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UFC's Julian Marquez: Middleweights get ignored because of Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov

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Rising UFC middleweight Julian Marquez figures the best way to get people talking about him is to stay mostly quiet.

While other fighters go to great lengths to be part of the conversation, Marquez plans to hang back and fans find him.

“People someday will know who I am,” Look up (UFC welterweight) Darren Till. Most people didn’t know he had multiple fights in the UFC before (he fought Donald) Cerrone, and look at him now.”

Marquez (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who next meets Alessio Di Chirico (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale, hasn’t had his headlining moment just yet. But he seems to be on his way. This past August, he burst on to the MMA scene with a head-kick knockout of highly touted prospect Phil Hawes on Dana White’s Contender Series. He was then signed to a UFC contract and followed up with an impressive submission win over Darren Stewart in a back-and-forth fight at UFC on FOX 26.

In today’s UFC, it takes time to build a groundswell of interest. Plus, Marquez adds, there are others who’ve sucked all the room out of the air. Although the middleweight division is brimming with talent, he said, attention is often bestowed on lighter weight classes.

Ten years ago, that statement wouldn’t have remotely rung true. Heavier fighters and weight classes almost always took center stage. But to Marquez, the whole picture changed when an Irishman stormed into the UFC.

“If you talk about 155 (pounds), everybody can go all day about (the lightweight and featherweight divisions) because Conor McGregor changed that whole entire division by sparking it up,” said Marquez, who fights Di Chirico at Pearl Theater in Las Vegas. “Everybody wants to fight Conor and (UFC lightweight champ) Khabib (Nurmagomedov). Everybody wants to fight them to (the point where they ask) who’s the best matchup for them?”

Then there’s the fact that the current UFC middleweight champ, Robert Whittaker, isn’t the most outspoken of characters. He’s more martial artist than promoter. But Marquez sees a bevy of top fighters who are poised to break out, talents such as Eryk Anders, Uriah Hall, Brad Tavares and Israel Adesanya. He wants to add his name to that list.

Marquez currently is training in Las Vegas for his next bout with fellow middleweight prospect Anders. The two have a similar attitude about their careers. Hard work takes precedent over headlines.

“Right now, we’ll just have fun, keep focusing on ourself,” said Marquez. “Because if you start worrying about the hype, then you believe in it.”

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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