UFC 128 features a number of compelling bouts on paper, but the bout between Nate Marquardt (30-10-2) and Dan Miller (13-4) is more intriguing because of the circumstances that led to it’s taking place than the match-up itself. Marquardt was originally scheduled to take on Yoshihiro Akiyama but the tragic situation in Japan led to Akiyama’s removal from the card. Miller stepping in as a replacement was announced on March 12, a mere one week before the bout will take place.
Fortunately for Miller, he was already training for a fight on the card against Nick Catone. Still, Nate Marquardt is not Nick Catone. Dana White had the following to say when the new bout was made:
Yoshihiro Akiyama will not be able to participate at UFC 128 due to the tragedy in Japan. New Jersey native Dan Miller proves once again that he will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime by agreeing to step up from the prelims to face Nate Marquardt. Marquardt has long been a top ten ranked middleweight and Miller jumped at the opportunity to face him.
Miller sports a UFC record of 5-3 with the three losses coming against men currently ranked in the top 10 of the middleweight division (Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia and Michael Bisping). In Marquardt (#4), he faces yet another top ten opponent.
Marquardt has found some marquee wins during his time in the Octagon, most notably a 21 second KO of Demian Maia and a 82 second TKO of Martin Kampmann. He also has struggled against some top level opposition, picking up losses to the likes of Anderson Silva, Thales Leites, Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami. Tough but not elite fighters like Miller have historically been where Marquardt gets it done though.
While Miller has a solid jiu-jitsu game he can struggle when he can’t put his ground game to good use. Marquardt’s ground game is very solid and his flashy and usually effective striking and good wrestling round out his game quite well. Miller having gotten beaten on the feet by Maia does not bode well for him in this clash, but you can never count out a guy with the kind of heart he has.