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Chris Howie of MMANews.com: This is Chris Howie with MMANews.com and today I'm speaking with seven-time Middleweight King of Pancrase and number one contender for the UFC Middleweight championship, Nate "The Great" Marquardt. How are you today Nate?

Nate Marquardt: I'm good. How are you doing?

MMANews.com: I'm not doing too bad today. Thanks for asking. So Nate, How is training going for your upcoming fight with Anderson Silva next weekend?

Nate Marquardt: It's going excellent. I'm basically in the last hard week right now. It's going really well.

MMANews.com: What have you been working on in training?

Nate Marquardt: I've basically done the same things I always do, working all areas. I've worked on my conditioning so I can be in 100 percent shape.

MMANews.com: How is your cardio and do you have any cutting to do to make weight?

Nate Marquardt: Naw, I don't really have any problem making weight. My conditioning is excellent like always.

MMANews.com: How do you feel you match up with Anderson Silva?

Nate Marquardt: I think he is a very tough fighter. He's very good on his feet and on the ground but I think that I'm going to be able to dominate in all areas. We have a good game-plan coming in and I'm in great shape, so I think I'm going to dominate in all areas.

MMANews.com: Are you prepared to go five rounds?

Nate Marquardt: Oh definitely. My last fights have been all three rounders but I've always felt like I could have gone five afterwards. This fight is going to be no different.

MMANews.com: Who were you training with in preperation for Silva?

Nate Marquardt: All my teammates at [Greg] Jackson's. Obviously the coach is Greg Jackson, Trevor Whitman, Mike Van Arsdale, Mike Winklejohn, and Ricardo Margel and all my teammates in Denver as well.

MMANews.com: Does the recent string of loses in the Jackson camp affect you mentally coming in to your fight?

Nate Marquardt: No, not for my fight. Obviously it's upsetting to me when my teammates lose but I still believe in them and I still believe that they are the best. This is only going to make us better as a team. It's not going affect me in my fight.

MMANews.com: Now you were cornering Joey Villasenor for his fight this past weekend?

Nate Marquardt: Yes, I was.

MMANews.com: What do you feel went wrong in the fight?

Nate Marquardt: There's a couple of things outside of the fight that I think effected it but basically maybe Joey got a little over-excited when he rocked [Murilo] "Ninja" Rua the first time and I think he went for the finish too early and wore himself out. He put himself off balance then got reversed and then he was able to get back up again - got him in the guillotine and he thought he had it finished and went a little bit too hard for it. I think if he had of paced himself a little bit more it would have changed things. That wasn't Joeys 100 percent out there and he'll get back on top soon.

MMANews.com: Let's go back in time a little to your Pancrase career. People wanted to know exactly what happened in your fight with Ricardo Almeida and with Renzo Gracie at the end of the fight.


Nate Marquardt challenges Anderson Silva for the UFC MW title live on PPV, July 7...


Nate Marquardt: You mean after the fight?

MMANews.com: Yeah, what went down there?

Nate Marquardt: It was a heat of the moment type thing. I punched him [Almeida] after the referee stopped the fight and I realized I made that mistake right away. We squashed it right after. There's no hard feelings.

MMANews.com: Would you ever consider a return to Pancrase?

Nate Marquardt: No. I know things will work out in the UFC for one and two I think I've done all that I can do in Pancrase.

MMANews.com: I guess you can't complain consider you've won the title seven times.

Nate Marquardt: [laughs] Yeah, exactly.

MMANews.com: Who are some other fighters in the UFC you'd like to fight if you are to win the title?

Nate Marquardt: You know, I always just want to fight the best guys. I want to fight the number one guys. I'm not going to look past Anderson, he's my next opponent and I'm not looking beyond him and to anybody else.

MMANews.com: At one point you were wanting a fight with then champ Rich Franklin. How do you feel you match up with him now?

Nate Marquardt: I think I match up well with any fighter. I've got a really well-rounded style, good stand up, good ground, good takedowns, and I don't think there is anybody I don't match up well with.

MMANews.com: What do you feel you need to do against Anderson Silva to go 5-0 in the UFC and win the Middleweight title?

Nate Marquardt Basically just fight my fight and do my best and I'll win.

MMANews.com: Who do you feel was your toughest opponent since coming to the UFC?

Nate Marquardt: Honestly, they've all been tough opponents for different reasons. Dean Lister probably had the most heart to keep going after I knocked him down. The toughest guy was probably Joe Doerkson because he was pretty well-rounded and had good stand up and came out in good shape and ready to go.

MMANews.com: How are things going with your MMA academy in Colorado?

Nate Marquardt: It's going really well. We have some really good instructors there right now. The students are great. We have a really friendly atomosphere there and I've built the gym up really good, obviously with the help from all the students and instructors. It's going very well. There's other things we do at the gym such as sponsoring under-privelaged kids in the community.

MMANews.com: Do you have any sponsers you would like to thank?

Nate Marquardt: Oh, for sure, I'd like to thank Affliction, TapouT, United Nissan, SRH, HardNutrition.com, and 1-800-NEW-LOAN.

MMANews.com: Anything you'd like to say to your fans?

Nate Marquardt: Yeah, I hope everyone gets to watch me on the 7th and I'm going to do my best and do well.

MMANews.com: Do you have a prediction for the fight at UFC 73?

Nate Marquardt: [Laughs] I don't really do the prediction thing because I'm a well-rounded fighter. I might knock him out, I might submit him, I might win a decision but in the end I know my hand will be raised.

MMANews.com: Ok Nate, I'd like to thank you for your time today and wish you good luck in your fight on July 7th.

Nate Marquradt: Thanks a lot man.