Nate Marquardt: My Training Was Suffering From The Cut Down To Welterweight

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Nate Marquardt picked up a big win with a first round armbar submission of James Te Huna at today’s (Sat., June 28, 2014) UFC Fight Night 43 from the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand.

It was a successful return to 185 pounds after losing three straight at welterweight. At the UFC Fight Night 43 post-fight press conference, Marquardt said believes he is back in his rightful weight class because the cut to 170 left him too drained:

“My training was suffering because of the diet. So I wasn’t getting the right training and I wasn’t able to recover from my workouts. I think the cut the week of the fight was affecting me in the fight, and I believe this is where I’m supposed to be, at 185. I don’t think I was meant to fight at 170. I had early success fighting Tyron Woodley, and so once I had that success, it took a lot to kind of knock sense into me. It finally worked after my last fight.”  – transcribed via MMA Mania

Marquardt admits his own degree of fault, and it’s a good thing he took an honest self-assessment. After all, he looked like a shell of his former self when he was knocked out by Hector Lombard and Jake Ellenberger in 2013.

While many questioned the 35-year-old’s will to fight on, the rigorous weight cut would explain his lackluster performances. He beat a man who was cutting down from 205 pounds, and he looked impressive in doing so. What should be next for “The Great’s” latest run at middleweight?

Can he truly become a player in the stacked division?