Some say winning isn’t everything, but for Nate Marquardt it is when he faces Yushin Okami in the main event of UFC 122 in Oberhausen, Germany, to crown the No. 1 contender in the UFC 185-pound division.

Marquardt is one win away from earning another shot at the UFC middleweight title. Okami stands in his way with the same title aspirations on the line. Both are ranked among the Top 10 middleweights in MMA.

Marquardt knows game plan and patience will be keys to his success at the König Pilsener Arena on Nov. 13 against his seasoned Japanese opponent.

Assessing his adversary, Marquardt said of Okami, “He’s a very solid opponent. He stays very strong and very composed throughout the fight no matter who he is fighting. He’s good at distance, so he’s very hard to hit. He has good takedown defense, so he’s hard to get on the ground. And I think that’s one of his best things, he’s hard to do anything to.”

Losing isn’t an option for Marquardt, and he plans to be calculating and methodical in his approach. He’s not concerned with the aesthetics of his game plan. The outcome is all that matters.

“He’s a very hard guy to attack, so unless I can get him to come out of his shell and kind of attack me more, it could be a chess match until I find that opening and who knows how long that will take because this is for a title shot and I’m not going to go in there and try to put on the most exciting fight and lose the fight,” Marquardt told MMAWeekly.com content partner TapouT Radio.

“Definitely I want to be exciting, but the main thing is I want to win this fight. Obviously if I get the chance I’m going to knock him out or submit him, but the number one thing for me is to win this fight, and for me, I have to follow the game plan.

“The game plan going into this fight is going to be a big thing for me. If I can follow my game plan and find my shots and find the openings to attack him, that’s where I’m going to be able to win the fight,” added Marquardt.

“He’s very strong. He has good basics, good stand-up, and good takedowns and takedown defense. He’s solid on the ground. He’s not super dangerous like the last guy I fought. Palhares, he’s one of the most dangerous jiu-jitsu guys. Okami’s not dangerous in that respect, but he’s patient and really a tough guy to game plan against, so I have to look at these little opportunities that I have in the fight and take advantage of them.”

Marquardt and Okami share at least one thing, every opponent they’ve faced remarks about how strong and powerful they were in the fight. Marquardt believes he’ll match Okami in the strength department if not overpower him, but is prepared in the event that Okami is the stronger of the two at UFC 122.

“He is strong, but I train with super strong guys and it’s nothing. I’m going to be able to handle that if not put some strength on him and throw him around a little bit. I think I’m going to be just as strong if not stronger,” stated the 31-year-old athlete. “Let’s say he was stronger than me. I’ll be able to make up any of that strength difference with technique, so I’m not really worried about the strength.

“I feel very comfortable. We’ve worked on some specific things that I think are going to be money in this fight,” said Marquardt. “I feel very confident.”

A mere two weeks after a long rumored heavyweight fight between Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson was finally confirmed, and it fell apart.

Shane Carwin on Tuesday morning, via his website, announced that he is pulling out of the fight due to damage in his back that may require surgery.

The two were scheduled to meet on Jan. 1 in the co-main event of UFC 125 in Las Vegas.

“I had an MRI yesterday and I have some damage (to my back) that may really require surgery. If the doctors do not have to perform surgery then I will be out 8-12 weeks. If they do have to perform surgery I do not know how long I will be out of action,” he revealed.

Even before heading in to see a surgeon about his condition, Carwin appears to be leaning towards the surgical option.

“I am going to be speaking with the surgeon this week about the surgery. My thoughts are if the surgery fixes it, why add 8-12 weeks of physical therapy, epidurals, and traction, if surgery may still be needed.”

Carwin was looking forward to testing out a new training regimen implemented by Jonathan Chaimberg, which he hoped would counter the lactic acidosis problem he faced in his last fight with Brock Lesnar.

“The good news is the doctors said I can work on my cardio (they must have seen my last fight lol) with this injury,” he added.

“This is a hard decision, but the right one.”

Brendan Schaub wanted to prove he was ready to take the next step in the UFC heavyweight division against more elite competition. Gonzaga was ready to demonstrate he wasn’t as inconsistent as some perceived him to be. The big question heading into this fight was whether or not Schaub was ready to assert himself as a real contender or whether the MMA world had looked past Gonzaga too early.

While Schaub was not overly impressive, it was enough to get it done.

The Amal Easton/Grudge/Greg Jackson product did enough to keep Gonzaga at bay. While Schaub boasted he’d do enough to break Gonzaga, he’d only do enough to control him.

In the first round, Schaub did enough to win the round especially late with a flurry of aggression and big punches. The second round was a much slower affair, but still a round where he did enough to win even if Gonzaga landed monster leg kicks. In the third, Schaub was stalked more, but was able to keep Gonzaga at bay.

Did Schaub really prove he was ready to take the next step? Hard to say. He defeated Gonzaga, but didn’t put enough of a stamp on the UFC heavyweight to prove he’s the next big thing. Schaub still has a future, but there’s no major momentum behind him.

The judges score it 30-27 for Brendan Schaub.

LOS ANGELES, Oct 18, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Alchemist Management, a dynamic name in the world of MMA management and marketing, has signed six mixed martial arts fighters, as well as accomplished MMA trainer Trevor Wittman. In addition to these new clients, Alchemist has also added a new member to its marketing team – Cherie Carlson now serves as Alchemist’s Director of Marketing and Athlete Relations.

The new clients include Paulo Filho (Brazilian Top Team fighter, former Pride Bushido Grand Prix champion and former WEC middleweight champion), Eric Lawson (Strikeforce middleweight), Virgil “The Rezdog” Zwicker (Strikeforce heavyweight), Eliot “The Fire” Marshall (“The Ultimate Fighter” alum), Cristiano Marcello (CM Systems and Pride lightweight veteran), Milton “Miltinho” Vieira (Brazilian Top Team and Pride lightweight veteran) and Trevor Wittman (MMA trainer to 12 world championship belts).

An MMA trainer for over a decade, Trevor Wittman opened Grudge Training Center in Denver, Colo. during 2009 and is one of the top trainers in MMA. Wittman trains top names such as Nate Marquardt, Brendan Schaub, Eliot Marshall, Rashad Evans, George St. Pierre and Shane Carwin, among others.

“We’re thrilled to sign this top talent and we’re proud that these great fighters are seeing the value that Alchemist Management can bring to careers both in and out of the cage,” said Alchemist Management CEO MC Hammer.

Founded by MC Hammer, Lex McMahon and Nima Safapour in July, Alchemist Management continues to add top contenders and has launched a clothing line, Alchemist Clothing (www.alchemistclothing.com). Along with its seven newly-signed clients, the company represents a variety of seasoned MMA fighters who compete in UFC(R), Strikeforce, and other top MMA organizations. A list of Alchemist fighters can be viewed at www.alchemistmgmt.com.

Also, Cherie Carlson has joined the Alchemist Management team as the company’s new Director of Marketing and Athlete Relations. Carlson brings years of MMA industry experience to Alchemist, having worked with combat sports brand TapouT.

In her new role she handles Alchemist fighter relations, travel coordination, and contributes to social media management and fighter photography. Carlson is also involved with Alchemist’s strategic planning and an integral part of the Alchemist Clothing design team.

New Alchemist Management client Eliot “The Fire” Marshall will be in the cage competing on November 13 in the Dominican Republic. Also, Virgil “The Rezdog” Zwicker is fighting this Friday in the co-main event at Strikeforce Challengers in Fresno, Calif.

In addition to the new Alchemist clients, Alchemist Clothing has signed two significant deals. Alchemist Clothing will be a proud sponsor of Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub for his fight this weekend at UFC 121 in Anaheim, Calif. Schaub will sport the Alchemist “Warriors Prayer” T-shirt as his walkout shirt at the Honda Center. Alchemist also signed new client Trevor Wittman to a signature series shirt deal.

For up-to-date Alchemist Management news, be sure to follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AlchemistMMA.

About Alchemist Management Alchemist Management is a dynamic name in the world of MMA athlete management and marketing. Capitalizing on the deep experience and professionalism of its founding executive team, Alchemist Management creates unique opportunities in sports and entertainment for its clients who include some of the most popular names in MMA. Alchemist sets itself apart by taking a holistic view of each athlete’s situation, and contributing to every aspect of their life and career, including fight training, digital and traditional media development, cross-over industry exposure, business advisory services, corporate sponsorship development, and the ever-important, but often overlooked process of planning for a rich and fulfilling life after they wage their final battle in the cage.

Alchemist Management is based in Los Angeles. Also, follow Alchemist Management on Twitter at http://twitter.com/alchemistmma.

Ultimate Fighter alumnus Brendan Schaub is all about big opportunities. He has one before him on Saturday when he takes on Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121 in Anaheim, Calif.

Schaub’s road through mixed martial arts has seen only one loss in seven fights, so it’s safe to say that the 27-year-old Coloradan has seen his share of success.

His next shot at building on his career’s momentum is one that he recognizes as, to say the least, an exciting opportunity. Apparently, it’s so exciting that it causes the Grudge fighter to leap for joy.

Schaub came back to where he was a radio correspondent and gave us the lowdown on how he reacted when he received the offer to fight Gonzaga.

“Jumping around frantically, man,” Schaub said on MMA Weekly Radio. “I was so pumped. And then it settles in and you’re like, ‘holy balls, I’m fighting Gabriel Gonzaga!’”

With two straight wins coming by knockout in the first round, Schaub feels that he’s ready to get in their and tangle with the top of the UFC’s heaviest division.

“I’m ready for this,” he declared. “I feel like I can compete with any of those top contenders, and now it’s time to go out there and prove it.”

They say styles make fights. In mixed martial arts, that’s exactly what you’ll get, several styles meshed together in a cage built to test the best against the best.

As far as Brazilian jiu-jitsu goes, Gonzaga is one of the biggest and most talented fighters to use the art form. It only seems appropriate that, when preparing for a fighter like that, one should bring in a battery of like kind and quality sparring partners to mimic a pending opponent.

Gonzaga, however, has shown a pattern of wanting to test opponents in the stand-up department. So it’s tough to say that he’ll go to the canvas with Schaub and try to outclass him in a grappling match.

Either way, “The Hybrid” is prepared for wherever the fight goes.

“I really don’t care where the fight goes,” Schaub said. “I’m not expecting Gabe to come in and stand with me. I’m not expecting him to come in a take me down right away either. I’m just going to go out there and put my game plan on him.”

There is a level of confidence that every fighter must have in order to compete in mixed martial arts. That confidence can come off as cocky to some. But for those that have seen Schaub fight, arrogance isn’t the issue here.

What it is about Schaub is his track record of putting guys down in the first round. This allows him to believe in a game plan that he feels will produce success throughout his career.

It also allows him to concern himself more with other things, and not so much with his pending adversary.

“I’m not too concerned about what my opponent does,” said Schaub. “I believe in my skills, and I know how hard and how well prepared I am for the fight. So, I know if I go out there and I bring my A-game on Oct. 23, I guarantee you it’s (going to be) better than Gonzaga’s A-game.”

It’s been nearly a year since Schaub fought his first UFC fight. Although it was a first-round loss to Roy Nelson, it can be chalked up as a learning experience, and now, with less than a week before his fight against a former title contender, Schaub is mapping out his road from here on out.

“Being the Ultimate Fighter was in my past,” said the TUF 10 finalist. “Now I’m on a different path… that’s the path to becoming a world champion.”

The layoff for Shane Carwin is almost over.

After a near miss in his last fight that saw him almost take the UFC heavyweight title from Brock Lesnar, the Colorado fighter is ready to return to the Octagon, and he’s targeting a New Year’s Day fight at UFC 125.

Carwin made the announcement via his personal Twitter page on Tuesday, saying that he had no opponent yet, but a report from Showdown.ca states that “Ultimate Fighter Season 10” winner Roy Nelson may be tapped to face him on the UFC 125 card on New Year’s Day.

Nelson has been recovering from knee surgery following his last fight, a loss to Junior Dos Santos in August. There has been no confirmation that the Las Vegas based fighter would indeed be ready by a Jan. 1 date.

Since his last fight, Carwin has undergone medical evaluations to pinpoint the issues he dealt with in the Lesnar bout, which saw the mammoth heavyweight’s power and cardio zapped as the first round closed. Carwin, appearing on MMAWeekly Radio after the fight, explained a condition called “lactic acidosis” that caused his problems against Lesnar and noted that it was something he wanted to fix before returning to the Octagon.

“I have been spending a lot of time with (trainer) John Chamberg and have committed to following his crazy strength and conditioning routines,” Carwin wrote on his website on Tuesday. “I can barely walk when we are done working out so I guess that is a good sign.”

Now healthy and back in the gym, Carwin is ready to make another run at the heavyweight title and it appears that will start on the first day of 2011.XX