CEO Bjorn Rebney: Nate Marquardt currently "just isn't a good fit" for Bellator [Archive]

Joshuaa

14-07-2011, 23:09

CEO Bjorn Rebney: Nate Marquardt currently "just isn't a good fit" for Bellator (http://mmajunkie.com/news/24396/ceo-bjorn-rebney-nate-marquardt-currently-just-isnt-a-good-fit-for-bellator.mma)

Bjorn Rebney knows top-10 fighters don't grow on trees, and it's even rarer to find such free agents coming off a victory.

But despite the availability of Nate Marquardt, the Bellator chairman and CEO said the former UFC middleweight title challenger won't be headed to his organization anytime soon.

As he today told MMAjunkie.com (http://mmajunkie.com/) (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com
(http://www.mmajunkie.com)), Marquardt "just isn't a good fit" for the organization at this time.

While Rebney and matchmaker Sam Caplan traditionally shy away from signing UFC and Strikeforce castoffs (and focus on international recruiting), he knows Marquardt is in a unique situation. After being released from the UFC following issues with his testosterone-replacement therapy this past month, Marquardt (31-10-2) began talking to a few of the sport's big players for his next career move.

Rebney confirmed he and Marquardt, as well as the fighter's representatives, discussed the possibility of a Bellator deal. However, he declined to comment on the specifics of the discussions and wouldn't reveal the exact stumbling blocks. Admittedly, though, it was worth a shot.

"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."

As Marquardt has dealt with the public humiliation of his release, which came on the eve of UFC on Versus 4 and a would-be welterweight headliner with Rick Story, the former middleweight has had no shortage of challengers. Chief among them have been Bellator welterweight champ Ben Askren and middleweight titleholder Hector Lombard.

"Some of the fighters that think they're so cool and tough by kicking a guy when he's down," Marquardt told MMAjunkie.com (http://mmajunkie.com/news/24383/free-to-fight-again-nate-marqaurdt-thanks-supporters-challenges-those-who-piled-on.mma) on Wednesday. "As far as my career, this has been one of the worst times of my life, and these guys are calling me a cheater and talking crap. I've taken note as to who those guys are, and I'm going to come for them. Eventually, I'll get them. I don't care if it's in a superfight or if they want to come down to my gym. I'll beat them up for free."

Unfortunately, it won't be in a Bellator cage. Rebney said he was open to the idea of "superfights" (a fancy term for "non-title fights" in Bellator's world) 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. In fact, Rebney said Marquardt was the consummate professional during their talks – "professional and genuine," he said – 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. But right now, he said, the organization is engulfed in preparations for its remaining two "Summer Series" shows, as well as the September start of its 12-week fifth season, which features welterweight and middleweight tournaments that are already filled.

"We have so much going on right now ... and we're pretty far down the process," he said. "If Nate had been available a few months back, maybe things would be different."