UFC President Dana White was clearly not immensely thrilled with his UFC 122 main-event battle between Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt, and he had no qualms about ripping Marquardt’s performance in the fight.
“He’s a choker,” White said of Marquardt’s losing performance in the main-event. Marquardt again loses out on a Middleweight Championship shot (he previously missed out via a loss to Chael Sonnen), a shot he had been trying to regain since losing easily to Anderson Silva.
White nonetheless the fighter’s talent and placed some additional blame on Marquardt’s camp, coached by Greg Jackson.
“Marquardt is such a talented guy, and what I’m seeing is stuff from the Greg Jackson camp,” he said. “This camp continuously – when these guys fight, their corner is either telling them they’re ahead or they’re winning.”
White cracked that Marquardt should not have been been led to believe he won–or at least was winning–this fight given that, “you go into the last round and you’re getting outstruck by a wrestler.”
Jackson’s camp, viewed universally as one of the best in mixed martial arts, is also responsible for coaching fighters like Rashad Evans and Georges St. Pierre.
Okami, who defeated Marquardt by decision, scored a title shot against the winner of Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort with his victory.