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When you air a live event from New Zealand on UFC Fight Pass at 2:30 in the morning, you must have a card worth staying up for and that is what UFC Fight Night 43 has. The event will be headlined by a middleweight division contest as Nate Marquardt battles James Te Huna. Also, Soa Palelei faces Jared Rosholt in a heavyweight battle and a pair of top featherweights will collide.
Kicking off the action is a welterweight division bout as Robert “The Reaper†Whittaker (11-4-0) competes against Mike “Biggie†Rhodes (6-2-0). Whittaker will enter the fight riding a two fight losing streak and he was the winner of the UFC Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes. Rhodes is currently winless under the UFC banner and he is a former Resurrection Fighting Alliance Welterweight Champion. Whittaker has stumbled when put into the octagon against better competition, but Rhodes is not superior competition and it will be Whittaker getting the duke.
A pair of featherweights will collide next as Hatsu Hioki (27-7-2) battles Charles “Do Bronx†Oliveira (17-4-0-1NC). Hioki has only won one of his last four under the UFC banner, with that lone win coming over Ivan Menjivar at UFC Fight Night: Kim vs. Hathaway. Oliveira has only won one of his last three in UFC competition, with one of those losses coming to former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar. This is a must win situation for both of the competitors in this one and it will be Oliveira getting the much needed win.
Up next is a heavyweight division affair as Soa “The Hulk†Palelei (21-3-0) takes on Jared “The Big Show†Rosholt (10-1-0). Palelei is currently undefeated in his second UFC run, most notably defeating Pat Barry at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Silva. Rosholt is currently undefeated in UFC competition and he is a former Legacy FC Heavyweight Champion. The winner of this fight should break into the top fifteen in the heavyweight division and it will be Rosholt out wrestling Palelei to get that key win.
Headlining this card is a middleweight division attraction as Nate “The Great†Marquardt (23-13-2) faces James Te Huna (16-7-0). Marquardt is currently winless in his second UFC run, dropping fights to both Hector Lombard and Jake Ellenberger. Te Huna will be making his UFC Middleweight Division debut in this bout after going 5-3-0 as a light heavyweight in the UFC. The loser of this fight could easily be without a job afterwards and it will be Marquardt saving his job with the victory.
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