Issue 088
May 2012
NATE MARQUARDT SIGNS WITH STRIKEFORCE, SET TO FACE UNDEFEATED TYRON WOODLEY
After being fired from the UFC over six months ago Nate Marquardt has made a dramatic return to the promotion’s parent company, but with Strikeforce and not the UFC. The former number-one contender for the UFC middleweight title was dismissed from the UFC in June last year following issues with Marquardt’s testosterone replacement therapy that subsequently forced the cancelation of a main-event bout one day before the event.
Marquardt attempted to stay busy, signing with British promotion BAMMA, and was set to face Yoshiyuki Yoshida at BAMMA 9. However, earlier this year BAMMA and Marquardt revealed the Colorado-based competitor had left the promotion.
UFC president Dana White, speaking to MMA Fighting, said: “Right after he was released from the UFC, MC Hammer, who is involved with his management team, asked if we could meet. I met him in Los Angeles, and he made a case for Nate. I said, ‘Listen, I love you, but he’s going to have to go somewhere else, fight in some other places and then come back.’”
Marquardt is scheduled to make his Strikeforce debut against undefeated prospect Tyron Woodley, who owns victories over British slugger Paul Daley, Belgian striker Tarec Saffiedine and jiu-jitsu champion Andre Galvao. At the time of going to press, no date had been set for the bout.
UFC RUMORED FOR JULY CALGARY DEBUT
The UFC is reported to be visiting Calgary for the first time in the promotion’s history this July. The Las Vegas company will travel to the Great White North to make its debut appearance in the province of Alberta. No bouts had been announced at the time of going to press. Zuffa has only ventured into Alberta once before, to Edmonton under the WEC banner back in 2010.
TUF WINNER JOHN DODSON WANTS TO BE UFC’S FIRST ‘THREE-WEIGHT KING’
Ultimate Fighter 14 winner John Dodson has revealed aspirations of gaining titles in three different weight classes in the UFC. The Greg Jackson product, who defeated Team Alpha Male’s TJ Dillashaw to win the bantamweight section of TUF, faces off against Darren Uyenoyama at UFC On Fox 3 in the promotion’s newly created flyweight division. Yet Dodson has no intention of being confined to his natural 125lb weight.
“I would have liked to become the first UFC 125 champ,” Dodson told MMA Mania, “but I’m not in that flyweight tournament. But it’s OK, I figured Dana just wants someone else to keep that belt warm until I can get it. I also want to move back up eventually, because I want to hold the 125lb, 135lb and 145lb titles all at the same time. I want to be the first fighter ever, to be a three-weight king. I gotta go big and shoot for the stars!”
SIX DEGREES OF DAN SEVERN
Linking the legendary moustache-wearing UFC Hall of Famer to any
fighter in six people or less.
Cain Velasquez
1. Dan Severn drew with then-future UFC champion Pat Miletich in 1998 at Extreme Challenge 20.
2. Pat Miletich was one of the first MMA coaches to work with UFC heavyweight champion to be Brock Lesnar.
3. Brock Lesnar was TKO’d for the UFC heavyweight belt by Cain Velasquez in October 2010 at UFC 121.
5’ 3”
UFC flyweights John Dodson and Demetrious Johnson are tied for the title of shortest UFC fighter. Both men are five-foot-three
8
The UFC has ventured to Canada for eight events, making it the US promotion’s second most-visited country after the UK
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