» Fighter: Martin Kampmann

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked welterweight Paulo Thiago (13-1) will take a step back after stopping ninth-ranked “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3) at UFC 109 in Las Vegas February 6 and matchup versus “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) at UFC 115 in Vancouver June 12, accoring to a report by The Las Vegas sun.

Thiago’s submission of swick was his second win the the 170-pound top ten.  He also knocked out seventh-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) at UFC 95 in London in February 2009.  Nonetheless, the UFC has pushed him backwards rather than forwards in the division.

Kampmann’s last victory was a submission of Jacob Volkmann (9-2), whose only other loss was a decision to Thiago.

UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger (21-4) has been drafted to replace “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) versus Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked welterweight  “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) at UFC 111 in Newark March 27, according to MMA Weekly.

Read More About UFC 111: Jake Ellenberger Replaces Martin Kampmann Versus Ben Saunders…

There were no fights in the mixed martial arts welterweight top ten in January and, therefore, no movement in the rankings for February.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) are set to battle for the top spot at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  Predictions range far and wide, from Hardy has one foot in the grave to Hardy is the man to upset St. Pierre like “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) di at UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.

Read More About Predictions on Georges St. Pierre Versus Dan Hardy at UFC 111 Run the Gamut – Fighters.com’s February Welterweight Top Ten…

Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) has one chance at beating Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  It’s a slim chance, despite the hype that is being spun to convince us that the Hardy versus St. Pierre matchup is competitive.

Read More About UFC’s Dan Hardy, Ben Saunders Surging – Fighters.com’s January Welterweight Rankings…

Xtreme Couture’s “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) scored his bulliest victory in four-plus years TKOing Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5) at 3:02 of round one in a 195-pound catch weight main event at UFC 103 in Dallas Saturday night.

“Jesus, I love you,” shouted Belfort in the Octagon after the fight, and in his dressing room he added,  “God gave me a gift and I’m using it.  And, I’m ready.  A lot of people thought I was done, you know, and that’s what I’m bringing to this game – hope, faith, and hard work.

Read More About Vitor Belfort Phenomenal Over Rich Franklin, dos Santos Convinces Cro Cop to Quit at UFC 103…

American Kickboxing Academy’s “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2) and Xtreme Couture’s “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (15-2) will fight at UFC 103 in Dallas 19 September, announced the UFC today, and the winner will be the next challenger to UFC welterweight champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2), according to a report by MMA Junkie.

Both former middlweight title prospects who dropped weight to compete at 170-pounds, neither Swick nor Kampmann have proven themselves against the UFC’s established competition: former champions “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) and Matt Hughes (41-7) and former title challengers “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and Jon Fitch (19-3).

Swick trains with Fitch and former welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (12-4) and most recently outclassed “Killa B” Ben Saunders (7-1-2) with a second round TKO at UFC 99 in Cologne last month. But, Swick’s most noteworthy “W” is a unanimous decision over nails-tough “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-5), who never cracked the top ten himself.

Read More About UFC 103: Swick v Kampmann to Determine St. Pierre Challenger…

“Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-2) has signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC, his agent Ken Pavia confirmed to Five Ounces of Pain Tuesday.

Kampmann plans to drop to welterweight for his next fight, according to Pavia.

The Xtreme Couture fighter was TKO’d at 1:22 of the first round by “The Great” Nathan Marquardt (27-8-2) at UFC 88 in September, breaking his nine-fight win streak.

“Sugar” Rashad Evans (12-0-1) knocked out Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-6) with a right hook in the second round Saturday night in Atlanta.

Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch.

Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight.  Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round.  Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance.

In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans’s counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51.

Franklin Finishes Friend

“Ace” Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO’d his friend and former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill’s floating rib in Franklin’s return to 205.

Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds.  In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off.

Read More About “Sugar” Rashad Stings Liddell…

Fighters.com attended the UFC 88 open workout in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon.

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) bounced in place as reporters lined-up to interview the former UFC champion before his fight versus “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) Saturday night.

Playful and boisterous, Liddell told Fighters.com he was ready to fight Evans today in a video interview that will be posted shortly.

Evans was a bit more low-key, focusing on the biggest fight of his career and rolling with middleweight training partner Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2), who fights “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-1) Saturday night.

Co-main event second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), moving to 205 Saturday versus former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1), skipped his scheduled session.

Sources in Franklin’s camp alternately told Fighters.com that Franklin wasn’t feeling well and that he was eating to maintain the weight of his new division.

Neither excuse gives much solace to Fighters.com after Franklin’s comments about his uncertainty about fighting his former training partner and moving to 205 pounds.

Read More About Liddell Ready To Fight Today, Franklin Skips Open Workout…

The UFC announced Wednesday that “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-1) will face Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2) at UFC 88 in Atlanta 6 September.

Kampmann, a middleweight with Xtreme Couture, has nine consecutive wins, seven of which he finished in the first round.

Kampmann’s last fight, a unanimous decision victory over “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (15-7), was in June.

Marquardt won seven of his last nine matches.  He lost his last fight by split decision to Thales Leites (13-1) in June.

The other loss came by first-round TKO to Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion and UFC champ “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) in July 2007.