There are a lot of people out there who are hoping that Anderson Silva moves up to light heavyweight. People want the middleweight division to be wide open once again. They want to see championship fights that aren’t decided before the fighters step into the cage.

Here’s a realization: That might not happen even if Silva does leave. Nate Marquardt could be the next dominant UFC champ.

Let’s introduce you to the man before I get into my reasoning. Nate is one of the most accomplished fighters in the middleweight division. Before coming over to the UFC, he was a three-time King of Pancrase. Since coming over, he is 8-2. He fought Silva after going 4-0 in his first four fights, meaning that he is 4-1 after his championship loss. In that one loss to Thales Leites, he was docked a point for kneeing a downed opponent in the head, and another for strikes to the back of the head. Before you think it was a dirty fight, remember that this is the same guy who chose not to strike a knocked out Demian Maia.

Marquardt’s game is a mix of many different disciplines. What really makes him special is his stand-up skill. He is a phenomenal kickboxer, as shown in his highlight reel 10-hit combo against Wilson Gouveia.

He is so technical and has such great power that he is at an advantage on his feet against anyone in the division…except for Silva.

His ground game is nothing to be messed around with either. He has 15 submission victories to his record as well. He has both wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training, and uses both of them extremely well.

Last but not least, there is his camp, which only one of the best in the world. Training at Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting in Albuquerque, New Mexico brings the best out in any fighter. When you someone as great as Marquardt, it makes them truly spectacular.

No, Marquardt is not blessed with the same kind of physical gifts that Silva is. However, in the incredibly thin UFC middleweight division, there may not be anything standing between Nate and complete dominance. Look around the division: Who could really beat Nate? He’s fighting Chael Sonnen at UFC 109, and while Chael is a pest, a guy who makes anyone work for a victory, he is not going to beat Marquardt.

Further down the line, he could see Michael Bisping. The Count would want to stand with Nate, and thus be in line for another Dan Henderson-type KO. He could see Alan Belcher, who recently declared himself the greatest fighter of all time. Marquardt would end that thought quickly. Patrick Cote? Tom Lawlor? Aaron Simpson? Nope. Not close. Yushin Okami? Maybe a bit of a matchup problem, but I think it would be hard for him to get Marquardt down. Could Wanderlei Silva beat him? Maybe. It would be interesting to see the two stand and bang, but unless The Axe Murderer can turn back the clock to 2004, I don’t see him winning.

So, we are left with Nate as the unquestioned best fighter in the division. Of course, this is all contingent on Anderson Silva leaving the division.

If he does, Welcome to the Marquardt-era. That was me doing my best Joe Rogan.