Marquardt-Akiyama Targeted for UFC 128
Mike Whitman Jan 6, 2011
Former middleweight King of Pancrase Nate
Marquardt (Pictured) will reportedly square off with Yoshihiro
Akiyama at UFC 128 on March 19 at the Prudential Center in
Newark, N.J.
Akiyama was originally supposed to face contender Chael Sonnen at the event, but the UFC froze the Team Quest product’s contract after he pled guilty to money laundering in relation to mortgage fraud earlier this week. UFC 128 will be headlined by a light heavyweight title clash between champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and world-ranked challenger Rashad Evans. The Marquardt-Akiyama bout was first reported on Thursday by ESPN.com.
Marquardt enters the bout having lost two of his last three bouts.
Most recently, the Grudge Training Center product was defeated by
Yushin
Okami at UFC 122 in November via a close unanimous decision.
His other defeat came at the hands of the man he will replace at
UFC 128. Marquardt was taken down repeatedly and pounded by Sonnen
in their UFC 109 bout. Both fights were for the No. 1 contender’s
slot for Anderson
Silva’s middleweight title. Sandwiched between the defeats sits
a victory over Rousimar
Palhares at UFC Fight Night 22 in September. After escaping an
early leg lock attempt by the Brazilian, Marquardt finished him
with ground-and-pound at 3:28 of the first frame.
The 35-year-old Akiyama will carry a two-fight losing streak into the middleweight bout. The Dream veteran last appeared at UFC 120 in October, when he dropped a unanimous decision to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping at the O2 Arena in London.
UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Evans”
Saturday, March 19
Prudential Center
Newark, N.J.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Rashad Evans
Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
Edson Mendes Barboza Jr. vs. Anthony Njokuani
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
* Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub
* Nate Marquardt vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
* Not Official
Akiyama was originally supposed to face contender Chael Sonnen at the event, but the UFC froze the Team Quest product’s contract after he pled guilty to money laundering in relation to mortgage fraud earlier this week. UFC 128 will be headlined by a light heavyweight title clash between champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and world-ranked challenger Rashad Evans. The Marquardt-Akiyama bout was first reported on Thursday by ESPN.com.
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The 35-year-old Akiyama will carry a two-fight losing streak into the middleweight bout. The Dream veteran last appeared at UFC 120 in October, when he dropped a unanimous decision to “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping at the O2 Arena in London.
UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Evans”
Saturday, March 19
Prudential Center
Newark, N.J.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Rashad Evans
Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
Edson Mendes Barboza Jr. vs. Anthony Njokuani
Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau
Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
* Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub
* Nate Marquardt vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
* Not Official
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