Former UFC middleweight contenderNate Marquardt will be making his next appearance at BAMMA 8 in December, and he has his sights set solely on one opponent.

His name is Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley.

Following Marquardt’s release from the UFC, Daley, along with several other fighters, jumped on the bandwagon to attack the Colorado based competitor, and whether the charges they made were legitimate or not, Marquardt was definitely listening to them all.

Now with his debut set for December, Marquardt was set to call out Daley and make their fight a reality, but now he’s hearing that the Brit won’t be appearing on the card.

“I was hoping to fight Paul and I heard the same thing, I heard he put it on his website or something that he’s not going to be fighting in BAMMA in December, or at least he’s not going to be fighting me in December,” Marquardt said in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio.

“I don’t know what to think about that. I think it’s still a possibility.”

Daley released a statement via his website stating, “I’m sorry to announce that I will not be fighting on the BAMMA 8 card in Nottingham on 10th December. Details as to why I will not be appearing on this card will remain undisclosed.”

Marquardt isn’t letting up, however, because he wants to face Daley in the cage, but he’s not sure that Daley is up to the task.

“I don’t know if he’s scared that he can’t make weight or what. I don’t get it,” Marquardt stated. “Doesn’t make sense to me. I know he would be willing to fight me, but I just don’t know what his reason is for putting that. I don’t know what the deal is.”

BAMMA officials have remained mum regarding Daley’s statement or why he won’t be competing on the card. Daley is currently scheduled to fight in Montreal in October against American Top Team fighter Luigi Fioravant in the main event of Ringside MMA.

Marquardt says prior to last weekend’s BAMMA 7 card in England where he flew over to catch the event and do a media tour, he had never met Daley. The UFC veteran admits their meeting was cordial and he even wished Daley luck for his fight that weekend against Jordan Radev.

“It could have something to do with the first time I met him. The first time I met him was over in England, and maybe he realized ‘holy crap, this guy is a lot bigger than me,’” Marquardt joked. “I really don’t know what the reason is, I still hope it happens though.”

Marquardt isn’t giving up however. He’s hoping that he gets to fight for the BAMMA welterweight title in December, and he wants it to be against the promotion’s last champion in Paul Daley.

“No matter what he says, I think there’s still a good chance,” Marquardt commented about facing Daley.

BAMMA 8 is set to go down in Nottingham, England on Dec. 10.

Duane “Bang” Ludwig is just coming off of a recent win over Amir Sadollah at UFC on Versus 5 in early August, but he’s been a busy man since outscoring Sadollah over the course of their three-round bout. He’s already had neck surgery, made much headway in getting his name in the UFC record books, and is amping up his action figure collection, among other things.

Ludwig recently took time out of his day at his gym, the 303 Training Center, to talk exclusively with Conner Cordova at MMAWeekly.com.

For those that don’t know, Ludwig stepped across the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 3 several years ago, immediately knocking out Jonathan Goulet… no feeling out process, no dancing around, no exchanges, just Bang! The official time didn’t stop until 11 seconds, which is how his victory was recorded. But numerous reviews of the fight footage show the referee waiving off the bout at around the four to five second mark, which would make it the fastest knockout in UFC history.

There’s been a recent push from others for Ludwig to take action, so he has. He started a Facebook petition and gather video and photographic evidence to present to the Nevada State Athletic Commission in an attempt to correct the time of knockout.

Ludwig talked with MMAWeekly.com about the progress he’s made to set the record straight, his fight with Sadollah, gave us an update on his neck surgery, and much, much more… including the safety of his collection of MMA action figures.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission is sympathetic to Duane “Bang” Ludwig’s claim to the UFC record for fastest knockout.

And it’s currently looking into what can be done.

NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer today contacted the Nevada Attorney General’s Office to see if there’s a legal basis for changing the result of Ludwig’s 11-second knockout of Jonathan Goulet, which took place in January 2006 at UFC Fight Night 3 (and by all indications ended around the four- or five-second mark).

“A lot of people, including me, would love to change Josh Barnett’s win over Randy Couture to a no-contest, or Tim Sylvia’s win over Gan McGee to a no-contest, but we don’t have that authority,” Kizer today told MMAjunkie.com(www.mmajunkie.com).

(Both fighters failed post-fight drug tests after their wins.)

Ludwig’s latest request actually is the second his camp has made to the NSAC about changing the result. The first occurred in mid-2006 after Kizer took office as the commission’s executive director. A similar inquiry to the state’s attorney general was unsuccessful.

“Back then, they said there’s nothing in the statute or the regulations that allows it to be changed, and that was pretty much the end of it,” Kizer said. “I don’t know if anything’s different now, but I want to see.

“Maybe there’s something the prior attorney general didn’t consider with this.”

Ludwig (21-11 MMA, 4-2 UFC) sent a packet to the NSAC in recent weeks that contained a video of the fight (obtained from the UFC), as well as a link to a Facebook petition to have the result changed. Additionally, there was a picture of him alongside official record-holder Todd Duffee, who was clocked at seven seconds for his KO of Tim Hague at UFC 102, smiling and holding up four fingers while Duffee held up seven.

Ludwig’s Facebook petition now has in excess of 5,600 “likes” on Facebook.

“Hopefully that gets locked down,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio. “That would be cool.”

The Denver native’s next task is to get healthy. Ludwig today goes into surgery for a compressed disc in his neck that he suffered in camp for a fight with Amir Sadollah at UFC on Versus 5.

Although Ludwig dominated the fight en route to a decision victory, he did not prepare properly as a result of the injury.

“I literally sparred one time for [the] camp,” he said.

With highlight reel slams and a pedigree that includes three state championships and All-American status as a collegiate wrestler, expectations are high for Colorado lightweight Justin Gaethje.

“It feels real good,” said Gaethje. “It gives me inspiration to work hard and hopefully live up to the potential that they put up there.”

In eight total fights, Gaethje is undefeated, including a 61-second destruction of Kevin Croom at Ring of Fire 41 on Aug. 20.

The transition to successful MMA fighter from wrestler has been something Gaethje has been looking forward to as he finishes up his career at the University of Northern Colorado this year.

“I kind of look at MMA as a different sport; I have new goals that I want to do with that,” he said. “I wrestled for such a long time that I’m ready to move on to different things.

“I’ve been working on my boxing down at the Grudge (Training Center) and am trying to become an all-around fighter and take the fight wherever it goes.”

Working with the likes of UFC veterans Nate Marquardt, Duane “Bang” Ludwig, and Eliot Marshall, Gaethje has had no choice but quickly adapt or be left behind with the level of talent at Grudge.

“They don’t mess around down there,” said Gaethje. “They get after it, and if I’m not at the top of my game, they make me pay for it there.”

One area that’s understandably been the hardest for Gaethje to adapt to in MMA is the stand-up game.

“It’s actually really hard transitioning from wrestling to boxing because the stances are so much different and you have to keep your weight distributed differently,” he said. “It’s just really hard to get used to, and that’s my biggest problem.”

Still, Gaethje’s background allows him to get out of trouble when needed.

“I feel that my wrestling really helps me control a lot of positions,” he said. “Even when I’m not comfortable on my feet, I can get to the clinch and at least get comfortable enough to control the fight there.

“A lot of guys who have never worked the clinch don’t really know what to do with their hips. Being a wrestler, I just like to throw people.”

With an upcoming fight in October, and a return invitation to participate in Ring of Fire’s year end show, Gaethje is on the fast track towards big things, and he doesn’t plan on backing down any time soon.

“I just want to keep fighting and hopefully knocking people out,” he said. “I just love competing and whatever comes, comes. It doesn’t matter who they want me to fight, I’m always ready to fight and I’m you’re never going to get a dull fight from me.”

Former middleweight, Amir Sadollah, took on veteran lightweight, Duane Ludwig, in a welterweight fight tonight from the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisc., which kicked off the UFC on Versus 5 broadcast.

Heading into the bout, it was a match up between two 170-pound Muay Thai-based fighters “toiling in obscurity.” Ludwig made it crystal clear that he intends to emerge from the division’s murky water … for now, anyway.

Both men came out doing what they do best, striking, exchanging punches, kicks and knees in a classic kickboxing clinic. Ludwig landed a big looping left midway through the first round, which hurt The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 winner bad. Sadollah never went down, however, even though “Bang” connected with several more shots.

Sadollah, in typical fashion, weathered the storm and made it to the second round. He wouldn’t fare much better in round two, getting beaten to the punch and rocked several times. Nonetheless, he once again hung tough and was able to see the start of the final frame.

He actually did more than just see it — he probably performed better in it than the two previous. Sadollah, fatigued, pushed the pace and landed several key (slow motion) strikes. But it was once again a case of too little, too late.

Ludwig went on to earn a unanimous decision victory, snapping Sadollah’s two fight win streak and extending his own to two.

One door opens, another closes.

In each division in the UFC, there is a pecking order. Sometimes it’s a bit muddled and unclear, but overall, it’s easy to see where each fighters fits in his respective weight class.

At UFC on Versus 5: “Hardy vs. Lytle” tonight (Aug. 14, 2011) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there are two welterweights who will go to war that are toiling away in obscurity. Both Amir Sadollah and Duane Ludwig are just trying to find their place at 170-pounds.

Sadollah ran through the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season seven against tough enough competition that his hype was considerable, the most for a TUF winner in years. However, a series of unfortunate events led to his first debut getting pushed back to over a year from the date he earned the glass trophy.

And then he lost, quickly, to the then unheralded Johny Hendricks. He recovered with solid wins over Phil Baroni and Brad Blackburn but couldn’t withstand the grappling prowess of Dong Hyun Kim and went back to square one.

Ludwig and his superior stand-up skills and widely regarded as a tough gamer.

Consider: the biggest wins in his career came against Jens Pulver and Genki Sudo back-to-back in 2003.

Of course, it’s never too late to turn it around and prove he’s more than just a curtain-jerker. And what better place to do it than Milwaukee, what better time on tonight at UFC on Versus 5.

Defeating Sadollah will not redeem him of his high profile losses, but it will go a long way in showing he’s more contender than attraction.

The same goes for Amir. It’s time to make a move and make it soon.

Tyler Toner (145lbs.)  vs  Ian Loveland (145lbs.)

Trevor Wittman, the owner and head trainer at the Grudge Training Center in Denver, Colorado, is on a mission to make a difference—and not just inside the Octagon.

Grudge, which is home to some of the sport’s finest athletes, including Shane Carwin, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and Brendan Schaub, has quickly become one of the most sought-after mixed martial arts gyms in the world, and at this point in time, shows no signs of slowing down.

“Our gym has only been open for 15 months, and what we’ve done already is only the start,” said Wittman over the telephone. “We’ve got a great group of fighters. I turn down five fighters a week. We’re looking for the right guys—guys who are going to be consistent, be team-players, and like I said, come out with a positive attitude.”

Although Wittman is undoubtedly proud of his gym—certainly for good reason—the Denver native is ready to take on a much tougher opponent than anything the world of mixed martial arts has to offer, as Wittman has joined the crusade against bullying in his country.

“I was actually bullied because I was transferring schools so much, and I was so small. I was 4-foot-11, 92 pounds all the way up to eleventh grade, so every time I would move, I would always be the smallest kid in the school, so I was always getting picked on,” said Wittman, “It’s something that was going on when I was in school, and it’s still going on.”
To critics may who think that Wittman is only contributing to the bullying problem by teaching more kids how to mimic their favourite mixed martial artists, Wittman is quick to point out that his seminar will be far from just a self-defense class.In response to the problem, Wittman and his crew at Grudge have begun holding free anti-bullying seminars for victims of bullying every Saturday at their training facility in Denver.

“One thing that we will be teaching, it’s not just an MMA class that we’re going to be teaching to these kids,” said Wittman. “I want them to have people to speak to, because if they’re not getting that at school, sometimes they need someone to talk to. To have an extra source to go talk to, I think it would be great for the kids.

“I want to find a councillor, someone that works with the law enforcement, and just all the trainers from the gym. Everyone’s been really cool on the idea, and everybody’s been wanting to help us out.”

Although Wittman and his crew at Grudge have just recently begun putting on seminars, the future is bright for Wittman’s idea.

“My short-term goal, we’ll do it consistently every Saturday, we’re going to set up a time just for this, and my goal is to build up some type of structure—something that works, that I do for six months or a year, or once I get a structure built, I want to go to other gyms around the country… my goal is to get every state in the United States to have three-to-four gyms doing the same thing we are right now off of our structure.”
“It was probably about two weeks before Thanksgiving, and my wife had one of her friends who was trying to get some turkeys to help out the Denver Rescue Mission, so we jumped on board and started Tweetin’ it and tellin’ our members,” said a passionate Wittman, “We had a good turn-out… my wife’s and my truck were filled to the brim and we took it down to the Denver Rescue Mission, and handed them out to the people out there. Man, that was great, it was a great feeling.”As if working to rid his country of bullying wasn’t enough, Wittman recently took a swing at feeding the underprivileged in his hometown Denver.

As it turns out, Wittman’s Thanksgiving food drive for Denver’s underprivileged is only the beginning.

“That was our first time doing it, and with the response we got, this is going to be something we do on a continuous basis—whether it’s Thanksgiving, whether it’s Christmas, toy drives, whatever! We’re going to be doing all types of things like that.”

Not only has Wittman been able to reach the highest levels of his career, but he is also doing his part to make the world a better place to live in—a true role model.

Wittman, who enthusiastically describes his life as, “going great, having fun,” serves as a role model to not just those in the world of mixed martial arts, but all people, everywhere.

Finally, we have reached our last category for the ATO 2010 Colorado Awards. The last category is Female Pro Fighter of the Year. There are a lot of up and coming women fighters in the state and we narrowed it down to the best four. Please get your vote in by Dec. 19th.

Click here to vote

Any fighter will tell you that their next fight is the biggest fight of their career. For Nate ‘The Great’ Marquardt, it really is. He is heading into 122 to face off in the main event against Yushin Okami. On the line, one big victory and an even bigger promised middle weight title shot against the winner of the forthcoming Anderson Silva/Vitor Belfort fight.

And Marquardt has never felt better and more poised to set his destiny.

“I feel great, 100%. I’m really confident, I’m in great shape, I have a great game plan and I’ve had a great camp,” Marquardt told Around the Octagon on Friday afternoon.

The fight, broadcasting on tape delay on Spike TV and originating from Oberhausen, Germany, marks a new chapter in the veteran’s career. While for many less experienced fighters, the change of fighting on a different continent (excluding the ever present Japanese circuit) would present a problem, but for Marquardt, it’s just a matter of adjusting his internal clock.

“The only thing I’ve done is try and adjust my schedule to get more in tune with Germany’s time,” Marquardt says.
But don’t expect patience from his rather loyal supporters here in the states, as Marquardt has no doubt they won’t have any.

“Oh, they’ll check out the results right away. They won’t wait for the tape delay.”

While every fighter will suggest that they are focused only on the next fight, and Marquardt is no exception, the chance that a title shot and a possible title reign could only be a few months away, is an attractive possibility that he thinks he is ready for.

“I’ve always wanted to be the champion. I understand and am ready for all the challenges and pressures that go with that. But I’ve had those kinds of thought challenges and pressures my entire career,” Marquardt says, sounding as calm as he if were discussing what winter weather in Colorado might do this season.

However, while his tone remains calm throughout, when he’s asked about which opponent he would rather face, should that title shot happen, it was easy to detect a twinge of desire related to avenging his loss at UFC 73.

“I would be more excited to see Anderson Silva retain the title,” he says, pausing before he pointing out, “But I’ll just be most excited to be fighting for the title. No matter what though, I’m focused on Okami right now.”

This isn’t the only exciting thing going on in Marquardt’s life though, having just unveiled the newest work on his legendary 1970 Chevelle.

“I’m more excited for the fight, but I’m very excited about my Chevelle. It’s something I wanted since I was a teenager. My family and my dad were really into old cars like that. My friends all like those muscle cars. When I was in high school, I found a 69’ Chevelle that I wanted that I thought was the coolest car ever. I couldn’t afford it at the time. So later when I could, I looked around and found that the70’ was the coolest ever.”

To get a better look at the car, click here.

While Marquardt is famous for his love of cars, somewhat less known is his faith The Christian fighter goes so far as to list Jesus Christ as his hero on his UFC biography, and is happy to make it clear just what he believes.

“I’m a Christian, and I believe he is the only true hero. He died for our sins.”

Like all mixed martial artists, he has to endure the constant question of how he balances that belief, in what many on the outside of the sport, see as a violent lifestyle.

“It depends on how you define violence. If you just say that any contact is violence, then football or soccer for that matter, are just as violent. It’s a sport, and I’m an athlete. I don’t fight because I hate my opponent; I fight because I love the sport.”

An eloquent and astute point as Marquardt embodies the heart and soul of Mixed Martial Arts. Refinement mixed with brutality, aggression sprinkled with finesse.

Marquardt And Colorado

When his birth in Wyoming is referenced, Marquardt is quick to correct.

“Just a quick point, I was born in Wyoming, but I’ve lived in Colorado pretty much my whole life. I’m from Colorado,” he says without any hint of annoyance, and in such a matter of fact way that anyone hearing it would understand that his body may have been born in one area, but his heart and soul is strictly Colorado native.

Nowhere is that more evident, then in his dedication to the people of Grudge Training Center.

“I get to train and coach with excellent people. They are great guys, we’re like a family, and they’re my brothers.”
Many of those brothers are facing battles themselves, some on ‘The Professionals’ card in Denver the night before UFC 122, some in their own UFC events coming up.

“Good luck to them and I’m confident they’ll all do great,” Marquardt said

They say that to judge a man, you have to speak to those that know him best. No one knows a fighter better than those that fight him, and no one fights, trains, and lives with Marquardt more than the team at Grudge Training Center. Around the Octagon asked various team members and coaching staff to give their opinions on Marquardt, the comments we got back shared a very common thread.

Tervor Wittman-Head Trainter at Grudge Training Center
“I have trained Nate ever since he fought Ivan in his first fight in the UFC. Nate was a vet coming into the UFC. With all the fights he has it is amazing to me that he keeps getting better. This guy is so amazing in every aspect of the game, and when he fights Yushin, I believe he will outclass him.”

Josh Ford-Grudge Pro Fight Team Member (fighting November 12 at The Professionals)
“Just from my point of view, watching Nate train is an unbelievable inspiration. He comes and trains hard every day, works on new stuff just like the young upcoming fighters, always has a smile when not sparring and brings a really positive vibe into the gym with him. Not to mention the fact that he is completely humble and doesn’t hold himself above anyone else at the gym.”

Tyrone Glover-Grudge Pro Fight Team Member (fighting November 12 at The Professionals)
“Nate really embodies why MMA in Colorado is really going places and why this is such a great place to train. He works hard, is always open to learning and improving, trains extremely smart, and always has a super positive attitude. Not to mention he is super accessible and humble. Sometimes I show up early to light weight sparring just so I can catch his last couple rounds. His method and attitude in the gym is really one to model your own after.”

Vinnie Lopez-Grudge Amateur Fight Team Member
“Training with Nate is an unbelievable advantage that we here at The Grudge Training Center enjoy. Nate has accomplished many things in his fight career and still today leads this team by example. His hard work is second to none at this gym. His determination to be the best spreads to each member of our team. He learns every day, and he teaches as well. He takes the time to correct and encourage the younger guys. All in all he’s an inspiration to our team and it’s an honor to train with him.”

Vinny Pallone-Grudge Amateur Fight Team Member (fighting November 12 at The Professionals)
“Training with someone like Nate is truly amazing. His work ethic is second to none and his humble attitude makes it all the more amazing. He is never too big time to help some of the other fighters out and will work with anyone in the room. Nate has earned the right to be a UFC Main event draw by years and years of putting his time in and winning tough fights against good opponents.”

Whatever a person’s relationship to, or perspective on Nate ‘The Great’ Marquardt, his talent, his heart and his dedication to the things and people he loves, cannot be denied. He has earned this place onto the main event, and will be representing his teammates, his faith and all of Colorado at UFC 122 in that main event on November 13 on Spike TV.