Marquardt next in line for middleweight title shot

UFC star Nate Marquardt claims he has been told that he is next in line for a shot at Anderson Silva’s middleweight title.

Marquardt needs to beat Chael Sonnen at UFC 109 in February in order to get the title shot.

Marquardt has previously suffered a first round defeat to Anderson Silva during their fight at UFC 73.

He told Sherdog: “I was pretty sure that I had earned another title shot, but that’s not the way it worked out. I was pretty excited about the Henderson fight, too, That was kind of a good consolation prize. When that didn’t happen, I was disappointed, but I’m over that now.”

“I definitely would prefer to fight Anderson, because he beat me before. At the same time, if Vitor beats him … I’d be happy with either one of those scenarios. The main difference [in a rematch with Anderson] is, mentally, I’d be a completely different fighter.

“The first time we fought, I was kind of stuck in a rut, thinking I couldn’t [afford to] lose. I got to where I didn’t want to overcommit, and it took away a lot of my aggression. Since I’ve gone back to my old style, I’ve been finishing guys.”