PITTSBURGH – Onetime UFC middleweight title challenger Nate Marqaurdt (31-10-2 MMA, 10-4 UFC) had hoped to drop to the welterweight division.

Instead, he's the one who's been dropped.

Less than one hour after the UFC officially announced that Marquardt has been scratched from Sunday's UFC on Versus 4 event, UFC president Dana White informed the world Marquardt also has been released from the organization.

"I'm sure you heard that Nate Marquardt is out," White said in a short video clip posted on his Twitter account. "It's true. He failed his medicals. Not only is he out of this fight, out of the main event on Versus, he will no longer be with the UFC."

Neither White nor Marquardt's management team were immediately available when contacted for comment.

The announcement comes on the heels of a hectic afternoon in which sources told MMAjunkie.com Marquardt "did not receive medical clearance" and was pulled from a planned main-event bout with Rick Story. Charlie Brenneman was quickly tapped as a last-minute replacement, and a heavyweight bout between Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry was promoted to the evening's featured slot.

NO INFORMATION Update 2011.06.26

Specifics on the reasoning for the scratch have not yet been announced.

Marquardt has yet to speak publicly on the matter, but his management team talked to MMAjunkie.com prior to his apparent release from the promotion.

"Nate is really disappointed," a representative said. "He really was looking forward to making his welterweight debut, and he plans to be back in there as soon as possible."

Unfortunately for Marquardt, "there" currently doesn't appear to be the octagon.

MMAjunkie.com Staff

Update:

PSAC indefinitely suspends Marquardt, says UFC, fighter had six weeks to get clearance

PITTSBURGH – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission still won't reveal exactly what forced Nate Marquardt out of tonight's UFC on Versus 4 event, but PSAC executive director Gregory Sirb did reveal the fighter was given plenty of time to address the issue.

And after failing to fulfill the PSAC'S requirements, the commission has now put Marquardt on indefinite suspension.

"He's been put on suspension," Sirb told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "When he meets those requirements, he'll be taken off. How long of a suspension (it will be) is up to him."

As MMAjunkie.com first reported, Marquardt officially was pulled from tonight's fight, which takes place at Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center, just prior to Saturday's official fighter weigh-ins. Marquardt, who was dropping from middleweight to welterweight for the first time in his UFC career, failed to receive medical clearance, though no one would say exactly why.

But Sirb indicated Marqaurdt knows exactly what was expected of him.

"We gave him every opportunity," Sirb said. "The last report we got was 4 o'clock yesterday. We had given him as much leeway as we could, but obviously, when you've got a live event, you've got to make a call at that time.

"(It's) pretty straightforward stuff. You've got to meet these requirements, and there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. Unfortunately, he did not. I felt for the kid. I really did. He knew about it, and I think he was trying."

Sirb indicated the UFC also has been informed each step of the way, and the entire process has lasted "about a month and a half."

"He knew the situation," Sirb said. "There was no surprise.

"Everybody knew. I think everybody assumed he was going to be able to qualify."

But when it came time to fulfill said requirements, Marquardt fell short. The onetime UFC middleweight title challenger was scratched from the card and ultimately fired by UFC president Dana White.
 
Marquardt and his camp have yet to offer any insight as to what happened behind the scenes, and White has also declined to speak publicly on the matter. Additionally, Sirb said the PSAC is bound by law not to reveal any intimate details.

"We can't say anything," Sirba said. "The HIPAA laws are really strict."

Marquardt's next move remains to be seen, but for now, he may have a little work to do before he steps back in the cage – for any promotion.

"He needs to show us a new report," Sirb said. "When that report comes in and he meets our requirements, which could even be tomorrow, we'll take him off. It could be two months, but it's an indefinite suspension until he submits that report we're looking for."

Source: MMAJunkie