other fights on this card of lesser quality, what’s the impetus for even the most hardcore fan to tune in?
Clearly, Americans won’t be logging-on in droves to check out an event scheduled to run between 2-7 a.m. ET. New Zealanders who’ve waited years for the UFC to make a pit stop in their little corner of the earth will gladly turn out to support their countryman in Te Huna. Still, hardcore fight fans of any nationality should recognize this as a bit of an underwhelming effort for the Octagon’s first trip to Kiwi country.
For Marquardt and Te Huna, perhaps the one saving grace may be that none of their most recent losses took place in the 185-pound division. Te Huna is cutting to middleweight after making all eight of his previous UFC appearances at light heavyweight. Marquardt, meanwhile, returns to 185 for the first time since his UFC 128 win over Dan Miller.
If Te Huna can defeat Marquardt, then maybe he can make a modest run in his new division. A win over a guy with such a prolonged losing streak wouldn’t vault the 32-year-old to the top of any prospect lists, but it would give him some legs. While a Marquardt victory would likely be viewed as somewhat less meaningful, it would obviously be better for him than the alternative.
And that—speaking of stretching things as far as we possibly can—is about all that can be said for potential positive stakes in this fight.
Chances are, the negative stakes far outweigh them. Whoever comes out on the wrong end of this bit of history will likely end up singing a pretty sad song.
(Marquardt prays to not get knocked the eff out by Hector Lombard prior to UFC 166, a prayer that would sadly go unanswered. Photo via Getty)
This weekend, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will headline the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi at Fight Night 39. It’s a card that literally has dozens of fans brimming with excitement and one that will surely be viewed by dozens more. But while it’s easier to understand why two familiar faces like Big Nog and Big Country could find themselves headlining an event despite going 2-4 in their past six fights combined, today brings news of a headlining matchup so thoroughly meh that it threatens to redefine our understanding of the term “oversaturation”: Nate Marquardt vs. James Te Huna.
I’m using hyperbole for dramatic effect of course, but let’s look at the facts of this matchup, which was recently announced as the headliner for the UFC’s first (and last, amiright! *crickets*) trip to New Zealand on June 28th:
-Since returning to the UFC, Marquardt has gone 0-2, with both losses coming via first round knockout
-Te Huna has also dropped his last two, in the first round, by submission to Glover Teixeira and KO to Mauricio Rua
-The fight will be held at 185 pounds, meaning Marquardt will be moving up from welterweight for the first time since 2011, and Te Huna will be dropping from LHW for the first time in his career.
If you haven’t guessed by now, this card will air exclusively on Fight Pass.
(Marquardt prays to not get knocked the eff out by Hector Lombard prior to UFC 166, a prayer that would sadly go unanswered. Photo via Getty)
This weekend, Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will headline the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi at Fight Night 39. It’s a card that literally has dozens of fans brimming with excitement and one that will surely be viewed by dozens more. But while it’s easier to understand why two familiar faces like Big Nog and Big Country could find themselves headlining an event despite going 2-4 in their past six fights combined, today brings news of a headlining matchup so thoroughly meh that it threatens to redefine our understanding of the term “oversaturation”: Nate Marquardt vs. James Te Huna.
I’m using hyperbole for dramatic effect of course, but let’s look at the facts of this matchup, which was recently announced as the headliner for the UFC’s first (and last, amiright! *crickets*) trip to New Zealand on June 28th:
-Since returning to the UFC, Marquardt has gone 0-2, with both losses coming via first round knockout
-Te Huna has also dropped his last two, in the first round, by submission to Glover Teixeira and KO to Mauricio Rua
-The fight will be held at 185 pounds, meaning Marquardt will be moving up from welterweight for the first time since 2011, and Te Huna will be dropping from LHW for the first time in his career.
If you haven’t guessed by now, this card will air exclusively on Fight Pass.
Although Marquardt has fallen on hard times as of late, there’s no denying that he is capable of some amazing things in the octagon. The same goes for Te Huna, who has looked spectacular in his wins over guys who have all since been cut and Ryan Jimmo. But seriously, what is this matchup? The UFC couldn’t find Te Huna an actual middleweight contender for his last ditch weight cut, so they brought up a former middleweight who is also in a do-or-die position with the promotion? And they made that the headliner because Te Huna is from New Zealand? Does the winner get to face Rich Franklin at 195 for the inaugural whatisthisweight championship? World fucking domination, ladies and gentleman.
If the UFC wants to kill two birds with one stone, that’s fine. But don’t piss in my hand and tell me it’s raining by booking Marquardt vs. Te Huna as your headliner and then trying to sell it as “a collision course between contenders” as the UFC inevitably will*. Given where they currently stand, Marquardt vs. Te Huna is a decent supporting fight at best, and to bill it as anything other than that is insulting to your audience’s intelligence. Main event status should have to be earned by something, God damn it, and uncompelling headliners like this are one of the many reasons the WWE network is soaring and Fight Pass not so much.
Then again, maybe the UFC just assumes that anyone dumb enough to purchase Fight Pass is incapable of having their intelligence insulted, which isn’t a terrible assumption to make.
*Who am I kidding? They don’t market these things.
Things get started early for UFC fans stateside on Saturday, as Nate Marquardt and James Te Huna will exchange firepower live from New Zealand in UFC Fight Night 43. Fans in the east can expect to enjoy the main event over a cup of coffee and some eggs while also using it as a lead-up to UFC Fight Night 44, which is happening later in the day.
