If you're one of the many UFC fans who's been clamoring for a fight between welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and middleweight champion Anderson Silva, you can blame Nate Marquardt's friendship with St. Pierre for the fact that it hasn't happened yet, and likely won't happen any time soon.In a live chat with MMAFighting.com readers, Marquardt said that he believes GSP -- a longtime teammate and training partner -- is avoiding moving up to middleweight to challenge Silva in large part because GSP wants Marquardt to get another chance at the middleweight title.
"I've said it before, I think the only reason GSP hasn't done it is that he wants me to do it," Marquardt said. "He's a great teammate and he's giving me my second chance. But I've always said that I think Georges, pound for pound, has proven himself to be the best, and I think he's got good enough striking that he could overcome the distance that Silva has, and I think if Anderson makes a mistake Georges will put him on his back, and Georges is so strong on top that I think he would dominate him."
Marquardt said that while Chael Sonnen gave Silva the toughest test of Silva's UFC career, St. Pierre could give Silva all the same problems Sonnen did on the ground -- but also do a lot more damage to Silva standing up, and avoid getting caught in a submission, as Sonnen did in the fifth round of their fight in August.
"If you look at Sonnen, he doesn't have good striking and doesn't have a good jiu jitsu game, but he has good wrestling," Marquardt said. "Georges has that, plus he has all the other aspects. And I think Georges is a smarter fighter, in terms of his game plans and strategy."
If Marquardt takes care of business and beats Yushin Okami on Saturday at UFC 122, he'll get the next middleweight title shot and St. Pierre will continue to defend his welterweight belt. But if Marquardt doesn't get another shot at Silva, that's when St. Pierre might -- and Marquardt thinks that if the fight ever happens, St. Pierre will win.
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