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UFC Versus 4 was an insane event that ended with an insane knock out.  Poor Pat Barry.  He did everything right until he rushed in.  An historic knock out if nothing else and of the best comeback knockouts in UFC history.  A week full of drama ended in a fight full of drama.  You see, Barry V. Kongo was a “co main event” that turned into the Main Event – and a Main Event it was!

Nate Maquardt V. Rick Story was the other featured “co main event."  That is where the drama unfolded; Maquardt “failed his medicals.”  In doing so, he got himself both banned from the fight and fired from the UFC.  Story went on to fight Brenneman who was originally slated to fight TJ Grant.  The Grant V. Brenneman fight was cancelled earlier in the week after Grant took ill.  Confused yet?  Well you should be.  Two fighters lost in the final hours leading to the versus 4 and yet the fight goes on!  This is how you know class act fighters when you see them.

Wait!  Fired for failing medicals?!  Yes, fired for failing medicals and as you would imagine, the MMA blogosphere is flooded the assumption that Nathan “Nate he Great” Maquardt’s failed medicals are steroid related.  While his history would suggest that Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) could have been the culprit to Marquardt failing his medicals… you may remember the whole Vegas thing after his defeat of Salaverry that got him banned in Nevada.  Speculation is further driven by Marquardt’s weight loss. 

Being from Pennsylvania and having both boxed and kickboxed in the state, there are certain things a fighter needs to clear the medical screening process prior to fighting.  A fighter must demonstrate negative HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B status while further providing annual medical physical documentation and pertinent medical appropriateness to coordination, neuro, cardio and the like.  Going into a fight, a fighter has roughly six weeks to produce the required medicals.  Failure to do so will ban you from the event. 

 Dana White made it crystal-clear, “… but I think it’s pretty clear to the fans and everybody else that I’m pretty disgusted with Nate Marquardt.  He’s been cut from the UFC. He won’t fight in the UFC ever again.”  Dana White is incredibly forgiving and believes in his fighters, but at the same time, Dana White has been cleaning house as the organization expands.
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Marquardt will set the record straight Tuesday.  In setting the record straight, Nate will at least bring end to the needless speculation.  The Athletic Commission not so subtly insinuates a disease process is at hand while it could be argued that Dana White’s position is one of a boss who is pissed for being left hanging by an athlete who blew off his requisite conditions of a contractual agreement.  Fret not fellow the MMA fans, time will bring speculation to pause.

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The drama of the week however, was not strong enough to overshadow the drama that unfolded in the cage.  In case you missed it…

In case you have been keeping track of the contradictions: PA Athletic Commission clearly states a drug test was not failed.  Danna White is clearly pissed.  This means; 1) Nate is ill with a communicable disease transferable through blood and serum, 2) simply did not take the time to collect the requisite medical for the Athletic Commission, or, 4) refused to take the drug prior to the bout.  Dana White's reaction... 4).

Since everyone else is speculating, there is my two cents.



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    MMA is now of my favorite sporting events.  I have always wanted to write about it and have included this page solely for my personal entertainment.

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