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"I think I’ve always had that mean streak in me, and I kinda lost it there for a little while just because certain things changed in the way I was fighting. Then the loss to Anderson (Silva) gave me it back... For a while, I was kinda fighting in order to not lose, and I had really good control of the fights – good wrestling, good boxing, good defense – but that finishing aggressiveness wasn’t there, and I put that back in. That’s something I had in the past, and I continued to work on skill, technique and stuff, and I got better in all areas, but that’s what’s made the biggest difference, just because I kinda left it out for a while... In the past I’ve always looked at it as both. It is a sport, but it’s also a fight. It’s not a game. You’re out there and you can really get hurt. You could be winning the fight, but at any moment, if you make the wrong move, you can get knocked out or choked out, and vice versa. It doesn’t matter how you’re doing, you’re in there to fight and to finish the guy. For a while, I was looking at it as more of a sport."
-Nate Marquardt talks to UFC.com about regaining his killer instinct in the cage and realizing MMA is more than just a sport.
Penick's Analysis: Marquardy certainly has gotten that aggression and finishing ability back into his game. The Silva fight was a major turnaround for the multi-time King of Pancrase, and he's made it his mission to get back to a rematch with "The Spider," taking out a number of guys along the way. That ability to finish will be key against Chael Sonnen, who could surprise him with an aggressive and suffocating wrestling game if he can't find a way to utilize his aggressiveness to take Sonnen out. This will likely be a very good fight between these two tomorrow night and the winner will emerge as a clear number one contender, something that hasn't been seen for awhile in the UFC's middleweight division with multiple fighters simply being placed into TItle shots against Silva.
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