In The Gym: Just How "Great" is Nate?

Nathan Marquardt (Pictures) left Japan, left his King of Pancrase belts, left his comfort zone for a fight like Thursday's, when the middleweight will step into the Octagon against Dean Lister (Pictures) with a possible 185-pound UFC title shot on the line.

Sherdog Insider traveled to a snowy Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Marquardt (24-6-2) prepared with trainer Greg Jackson and the rest of the team at Jackson's Gaido-jutsu for the Jan. 25 fight. The 27-year-old mixed martial artist, who has retooled his well-rounded game since working with Diego Sanchez (Pictures)' trainer, can up his UFC record to 4-0 Thursday night at Spike TV's UFC Fight Night card in Seminole, Fla.

In this exclusive look into Marquardt's training camp, the soft-spoken fighter, who makes his home in Denver when he's not training for a fight, talks about the bout versus Lister. We also interview Greg Jackson and Joey Villasenor (Pictures) about Marquardt.