Nate Marquardt Doesn’t Think He Has Anything To Prove On Saturday
After going 0-3 in his last three fights, Nate Marquardt will move back up to middleweight division this weekend to take on James Te Huna in the main event of UFC Fight Night 43.
The decision to move back up to 185 pounds came as a surprise to many as fighters tend to look at moving down in weight when they are on a bad run. In a recent interview with MMAJunkie.com Marquardt said one of the reasons for his move came from the “Almighty” himself:
“I just feel like that’s what God wanted me to do, was to move back up to middleweight,” Marquardt said. “I’d never lost two fights in a row before, so it was actually more after the second one that I was actually kind of questioning myself.”
The former UFC middleweight title challenger was alternating between wins and losses prior to his drop down to welterweight but he decided to make the drop after being advised to by his teammate; Georges St. Pierre.
He was expected to make his debut in the weight class against Rick Story at UFC on Versus 4, however, he dropped out on the day of the weigh ins due to not receiving medical clearance and was subsequently released by the UFC.
“”The Great” eventually had his first welterweight bout when he signed for Strikeforce at the end of 2012. His first fight was for the vacant 170 pound title which he took after defeating Tyron Woodley with a fourth round TKO. Things haven’t been the same for Marquardt since then.
“When I initially cut down to 170, I did feel very good and that was basically attributed to the fact I was eating clean. I was walking around a little bit lighter, so my speed went up, my strength stayed up and my explosive power was still there,” Marquardt said. “Over the time of two years at welterweight, the cut just took its toll on me. The dehydration around the fight was affecting my chin. Your ability to take a punch when you’re dehydrated is a lot lower.”
One other factor which is worth taking into consideration is Marquardt was receiving TRT in the lead up and during his fight with Woodley. He stopped having the treatment prior to his first title defence against Tarec Saffiedine and he hasn’t looked the same since.
Nevertheless, the veteran feels the move will be best for him and decided to test himself back at middleweight against Te Huna who makes his 185 pound debut after spending his whole career at light-heavyweight. At 35-years of age and with multiple titles under his belt, Marquardt doesn’t feel like he has anything left to prove.
“I don’t feel like I have anything to prove,” Marquardt said. “I feel like God blessed me with a lot of talent, and I know what He’s blessed me with. I train six days a week, and I train with some of the best fighters and I’ve fought some of the best fighters. I know what I’ve been blessed with.
My job isn’t to go out and prove something, my job is to go out and fight. I’m just going to do the very best I can, I’m going to fight hard and put on a good show for the fans. That’s what my job is. My job isn’t to prove anything, because I already know what I’ve been blessed with.”
Marquardt is in desperate need of a win and could find himself out of a job if he losses on Saturday. Do you think his return to middleweight will be a successful one?
