In a fight that most hardcore fans considered to be far and away the most meaningful fight on the card, Nate Marquardt sent a message to the middleweight division.
Meeting in the middle of the Octagon, Marquardt caught Maia dropping his guard to fire a leg kick and caught him with a powerful straight punch to finish the fight in 0:21 seconds.
Maia is the most feared jiu jitsu artist in the division, but grappling never came into play as Marquardt dropped him with a straight right that knocked him off his feet.
Looking down at his stunned opponent, Marquardt declined to follow Maia down and let the referee call the fight.
After the bout, Marquardt told Joe Rogan that "if you want someone who will kick Anderson Silva's butt, you'll give me the title shot." Reacting in the crowd, middleweight champion Anderson Silva made faces in response.