(What, and miss out on all the fun times like these?)
Earlier today, we learned how fighters like James Te Huna deal with a pair of tough losses, by dropping a weight class to save their career. Now, we bring you another increasingly popular solution amongst MMA fighters faced with temporary setbacks: The Hiatus.
That’s right, longtime UFC welterweight and one of the most exciting fighters in the sport’s history, Martin Kampmann, is taking an extended break from MMA. Having just celebrated his ten year anniversary as a professional, Kampmann told MMAJunkie radio that he needs some time to fully recover from the tough (T)KO losses he has suffered in his past two fights with Johny Hendricks and Carlos Condit, stating:
I’ve had a lot of tough fights, and even the ones I win, I sometimes make them tough for myself. I’m just taking a long break. No rush to get back in the cage. Let my body recover and get good.
I enjoy fighting, but I’ve just had my 10-year anniversary as a professional fighter. I feel a little burned out right now. That’s why I’m taking a break. I don’t want to get in there unless I feel like it. I love training, I love fighting, but I want to have the fire again to go in. If I don’t have the fire, then I think that means I need to take a break.
Personally, I feel the worst for Kampmann’s surgeon, who is definitely not going to be able to afford that four bedroom villa in the Palisades now that his most popular client has decided to stop visiting him every month or so. #1percentproblems
While we’ll surely miss Kampmann’s always entertaining presence in the octagon, it’s hard to fault him for his decision. It’s quite refreshing, to be honest. As of now, Kampmann’s record reads like a who’s who of the UFC welterweight division, with wins over the likes of Carlos Condit, Thiago Alves, and Jake Ellenberger and (bullshit) losses to Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields.
Scroll on down to relive some of Kampmann’s finest moments in the octagon before the UFC inevitably forces us to pull the footage.
First, we have an upbeat, take-on-all-comers Kampmann highlight set to some terrible, Spanish pop music.
Next, we have a reflective, restrained, “In Memoriam”-esque Kampmann highlight set to some slightly better pop music. My God, can’t any of you reel makers quit being such pussies and set one of these things to some DOWN? First they change the Thursday Night Football theme to this Bollywood bubble gum garbage and now we’re soundtracking fight compilations with songs you’d hear at your 13 year-old’s semi-formal. WHERE DOES IT END?!!
I’m sorry, this is about Kampmann. To the other highlight!
Enjoy the time off, Martin. Lord knows you’ve earned it.