Striking While the Iron is Hot: Why Nate Marquardt Needs to get Vocal

Chael Sonnen has gambled, and lost it all.  You take a gamble every time you mix up some over the counter supplements, or try to cycle with steroids.  There's no information on what exactly caused Sonnen to fail his pre-fight drug screening, but it happened.  Sonnen has surely missed out on his immediate rematch with Anderson Silva, as well as millions of dollars that were to be made from it.  It's a shame for Sonnen, but the middleweight division need not fret, because a door has just been flung wide open.  

Right now, there's three obvious options for the UFC in regards to who gets the next crack at Anderson Silva.  They follow, in order from least likely, to most likely:

The winner of Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama:

These two will face off at UFC 120, headlining the Spike TV tape delayed show.  Bisping most recently defeated Dan Miller via unanimous decision at UFC 114.  He looked to have his head on straight, but didn't show us anything we haven't seen from him already inside the octagon.  Yoshihiro Akiyama is looking to rebound off his crushing defeat against Chris Leben at UFC 116.  Needless to say, it's a long shot for either of these fighters to get the next shot, but with injuries, and a good showing, we cannot disregard the possibility.

Nate Marquardt:

Nate Marquardt defeated Rousimar Palhares less than a week ago at UFN 22, and walked away unscathed.  That was his only fight since losing to Chael Sonnen in February of this year, and although tentative, he's looks to be picking up right where he left off.  Yet, if Marquardt wants this title shot before our next option, he may need a little more than his performance at UFC 22 to secure it.

The winner of Yushin Okami vs. Vitor Belfort:

The most likely outcome will be the winner of the main event at UFC 122.  It's not even debatable that if things go as planned, the winner will receive the next title shot, as seen here in the UFC's description of the event:

"Both Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami are one win away from a shot at the UFC Middleweight Title and are coming to Germany with a great deal to win and lose. This is a sporting event with tremendous international significance, and we are delighted to have been able to bring this event to Oberhausen."

Even though it's in ink, we all know nothing is ever certain with title shots in the UFC.  We have Vitor Belfort coming off surgery and over a year since winning his last fight, and Yushin Okami, who's best chance at winning this fight is going to be the use of his wrestling.  Just ask Yushin Okami about title shots that never come around, he'll tell you all about it.  The only thing certain as we begin to close out this year, is going to be that the UFC is looking for a new contender for the title.

After the jump, I'll break down why I believe Nate Marquardt needs to get vocal in this situation.

Nate Marquardt's last loss came in the form of a long, hard fight against Chael Sonnen, but fighting tactics and theology need not be the only thing Marquardt takes away from that fight.  Without a doubt, Marquardt saw how effective Sonnen was at selling the fight against Anderson Silva, and where that got the contender with the casual fans.  If Marquardt wants a better chance at getting this now open title shot, he'll need to take a page out of Sonnen's book and get vocal.  

Clearly, Marquardt isn't Sonnen, he's never used the same angle while speaking, but being bold about wanting a title shot right now could earn him points towards making it a reality.  He also has the benefit of being completely healthy, with an open schedule, which makes him ready to fight as soon as Anderson Silva is ready.  Timing is everything here.  To add to this, his last loss came from a now busted cheater...who is to say that Chael Sonnen only used for the Silva fight?  Of course, Marquardt saying anything about being busted for PED's is hypocritical, as he was busted long ago as well, but MMA fans live in the now.  Factor in that the UFC is looking to make some money, and Marquardt has all the reason in the world to start letting the fans, and the UFC, know that he wants this shot ASAP.

It'll be a hard sell possibly running against Vitor Belfort for the title fight, as Belfort vs. Silva is an appealing fight for any fan, but what if Okami wins in boring fashion at UFC 122?  Marquardt catching the media's attention early and often from here till UFC 122 could possibly make all the difference for him, and a shot against the apparently mortal Anderson Silva is something worth fighting for.

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