The Doggy Bag: Ball of Confusion Edition

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Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Nate Marquardt is the man to take on Georges St. Pierre, but watching him destroy Tyron Woodley got me thinking about how he would do in the UFC. We’re about to have Martin Kampmann and Johny Hendricks fight for a title shot. Kampmann is a career gatekeeper, and I thought Hendricks lost to Josh Koscheck and Mike Pierce. Apart from one bad style matchup, why wouldn’t Marquardt be an immediate title contender in the UFC? -- Luis from San Diego.

Brian Knapp, features editor: This may be a bit more complicated than it seems since Marquardt now holds the Strikeforce title. A champion-versus-champion matchup would make all the sense in the world from a promotional standpoint if and when Strikeforce ceases to exist. However, that little sliver of leverage did not get Anthony Pettis very far, which means Marquardt does not have much hope to stand on.

No one can question Marquardt’s capabilities as a fighter, but he cut off his route to a UFC welterweight title shot when he bowed out of his match with Rick Story last year, forced the promotion to scramble to find another headliner and exited the company under a cloud of disgrace. It is hard, if not impossible, to rebuild a reputation with just one outing, especially against a one-dimensional fighter like Woodley.

Other factors work against Marquardt, as well, including the fact that the UFC has no shortage of contenders at 170 pounds. I think you’re selling Kampmann and Hendricks short with your comments.

Kampmann has always functioned at a level above the traditional gatekeeper, and his only real misstep as a welterweight was in his loss to Paul Daley three years ago. His durability, experience and finishing ability make him an interesting figure against most anyone. Whether or not you or I believe Hendricks beat Koscheck and Pierce is of little consequence. They went down as wins in the record book, and they must be treated as such. The winner of the Kampmann-Hendricks bout will have earned the right to face St. Pierre, should he get past Carlos Condit in November.

Beyond Condit and the Hendricks-Kampmann winner, fighters like Nick Diaz, Rory MacDonald, Jake Ellenberger and Erick Silva all loom as potential suitors for St. Pierre, either through performance or a built-in storyline; and they would all be ranked higher on the totem pole than Marquardt. My guess: if and when Marquardt returns to the UFC, he will be slotted into the division against guys like Pierce and Story. He already had a chance to make waves at 170 pounds in a main-event setting, and he blew it. One has to think that will not be overlooked, no matter how dominant his showings are in Strikeforce.