Here’s an interesting trend in MMA: a guy beats you in a fight through either a decision or somewhat questionable stoppage. You immediately demand a rematch, but he’d rather not do that because he wants to move on with his career and continue climbing the ladder in the division. So you do what any rational person would do. You accuse him of being scared to fight you again.

Nate Marquardt is the newest member of the ‘Don’t be scared, homey‘ club ever since he told Sherdog recently that Thales Leites is ducking a rematch of their UFC 85 cheat-fest. Marquardt seems to be seizing on the fact that his point deduction for striking to the back of the head was unjustified and conveniently forgetting the other completely illegal stuff he did in that fight, such as the knee to the head of a downed Leites and the piledriver at the end of the fight:

“I’ve never seen a fight like that, never have I had a point taken away for me in any other fight. I believe this was my first,” said Marquardt. “It’s disappointing. Actually he got warned three times for grabbing my glove, the fence and elbowing the back of my head.”

“I’m happy with the way I performed. I know the fans loved it. Honestly, all the controversy over the point deductions and me losing a split decision, everybody who saw the fight knows that I won the fight,” Marquardt said. “In a way it’s been a blessing in disguise. It’s kind of made my popularity go up because everyone is talking about it.”

“I would love a rematch and I asked for it. I doubt he’s going to give me a rematch. I think he’s kind of scared to be honest,” Marquardt said. “He got lucky and knocked me down right away and mounted me. That’s his game, to get to the mount position. What better position for him to land up in? I was able to escape, get back up to my feet and have him rocked by the end of the round. I think he knows that he was kind of outclassed.”

Isn’t it great how MMA fighters are so often convinced that anything effective their opponent managed to do was “lucky”, while their own offense was all skill and superior technique? Maybe that’s the mindset you need to have to fight at that level, but it sure is a very selective thought process. If Marquardt really wants to force that rematch, he may have to up his antics. Derogatory t-shirt calling out Leites, perhaps? I know a place in the mall that could do it cheap.