10 Questions with Nate Quarry

Nate Quarry has had an incredible career inside in the octagon, with all the highs and lows you'd expect from a UFC veteran. From competing on the first Ultimate Fighter and challenging for the middleweight belt, to recovering from serious back surgery, Quarry has seen it all. He recently took the time to answer a few of our questions. 

Chad: You are currently inactive with your fighting career, what have you been up to?

Nate Quarry: I've been keeping very busy. The most exciting thing I've been doing is reaching out to people with back pain. When I had my surgery it was the most terrifying thing in my entire life. Now, after getting my life back and even fighting six times after it, I feel a strong passion as well as a duty to reach out to people suffering like I was. Nuvasive has teamed up with me in this endeavor by forming The Better Way Back. It's a patient support group that can help people throughout the entire process, even helping them find their local surgeon that's been trained in the XLIF procedure which is what I had. Throw in my own training and working with other fighters as well as being a single father, and I stay busy.

Chad: You've yet to make to make an official announcement about your retirement. Why is that?

Nate Quarry: Because I haven't decided fully on retirement. I'm weighing my options for what is best for my family.

Chad: Was the facial reconstruction surgery part of the reason you've (sort of) retired?

Nate Quarry: What people don't see is behind the scenes. Have my many surgeries led to perhaps retiring? Of course. What was one night's entertainment for the masses was 7 months of recovery for me. It takes six months for bones to heal. Then I immediately tear my bicep as I'm starting to get back in shape. Then most recently as I was sparring "lightly" with a green fighter, in an attempt to sweep me he instead Thai kicks me straight on the knee, severing my MCL and leading to my seventh surgery, and another year of recovery and rehab. So yes, injuries lead to the decision of do I want to live my life knowing that any training partner that isn't as concerned about my health as I am his, can put me on my couch for months. Add to the fact that I STARTED training at 24, and have for the most part been surrounded by coaches who had no idea how to bring up a fighter means it's been a very long road. My first coach after I had fought Mike Whitehead, the next time we sparred he tried to knock me out wearing 8 ounce bag gloves for over half an hour. Why would a coach do this? "Because you're no good and you never will be," was his response. And this was years before I made it to the UFC. A long road indeed.

Chad. You've had some very memorable fights inside the octagon, which one stands out most to you now?

Nate Quarry: My most important fight was my comeback fight against Pete Sell. I had brutally been knocked out in my previous fight, I had left Team Quest, I was undergoing a custody battle for my daughter, and had come back from a major spinal fusion from which no one had ever attempted to do so. I showed up in Vegas with all the money I had in my pocket. My credit card was maxed out, I was fighting for food money. If I would've lost I would've been cut from the UFC almost certainly. Instead, not only did I win but I won fight of the night and knock out of the night. That one day made every possible since then.

Chad: For me personally, I'll never forget you chasing after Starnes and the infamous running man. What was going through your head during the fight?

Nate Quarry: I was wondering, "Does anyone else see this? It seems to me like he's running away the entire time." So when the ten second bell went off I thought, "You've got ten seconds to do whatever you want to me." And still he backed away! But it is what it is, and I've never spoken badly of Caleb. Who knows what was going through his mind that night? We all have off days.

Chad: The first season of the Ultimate Fighter was a very important milestone for the UFC, how does it feel knowing you were a part of it?

Nate Quarry: There have been a few things in MMA that have really set the stage for everything. TUF 1 was one of those things. It finally gave the people someone to root for. Instead of just animals fighting in a cage you got to see us as people. I'm a father and I fight to make a better life for my daughter, but no one knew that until TUF. It's an incredible honor. Yes, I will always wonder, what if? But what can you do?

Chad: Looking back on your time in the house, what moment stands out most?

Nate Quarry: There were so many things that showed who we were as people, and they had to be edited down so much. I'd love to see an entire unedited re-release of the series. One moment that sticks out was when our team was carrying Randy through Lake Mead. We only had one legit light heavyweight. When it was obvious that we were going to lose, I looked at my team and said, "When Chuck crosses the finish line let's run out there and help them out." Leben looked disgusted, Sanford said, "I'm not helping them." Karalexis said, "We're not supposed to leave our area." So as I ran off I yelled back, "Then I'll see you in the loser house!" I wanted to win but wasn't going to sell my honor in the process.

Chad: You were featured in Left4Dead2 as a guest zombie, and even have a zombie cagefighter line, so what's your favorite zombie movie?

Nate Quarry: My favorite zombie movie would have to be Zombieland. I find most zombie movies to be very simple and just the same ol' same ol'. But Zombieland was able to reinvent the genre.

Chad: If you could go back and start your MMA career over again, is there anything you'd do differently?

Nate Quarry: So many things I would do differently. But if it meant I wouldn't be here today, then I'd do it all over again.