UFC President Dana White Says Nate Marquardt Firing is Permanent

Not only is Nate Marquardt currently out of a job due to his recent flack with UFC president Dana White over failing to gain medical clearance for Sunday’s UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburgh, he’s on the banished list.

“The thing that’s going on with Nate Marquardt, Pennsylvania laws are unfortunate that the commission can’t come out and announce medical records or medical situations with fighters,” White told the broadcast team on Sunday’s prefight show on Versus. “But I think it’s pretty clear to the fans and everybody else that I’m pretty disgusted with Nate Marquardt. He’s been cut from the UFC. He won’t fight in the UFC ever again.”

UFC president Dana White

White is a man that has a track record for second chances, regardless of his relationship with a person. One of the most famous examples is his rocky relationship with Tito Ortiz over the years.

The two have been on-again, off-again more than Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson, but Ortiz is still fighting under the UFC flag. He faces Ryan Bader at UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber on Saturday night in what likely will be Ortiz’s final Octagon appearance if he doesn’t come out on the winning end.

Ortiz was to be released by the promotion after his last loss, but appealed to White, who decided to give the longtime UFC rebel another chance.

There are those that have hit the skids with White on a more permanent basis, however. A few members of the media have made White’s blacklist, and fighters such as Paul Daley that have been exiled from the Octagon.

Daley has skidded sideways into a pseudo-return, due to his being under contract with Strikeforce when the UFC’s parent company acquired the promotion, but he still hasn’t been pardoned for blind-siding Josh Koscheck following UFC 113 last year.

Marquardt has now joined the list.

“People make mistakes. We’re human beings. It’s going to happen. It’s how you handle it. And Nate Marquardt is a nice guy. He’s a sweetheart, and he always says the right things,” White added on the pre-show. “(But) being nice and acting nice and doing the right thing are two different things.

Nate Marquardt

“Nate Marquardt is going to have to man-up and come out and tell the world why he didn’t pass his medicals. And when he does that, I think everybody will understand why he was cut from the UFC.”

There has been little revealed by way of details surrounding Marquardt’s implosion with UFC brass. White and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission can’t talk about the specifics due to Pennsylvania’s strict adherence to the HIPPA laws that protect a person’s medical privacy. Marquardt is, however, under an indefinite suspension by the Pennsylvania commission until he conforms to the state’s medical requirements.

Marquardt and his camp have yet to respond to media requests for an explanation, although Marquardt has taken to Twitter to apologize to his fans and former employer.

“I’m sorry to all my fans and the UFC for not passing the medicals for tonight’s fight. I’m heart broken I couldn’t fight, but I will b back,” he tweeted on Saturday.

“I will personally be addressing all issues regarding my medicals, etc this Tuesday,” Marquardt added on Sunday night.

But he likely won’t be back, at least not in the Octagon.

“I’m one of these guys that gives everybody a second chance,” said White.

“Bottom line is, what Nate Marquardt did is bad enough to be cut from the UFC. I’m disgusted with him. He has no business fighting in the UFC.”

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Ken Pishna is the managing editor of MMAWeekly.com.
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