The biggest name in MMA for the better part of a month has been Nate Marquardt, but it hasn’t been for a positive reason.

The former UFC middleweight lost his job with the Zuffa promotion after failing a pre-fight physical for high testosterone levels and has since been working to clear his name due to his usage of hormone replacement therapy.

Well, it appears that Marquardt has found his new home.

According to MMAMania.com, Marquardt has signed on to fight with BAMMA.

Former UFC middleweight number one contender Nate Marquardt has signed to compete under the banner of The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA).

Why did he choose BAMMA?

“Offers came in from several fight promotions, but we felt that BAMMA was definitely the best fit,” Marquardt said in today’s release. “They put on high-quality shows, stack their cards with top-level fighters, and sign those fighters to multi-fight deals. They are also the only fight organization in the UK that implements PED testing. To be honest, that is one of the main reasons that we chose BAMMA. I want to prove to my fans and to the world that I’m the real deal and that I belong on top.”

Marquardt’s first fight and opponent have not been announced, but he has stated that he plans on staying at welterweight.

I guess it wasn’t an emotional reaction from Dana White after all.

Just minutes after Nate Marquardt was declared unable to compete at UFC Live 4, White stated that Marquardt was done with the UFC.

Now, despite Marquardt’s tearful apology and a hoard of Twitter followers trying to influence White to rethink his decision, the UFC President stood firm about his choice during the UFC 132 Pre-Fight Press Conference on Thursday. Here is what White told MMAFighting.com.

“Nate’s done,” said White. “I’m done with Nate. Listen, Nate’s a really nice guy. He’s a really sweet, nice, humble guy, but the facts are the facts and it is what it is. It’s easier to go after a guy like Josh Barnett. He’s just callous and rude and he’s a d–k. So when he does it it’s easier to just go, you know what, f–k Josh Barnett. The difference is, Nate’s such a sweet, nice guy, but the same results.”

“The difference with Chael and Marquardt, is we can talk about everything in the Chael incident. We can’t with Marquardt. I’ve seen some of the stuff people are saying. You think I’m this crazy, emotional psycho. Give me a break. This isn’t the first time. Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, give him a second chance.’ This would be like the fourth time.”

“He tested positive before, then apparently he was on suspension with New Jersey, because his levels were high, then he comes into [Pittsburgh] and he doesn’t pass his medicals. Now you tell me: is that the fourth chance? Or is that a second chance? Sounds like a fourth chance to me.”

It appears that Marquardt’s run with the UFC is indeed over and he probably only has himself to blame. Hopefully he still is able to land on his feet in some capacity.

The Nate Marquardt-testosterone replacement treatment story is something that has become a hot-button issue in today’s MMA.

It was first brought to light this past fall with Chael Sonnen and now has become the reason Nate Marquardt couldn’t compete at UFC Live 4 last Sunday and subsequently was fired by Dana White and the UFC.

Nevada State Athletic Comission’s Executive Director, Keith Kizer, spoke to Tapout about TRT and how it can be properly done and why it is important in MMA.

Cleary the athletic commissions feels that TRT is an acceptable thing for fighters that need it, but the rules still seem a little lenient.

Nate Marquardt went all Chael Sonnen on us.

During Tuesday’s edition of the MMA Hour, Nate Marquardt appeared live in studio with his manager Lex McMahon as they spoke to Ariel Helwani to address his firing from the UFC for a failed medical exam prior to his UFC Live 4 bout with Rick Story.

According to Marquardt, he has been battling low testosterone levels since August of 2010 and began hormone replacement therapy under the advisement of his doctor.

Marquardt had been altering his therapy sessions in terms of frequency and intensity and that caused his testosterone levels to alter.

Three weeks prior to the fight, Marquardt discovered that his testosterone levels were too high to get licensed for the fight. He stopped doing the therapy sessions, but they didn’t bring his levels back to an acceptable level by the time the medical exam took place on Saturday.

The Pennsylvania Athletic Commission suspended Marquardt indefinitely for the failed test, but Marquardt stated that his testosterone levels are now at an acceptable level and he is in the process of getting his license back.

Marquardt also indicated that the hormone therapy was an issue for his UFC 128 bout with Dan Miller, but he still tested at an acceptable level prior to the bout, so he was cleared to fight.

Marquardt says that he used to take andro over the counter until 2005, which he thinks may have led to his low testosterone levels.

Still, Marquardt was fired from the UFC for the failed test on Saturday. Now, remember that Chael Sonnen was caught with high testosterone levels following his bout with Anderson Silva last year and he has not fought again since, but he was never fired by the UFC.

Should the UFC give Marquardt another chance? Did Marquardt tell the whole story?

I am sure we have not heard the last of this.

Nate Marquardt’s loss proved to be Charlie Brenneman’s gain.

“The Spaniard” had a crazy week in his own right, and it ended with him picking up a unanimous win over Rick Story in the co-main event of UFC Live 4 on Sunday night. It also all went down in his home town of Pittsburgh.

Originally scheduled to face T.J. Grant, Brenneman was told he wouldn’t have a fight early in the week after Grant came down with an illness.

Dana White and the UFC told Brenneman to make weight for Saturday and he would earn a winner’s payday. Somehow, that turned out to be a blessing for both parties as Nate Marquardt failed to get a license for his main event bout. Just 24 hours before UFC Live 4 took place, Brenneman was offered to fill in for Marquardt, and he accepted.

What happened in the octagon was Brenneman using his wrestling to keep Story on the ground for two rounds. Story won the third, but was unable to finish the scrappy Brenneman, who improves to 3-1 in the UFC with the win.

It was a tough spot for Story, who was looking to earn the biggest win in his MMA career and then had to take on a fight against an opponent he hadn’t trained for. To me, Story shouldn’t drop in the rankings, as he originally took the fight with Marquardt on short notice to raise his profile. Read the rest of this entry »