UFC middleweight Nate Marquardt has drawn the curtain closed on his fighting card, announcing his retirement on Thursday. Marquardt made the announcement via his website.
“I have won 4 world titles and I have subsequently lost three of them. I have had many winning and losing streaks. I have battled chronic injuries and had 6 surgeries,” Marquardt wrote.
“I have learned that I can trust God in every situation and need to put him first. After 22 years as an athlete in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, I believe God is calling me in another direction.”
His faith has long been a cornerstone of Marquardt’s life and it appears that he is leaning on his faith more than ever in making the decision to retire from active competition. Though we will no longer see him fighting in the UFC Octagon, Marquardt insisted that he believes mixed martial arts will still play a prominent role in whatever God has planned for him.
“I will continue training in all aspects of MMA and I will also continue to run my sports ministry, Resurrection Jiu-Jitsu. I am currently pursuing a degree at Gateway Seminary, and I plan on using my experience in MMA and the UFC on the mission field,” said Marquardt.
“Wherever and however (my family and I) go, I believe God will use MMA in some capacity, either teaching at a gym, coaching fighters, running a sports ministry, and/or teaching seminars.”
Marquardt has been fighting professionally since 1999, having fought his way to a 6-0 record before making the leap to fighting in Japan for the Pancrase organization. That is where Marquardt really came into his own, becoming the first and, eventually, three-time middleweight King of Pancrase.
Having fought the best that Japan had to offer, Marquardt made his way to the UFC in 2005, becoming a middleweight title contender, but failing to take the belt from then-reigning champion Anderson Silva.
He made a brief move to Strikeforce, defeating Tyron Woodley to become the promotion’s welterweight champion. He Marquadt lost the belt in his next fight, but returned to the UFC when the promotion acquired Strikeforce and absorbed its roster.
Marquardt has spent the past few years fighting out his career in the Octagon, but has struggled to regain the form that earned him so many championships in the past.
Nate Marquardt’s Full Retirement Message:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Since I became a Christian, this has been one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Jesus said we must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven. The humility that a child has is shown in their dependency on and trust in their parents. I have had many accomplishments and victories as well as many trials and upsets in my career. I have won 4 world titles and I have subsequently lost three of them. I have had many winning and losing streaks. I have battled chronic injuries and had 6 surgeries. I have learned that I can trust God in every situation and need to put him first. After 22 years as an athlete in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, I believe God is calling me in another direction.
I want to thank everyone that has supported me throughout my career, including the UFC, Strikeforce and Pancrase. I have many fans that have stuck by me in the ups and the downs and I want you to know that I really appreciate it. I have been blessed to work with so many of the best coaches and training partners in the world and I have much gratitude for every moment of it. I cherish all the relationships that have been formed through this that sport we love. I am exceedingly grateful for those closest to me: my coaches, teammates, friends, wife and family. Above all, I thank God for his provision, protection, patience and guidance through my career.
I am also happy to say that I will still be involved in MMA on many levels. I will continue training in all aspects of MMA and I will also continue to run my sports ministry, Resurrection Jiu-Jitsu. I am currently pursuing a degree at Gateway Seminary, and I plan on using my experience in MMA and the UFC on the mission field. At this point, my family and I are praying for direction for where God is leading us globally and by what means. Wherever and however we go, I believe God will use MMA in some capacity, either teaching at a gym, coaching fighters, running a sports ministry, and/or teaching seminars. Either way, we are excited for this next season in our life as a family and we are confident that God is directing our paths!”
