Our friends over at Lowkick got a chance to chat with Nate ‘the Great’ Marquardt just days leading up to his first return to the Octagon since losing a brutal fight with Chael Sonnen at UFC 109 in February. The Greg Jackson mainstay will be fighting in the main event at Wednesday night’s UFC Fight Night 22 against ground specialist Rousimar Palhares. Palhares is coming off a 90 day suspension for cranking on a nasty heel hook after his opponent had tapped and the ref had called the fight. Although his opponent, Tomasz Drwal, luckily only ended up with a strained knee, the suspension to Palhares was clearly warranted.
Nate Marquardt Looks To Prove Himself As Top Middleweight Contender With Victory Over Rousimar Palhares At UFN 22
I know that everyone keeps asking you about Rousimar’s submission skills. In terms of gameplan, you’re looking to keep this fight standing?
For the most part, I’m going to have an advantage on the feet, so more I can keep it there - the less he can attack me on the ground. But at the same time, I feel very competent on the ground. So if he takes me down, I will look to ground and pound him.
Do you think that this fight against Rousimar Palhares will prove that you’re still one of the top contenders in the UFC Middleweight division?
Yes, definitely. Rousimar is a very tough and dangerous opponent. I feel like, beating him will secure my spot as one of the top guys in the division. And hopefully soon I will get a title shot.
There’s an ongoing debate in MMA world about fighters who look to take the fight to the ground and keep it there. Some fans, as well as fighters, critique this approach saying it’s ruining the game. What’s your opinion on this subject?
I think it’s a wrong mentality. You know, when I started in Mixed Martial Arts, when I first started watching it, the Jiu-Jitsu guys were beating everyone. So anyone who had a good Jiu-Jitsu would be able to take them down, to submit them or punch them on the ground and win the fight. From there, it went to guys who can stop the takedown, and get a knockout. Fighters like Chuck Liddell. Fighters like him were dominating the sport. So lately the wrestlers brought it back a little. I think it’s the thing in Mixed Martial Arts, that sometimes the grapplers or the wrestlers are going to have an advantage, and sometimes it’s the strikers. The way to keep yourself on the top of the game, is to be well-rounded. Not to neglect any part of your game. If you have a problem with guys taking you down, you have to defend the takedown and learn how to wrestle.
This is a pretty refreshing approach to MMA with all the recent talk of boring fights. Marquardt is absolutely right. The evolution of the sport is going to go through this sort of cycle based on the personnel involved in it. The wrestlers are proving to be very successful right now, but that’s only until the lowest common denominator rises. Once the overall average wrestling base improves, fighters are going to need to find other ways to win. It’s all just a matter of time. I wouldn’t fault someone for correctly using their personal force multipliers to get wins, more money. As soon as quarterbacks in the NFL stop taking knees to run out the clock or teams with a lead stop running the ball the entire fourth quarter we can talk about dominant wrestlers in MMA being boring.
See More:
