I have always thought that these two would avoid each other, but it appears Marquardt atleast is open to the idea.
Im not sure GSP would be as accepting and may ask for Hendricks first should he beat Ellenberger.
Watch for Hendricks to get passed over again..in favour of a more marketable match-up, unless Hendricks repeats his performance against Fitch/Kampmann, they could then put Marquardt against Rory or Condit, or Koscheck...WW is looking mighty fine!
I still think that either GSP or Rory will move to 185 to avoid each other, as Rory is still probably 2-3 fights away from a title shot (even if victorious over Condit)
On the topic of team-mates, it seems that the champ is always the reluctant one, where the up and comer is hungry and wants what the champ has. See Rashad, GSP
"For some mixed martial artists, fighting a friend or training partner is simply out of the question.
Most notably is the case of current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and his adopted protégé, B.C.’s Rory MacDonald, who joined the Montrealer’s Tristar Gym in recent years and whom many believe is the future of the 170-pound class.
The world-class facility’s owner Firas Zahabi said one of the rules they have is that gym members do not fight each other, and both have said they would never fight a close friend and training partner anyway.
But apparently some fighters feel differently.
For example, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt, a friend and training partner of GSP, who defends his belt against Tarec Saffiedine on the organization’s final event Saturday in Oklahoma City. Marquardt, who fought formerly in the UFC as a middleweight, told MMAfighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that he would be open to fighting St-Pierre in a title unification bout should he emerge victorious this weekend."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/2013/01/08/nate_marquardt_strikeforce_georges_st_pierre_ufc/
Im not sure GSP would be as accepting and may ask for Hendricks first should he beat Ellenberger.
Watch for Hendricks to get passed over again..in favour of a more marketable match-up, unless Hendricks repeats his performance against Fitch/Kampmann, they could then put Marquardt against Rory or Condit, or Koscheck...WW is looking mighty fine!
I still think that either GSP or Rory will move to 185 to avoid each other, as Rory is still probably 2-3 fights away from a title shot (even if victorious over Condit)
On the topic of team-mates, it seems that the champ is always the reluctant one, where the up and comer is hungry and wants what the champ has. See Rashad, GSP
"For some mixed martial artists, fighting a friend or training partner is simply out of the question.
Most notably is the case of current UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and his adopted protégé, B.C.’s Rory MacDonald, who joined the Montrealer’s Tristar Gym in recent years and whom many believe is the future of the 170-pound class.
The world-class facility’s owner Firas Zahabi said one of the rules they have is that gym members do not fight each other, and both have said they would never fight a close friend and training partner anyway.
But apparently some fighters feel differently.
For example, Strikeforce welterweight champion Nate Marquardt, a friend and training partner of GSP, who defends his belt against Tarec Saffiedine on the organization’s final event Saturday in Oklahoma City. Marquardt, who fought formerly in the UFC as a middleweight, told MMAfighting.com’s Ariel Helwani that he would be open to fighting St-Pierre in a title unification bout should he emerge victorious this weekend."
http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma/2013/01/08/nate_marquardt_strikeforce_georges_st_pierre_ufc/