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Do you expect Nate Marquardt to redeem himself after Tarec Saffiedine loss against Jake Ellenberger in his UFC return?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Dude. Anyone who says they know what to expect from Nate Marquardt is clearly trying to bullshit you. Everytime he gets momentum, he becomes the first step in Chael Sonnen's path to omnipotence. The more legit Sonnen proved to be, the easier it was to forget Marquardt's loss to Sonnen. He destroys Palhares, then with a title shot on the line he lays an egg against Okami in the worst big fight of 2010. He beats Dan Miller, then gets cut for testing positive with elevated testosterone ratios. He winds up in Strikeforce and slaughters Tyron Woodley with one of the best KO's of the year, then gets upset by unheralded Tarec Saffiedine. If things are going well in your life, invite Nate Marquardt into your life; things will turn to shit right off.
So what are we going to see from Nate Marquardt on Saturday night? Well, he's coming off of a bad loss, has never lost two in a row, and is not expected to win. So of course he's going to become the only man in history to win KO of the Night, Submission of the Night, and both ends of the Fight of the Night award in the same night. He'll win three more in a row until he gets a title shot against GSP at UFC 200 in the first ever Madison Square Garden show, and then he'll get lost on the way to The Garden and arrive in the building 20 minutes after his fight was scheduled.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I expect Marquardt to do better, but I also think that he's going to play it ultra-conservative. I think this fight will be pretty dull. I think Marquardt does rebound with a win here, just not a very good one.
TONY BECERRA, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I definitely expect Nate to redeem himself and make a strong return in the UFC. Frankly he should consider himself lucky to be back in the UFC after what Dana had to say about him after his release last year for missing weight. No disrespect to Saffiedine, but Nate just looked gassed and tired throughout the entire bout. Jake Ellenberger is no push over so Marquardt will have his hands full in his UFC return.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I have been saying that Marquardt is over rated for years. I think he has never been a top five fighter. I am of the opinion that he does not have the desire to fight at an elite level any longer, and he has not looked great in a fight in a long time. I think Ellenberger uses his wrestling to control this fight and wins by unanimous decision.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I expect to see the Nate Marquardt who fought Tyron Woodley show up and annihilate Jake Ellenberger. Will it happen? Who knows, but he needs quick redemption or he's gonna find himself back in the unemployment line very quickly. I want to be able to say the Saffedine fight was a fluke but Nate has to prove it first.
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