Issue 006
August 2005
FO: Hello Nate, please start off by telling us how old you are and when you started in the martial arts or combat sports?
Quarry: I am 33 now and I started when I was 24. I watched the UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] and saw that JKD [Jeet Kune Do] and BJJ [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu] were doing well, so I found a school that taught those and started doing everything.
FO: What was the experience like while living in the house and filming ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ [TUF]?
Quarry: It was the best and the worst of times. Some times were great, other times it was tedious being told what to do 24 hours a day. It was pretty stressful. Guys melted down and acted out of character. I did make some friends for life on the show.
FO: What was it like watching the episodes for the first time on TV and how does it feel to know it’s been so successful that SpikeTV has made a major deal for more UFC programming?
Quarry: Watching episodes were an eye opener. The whole thing between Chris Leban and Bobby Southworth and Josh Koscheck was disturbing, knowing everyone saw how we acted. I had some sleepless nights because of that. Millions got to see some of me that most people do not get a chance to. Many people seem to be able to relate to me as a person not as a character I was trying to be. The success of TUF is great and I am glad to be a part of it!
FO: Please tell us what the environment is like in Team Quest and what it is like going against Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson?
Quarry: The atmosphere is so great there. It’s a very friendly environment; anyone can feel welcome. It’s enjoyable. I want to go to training. My partners work with me to make me better, not just trying to beat the hell out of me! Robert Follis is the man behind Team Quest. He’s also my best friend. You never know who’s there. Bas Rutten, Duane Ludwig, BJ Penn, and Caol Uno have all been by. It’s an amazing place to be!
FO: What do you think of team-mate Chris Leban and the drama he was involved with on the show?
Quarry: Before the show we were somewhat friends but mostly just training partners. We don’t have a lot in common. He’s still young and likes to party and I am a homebody. Throughout the show we bonded and worked through stuff. He’s a good guy at heart. At first he was dealing with stress but by the end of the show his true colours came out.
FO: What about buddies Josh Koscheck and Bobby Southworth?
Quarry:A lot of Josh and Bobby was the atmosphere of the house. As time went along it became stressful and tedious. We were locked up, sitting across from guys we knew you might have to fight. Now that it’s over we get along all right now. Some people you clash with, others you gravitate more towards.
?FO: And Mike Swick?
Quarry: I’ve developed a great friendship with him. His character is above reproach. He’s always there for his team-mates. He set aside Leban constantly bringing up their fight and he focused on the competition. That was admirable in my eyes. I flew Mike out to be with me this week.
FO: What about TUF winner Diago Sanchez?
Quarry:He’s a very good grappler. He’s an interesting character, just quite a bit different then me. I congratulate him on his win.
FO: What about Sam Hoger and the whole hording or stealing business?
Quarry: Sam’s a very unusual guy. He’s very book smart but lacking in common sense or street smarts. He definitely took stuff and his brain is wired different than most. He didn’t realise it was a slap to our faces and to the UFC.
FO: What about Lodune Sincaid whom you have beaten? What did you think of him as a person, his man panties, and what do you think of him as a fighter?
Quarry: Lodune’s a great guy. He’s willing to do anything to get a laugh. He is also a good fighter; he beat Bobby in the first round. I was able to execute my game plan better than him in our fight. I wore leopard shorts at the end of the show as homage to Lodune’s man panties, but no one got it and wondered what that was all about!
FO: What did you think of Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar’s fight?
Were you able to watch it live?
Quarry: Yes, it was incredible. I couldn’t call it going into the fight. They both love to bang, can take a punch, and come in shape. They have no quit in them. Forrest has finished a fight with a broken arm! It was great for the sport to see two warriors bang like that.
FO: If you were in charge of TUF 2 or TUF 3, what would you change?
Quarry: I would probably change the challenges to be more sport specific, not carrying your coach on logs through water. There are ways to make things more even and fair with winning coin tosses. The teams could have been balanced better from the beginning. We ended up with Jason Thacker this way, who wasn’t on the same level as everyone else.
FO: Did you used to train with Evan Tanner and whom do you pick in his middleweight title defence against Rich Franklin?
Quarry: I did, though I don’t know how he is training now. There’s no quit in either of them. I think it will go three or four rounds before someone gets caught!
FO: How has your life changed since the show?
Quarry: I’m still the same person. I guess I’ve got more self-confidence that I was able to get through adversity with my head held high.
Sometimes I am recognised. People appreciate that I was myself and tried to pick the right thing. I stood by who was right and that’s how you should live your life. If people could do that more often, then the world would be a better place!
FO: What do you think about being matched up against the seasoned veteran, Shonie ‘Mr. International’ Carter?
What are his strengths and weaknesses compared to yours?
Quarry: I am honoured to fight a great fighter who’s been around a lot longer, with three times as many fights. I’m the only one from the show to go straight in against a UFC veteran. He comes from all angles and is unorthodox, which is an advantage and a disadvantage for him. We will see how it goes. He might have to tighten up his game for me.
FO: It’s not just a clash of styles in the cage, but also personality and style outside of the cage. Have you seen some of his pimp suites or his Game of Death outfit? What if he comes into the Octagon wearing his Mr. International Pimp of Mystery flag panties with a Giant Cup (he wore a huge cup in a previous fight)? Will that throw your game off?
Quarry: Ha, ha. There won’t be anything he can do to throw me off my game plan. You can wear the biggest hats or the brightest shoes, but it’s what happens in the cage that matters! It’s not how much you talk or what you wear, it’s how you execute your game plan.
FO: What weight do you usually walk around at, where are you at today on Thursday, and how much weight do you plan on cutting in the next 24 hours?
Quarry: I walk at 196; I am 194 today; and I will probably be 192 lbs tomorrow morning. Then I will cut six or seven pounds.
FO: What would you think about possibly fighting Mike Swick, Phil Baroni, or maybe even Evan Tanner someday?
Quarry: I don’t think about the future, just who’s in front of me. I do my thing and deal with that then.
FO: I’ve heard you’re a movie buff, what are some of your favourite films?
Quarry: ‘Gataka’! The way it’s shot. It’s about a young man with everything stacked against him and still making it. It’s like my own life. I’m also a long time ‘Star Wars’ fan as well as ‘Lord of the Rings’. I like ‘The Big Labowski’ and ‘Strange Brew’. Movies are a relaxing way to disappear into another reality!
FO: You’re a new minor celebrity, are you looking to hook up with young girls or is there someone serious in your life?
Quarry: No, there is no one serious. The older you get the harder it is
to find your match. I am always training, and therefore tired after training so I don’t go out drinking during the week, so that is not conducive to meeting someone.
FO: Are you a single father?
Quarry: Yes, I have my five-year-old daughter almost every weekend. I try to have her as much as I can. Being a good father is one of the most important things in life, not money or other accomplishments. Look at the Hiltons, they are multi-millionaires but have a daughter that has a porno [video] floating around and a stupid TV show dedicated to showing how un-intelligent she is.
FO: Do you have any degrees?
Quarry: No, I was raised to be a blue-collar worker, but I am involved in real estate investments now.
FO: Do you have any parting words for the fans?
Quarry: Everyone sitting on his or her couch watching the UFC or reading Fighters Only, you are where I was just nine years ago. I’ve come a long way and been successful. If I can do it and they liked how I conducted myself, anyone with drive can reach their goals!
