Martin Kampmann has not fought since being knocked out against Johny Hendricks at UFC 154, but that hasn’t stopped him from calling out top fighters for his next fight.
Kampmann recently took to Twitter to do his bidding. He made it a point to call out the final Strikeforce welterweight champion, Tarec Saffiedine, and Nick Diaz.
He later responded to a fan that he would also be happy to fight Georges St. Pierre should Diaz pull off the upset this Saturday.
Kampmann is currently ranked seventh in the official UFC rankings. Saffiedine is locked in right behind him at No. 8. That fight makes perfect sense.
Neither Kampmann nor Saffiedine are currently booked for a fight, and with the welterweight division just days away from a serious shuffle, the winner of that fight could enter the top five of the division.
Saffiedine last fought in January. He defeated Nate Marquardt for the Strikeforce welterweight championship. He battered Marquardt’s leg throughout the bout and earned the unanimous decision on the scorecards. The win made sure he would be brought over to the UFC following the closure of Strikeforce.
Kampmann is unlikely to fight the loser of Diaz and GSP. Should the UFC look at that potential bout, the timing would force Kampmann to sit for several more months. Unless Kampmann truly wanted to wait until later this year to take the fight, it is much more sensible for him to take on Saffiedine.
As the UFC tries to keep its fighters active, Saffiedine is the much better choice for all involved.
The fight between Kampmann and Saffiedine would be an interesting striking battle.
They are both exciting fighters who like to exchange on the feet, and mix up their striking attacks well. The two welterweights also have good grappling, should they engage in that battle. Saffiedine has been training with Dan Henderson’s Team Quest since 2008, and his wrestling has improved since that time.
Each man enjoys a striking battle, and they would likely oblige one another. It would be a crowd-pleasing bout that would have the potential to contend for a Fight of the Night bonus.
The welterweight division will become more clear after Saturday. Many of the top ranked fighters are on the card looking to improve their standing and potentially become the next title challenger. The losers will move down the ladder, and that gives Kampmann and Saffiedine the chance to make their case later this year.
It is unclear if Kampmann’s campaigning will pay off, but as has been evident in the past week, it sure doesn’t hurt to try.
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