Bellator: Marquardt not the right fit; manager: Yes he is
While Bellator chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney and matchmaker Sam Caplan traditionally shy away from signing UFC and Strikeforce castoffs…
While Bellator chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney and matchmaker Sam Caplan traditionally shy away from signing UFC and Strikeforce castoffs (and focus on international recruiting), he knows Nate Marquardt is in a unique situation. After being released from the UFC following issues with his testosterone-replacement therapy this past month, Marquardt began talking to a few of the sport’s big players for his next career move.
“The reality is that it’s not often that a top-10 guy is available … especially when he’s coming off a win,” Rebney said. “Nate’s situation was pretty unique. It’s an anomaly for a guy like that to become available, so we had discussions. But it just became pretty clear it wasn’t the right fit.”
Rebney said he was open to the idea of “superfights” between Marquardt and Askren and/or Lombard. However, for Marquardt to get a shot at the belt, he would have had to win an eight-man tournament like everyone else.
Rebney said they discussed that possibility, but that ultimately, “the fit between [Bellator and Marquardt] just wasn’t there.”
Rebney hasn’t counted out the possibility of opening the talks again in the future.
Marquardt manager however, says Marquardt is the right fit for any organization:
I do want to respect the process of the negotiations and not get into the details, but ultimately what I think it boils down to is Nate’s one of the best fighters in the world, if you want him to be part of the organization for the long term, then he needs to be compensated for that. I think Bjorn and his team made an excellent effort, but we’re not there, said Lex McMahon from Alchemist Management.
We have a tremendous amount of respect for Bellator and Bjorn Rebney, but let’s be honest, Nate Marquardt’s the right fit for any organization he’s in, McMahon stated.
Nate Marquardt’s ready to fight, we’re looking for the right partner and anyone that’s talking about super fight opportunities, let’s sit down and have a discussion. To come out and say that Nate Marquardt’s not the right fit, just makes no sense to me.
The Middleeasy Rumor Mill noted a possible reason for the failure to come to agreement:
Regarding Bellator’s failed acquisition of Nate Marquardt: It appears that both parties agreed on money, but the true issue was the length of the Bellator contract. Bellator wanted a three-year deal and Nate refused with the hopes that Dana White will ultimately change his mind and let him fight in the UFC once again.
