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Do you believe Tarec Saffiedine is a legitimate challenger at 170 lbs., or was Nate Marquardt simply overrated into final SF bout?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Do I believe Tarec Saffiedine is a legitimate challenger now? Well, no, not really. But I am willing to entertain the possibility that he could become one if he wins a couple of fights over top-10 guys. I'm more willing to buy his case at 170 than I was with Tim Boetsch at 185, both of whom exploded onto the scenes with shocking upset wins over much higher ranked opponents. That said, Saffiedine needs to do it again. And again. And again (Alice in Chains for the win). He also needs to prove that he has learned how to handle wrestlers, or else he's never going to get past Mike Pierce, Tyron Woodley, Jon Fitch, et. a., much less Georges St-Pierre.
As to Marquardt's part of the equation; I have no damned idea what happened. He must have decided mentally that this was a huge fight, because we all know what happens when Marquardt goes into a big fight. It's the banana gag (taken literally, he slips, he chokes. Taken figuratively, you're a fan of The Muppet Show.). I won't ever believe Marquardt is top-five again, until/unless he can defeat the UFC champion, whomever that might be, in an increasingly unlikely and non-existent hypothetical title shot. Did I put enough modifiers in there? Yes Other Rich, you did put enough modifiers in there.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
No, I don't think he's a legit challenger. I think he's a bit better than his rep, plus I think Marquardt is not as good as his rep is. That combined to create the situation we saw. Tarec could work his way up, but I don't think he's going to enjoy big success against the top guys in the UFC at 170.
ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I think both are correct. Marquardt has not competed in a world class competition since 2011, when he was dropped by the UFC for using PED's. Marquardt is 3-3 in his last six fights. Losses to Chael Sonnen, Yushin Okami, and now Saffiedine, do not allow him to make a claim for a title shot any time soon. Wins during that stretch against Rousimar Palhares, Dan Miller, and Tyron Woodley do not make him a top ten fighter either. I know he is now in a lighter weight class, but he has a long way to go before he is in any title picture. Beating names Scott Smith, Tyler Stinson, Roger Bowling, and Nate Marquardt does not make Saffiedine a title contender either, at least not yet. He has all the skills he needs to be in the mix at 170, but it is WAY too early to call him a legitimate challenger. There are plenty of fights to make for him at welterweight in order for him to make his claim at a title shot. I feel he is at least two wins away against top 10 fighters before it should happen.
ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
In the last Strikeforce fight ever, I don't think it was so much that Tarec Saffiedine was a legitimate threat to Nate Marquardt's reign, as much as I think Marquardt was a little overrated and over-hyped as this top guy in the welterweight division. After his loss to Anderson Silva several years ago, Marquardt has hardly been a top contender, and his lack of competition in Strikeforce showed that. Saffiedine is a good fighter, no doubt, but not a contender. At least, not any time soon.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
You know it's really hard to say whether or not Saffiedine is a legitimate threat at 170. He clearly out thought Nate Marquardt and made him look downright stupid with leg kicks, but my mind tends to go towards Marquardt either psyching himself out, or not following whatever his original gameplan was. The leg kicks were so frequent and strong that my thigh still hurts from watching it. I wouldn't say that Nate is overrated as much as he under performed in that bout. Tarec is going to hang with a lot of the UFC guys without a doubt, but the top guys? Probably not so much. A bout between him and Nick Diaz could be insanely entertaining, whereas seeing him fight a Jon Fitch kind of guy would probably be a repeat of his loss to Woodley. So, my answer is basically a good old fashioned, "I don't know". Either way, he deserves a ton of credit for what he did to Marquardt.
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