MMAJunkie.com reported today that former UFC middleweight contender Nate "The Great" Marquardt will be making his welterweight debut against super-sized welterweight fighter Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
The two will be doing battle on June 26 for UFC on Versus 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Marquardt vs. Johnson matchup is definitely intriguing, but it is a bit ironic that it is happening in the welterweight division.
Marquardt is already considered a big fighter at 185 pounds, and Anthony Johnson is a massive welterweight at 6'2". Johnson went on the record during an episode of Inside MMA stating that he cuts upwards of 55 pounds to make the 170-pound limit.
This matchup could have easily taken place in the middleweight division.
Marquardt told MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani after his fight with Dan Miller that he had been considering the move to welterweight.
Both men are known for their knockout power. Johnson is a solid wrestler, something Marquardt has struggled with in his fights with Yushin Okami and Chael Sonnen.
Johnson's wrestling and ability to control opponents are benefited by the fact that he usually holds a massive size advantage over his foes, but against Marquardt this simply won't be the case.
It will be interesting to see how Marquardt handles the weight cut, but with the amount of weight Johnson is cutting, it might actually be an easier cut for Marquardt than Johnson.
This is a big fight for Johnson. Despite looking spectacular against lesser competition, whenever the talent bar has been raised, he has struggled to make the grade, losing to Josh Koscheck and Rich Clementi in the past.
A win over Marquardt would be a big name win in Johnson's young career and definitely get him in the mix for title contention.
For Marquardt, the drop to 170 pounds is definitely in the spirit of reaching UFC gold for the first time after failing in a title fight at middleweight against Anderson Silva and failing to win the necessary fights for a second shot at the title in that division.
Marquardt going for the welterweight title begs the question: Are Georges St-Pierre and Marquardt preparing to make a switch?
Marquardt and St-Pierre have trained together on numerous occasions and both hold ties with Greg Jackson's camp, which is notorious for not having teammates fight each other.
With all the talk of the St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva super fight, one has to wonder if Marquardt's drop to welterweight is a hint that current welterweight champion St-Pierre is considering the move up to middleweight.
In any case the fight between Johnson and Marquardt has the makings of a great fight, and both men have a lot on the line come June 26.
Leon Horne has been contributing to Bleacher Report for three years now. He focuses mainly on mixed martial arts, but he has also written about tennis, football and hockey. Just send him a message if you want to talk sports or discuss any opportunities. You can follow him on Twitter for updates: 
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