UFC
Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission lifts Nate Marquardt's suspension
Jul 13, 2011 - 2:00:24 PM Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission lifts Nate Marquardt's suspension

DISCUSS ALL THIS IN OUR NEW MMATORCH FORUM

...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Nate Marquardt is no longer suspended by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission, and he is now clear to fight again, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.

Marquardt was placed on suspension when he failed to provide test results for his testosterone levels that were in "normal" range in order for the PSAC to allow him to fight at UFC on Versus 4. His failure to provide that before the weigh-ins led to his release from the UFC and Dana White saying he was "disgusted" with him.

In an interview two days after that event with Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com, Marquardt stated that he had since given the PSAC the required test results and paperwork that he believed would lead to his suspension being lifted.

Now, PSAC executive director Greg Sirb confirmed that they have done just that, and Marquardt has provided the information needed for him to pass his medicals and meet all their requirements.

Marquardt is now free to sign with another organization, and multiple reports have stated that Bellator Fighting Championships is interested in signing him for their middleweight division. The MMAJunkie report features a statement from Marquardt's camp on his suspension being lifted.

"Today Nate Marquardt was taken off suspension by the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission," the statement read. "This comes less than three weeks after not being medically cleared to fight at UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburgh and being placed on suspension. Nate is no longer restricted from fighting in any jurisdiction and is looking forward to competing in mixed martial arts again as soon as possible."

"Nate is currently fielding a large number of offers from several MMA promotions and is excited at the wide range of options he has before him. Nate is still one of the best MMA fighters in the world and will resume his career in the sport after deciding which venue is right for him. He felt very comfortable with the drop to welterweight and will most likely compete in that weight class. Nate would like to thank his sponsors, family, and friends who supported him through this difficult time."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: This was expected, though I still don't understand why the PSAC was going to allow him to fight if he tested in the "normal" ranges on the weigh-in day when he hadn't applied for a therapeutic use exemption. If his levels are high and were not supposed to be under treatment, it makes it seem as if he was allowed to use testosterone more than medically required provided he got back down to normal by fight time, and that just comes off very badly. Still, it doesn't matter now as the suspension has been lifted, and Marquardt has already suffered losing his spot on the UFC's roster. I'd suspect he'll end up in Bellator, as they weren't going to make a move until this suspension was lifted but they make sense as a landing spot for Marquardt.