In a huge welterweight bout with some serious title implications, Martin Kampmann came back from the brink of defeat twice to take out Jake Ellenberger at The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale on Friday night.
The upset win puts Kampmann in prime position to earn a No. 1 contender’s fight in the near future and gives him a ton of momentum after defeating one of the top young fighters in the division.
What we’ll remember about this fight
You just can’t count out Martin Kampmann.
Much like his last fight where he came back from the brink of defeat to submit Thiago Alves, Kampmann took a ton of punishment at the hands of Ellenberger, but he was able to successfully recover and put “The Juggarnaut” away with some big knees in the clinch.
What we learned about Jake Ellenberger
Ellenberger is loaded with talent, but he didn’t give Kampmann enough respect at certain points of the fight, and it ended up costing him.
Despite the loss, Ellenberger showed off some excellent striking for the majority of the bout and used his wrestling to control Kampmann for much of the first.
Ellenberger is one of the most talented fighters in the welterweight division; he just got caught, and he will need to bounce back in his next fight.
What we learned about Martin Kampmann
Once again, Martin Kampmann proved that he is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC today.
The man can take some serious punishment, and he was smart enough to survive Ellenberger’s early onslaught and wait for his opportunity to finish the fight.
What’s next for Jake Ellenberger
Ellenberger has always been an active fighter, so expect a quick turn around after his first UFC loss since his debut three years ago.
If Ellenberger feels up to it, he could easily step in for an injured Thiago Alves and fight Siyar Bahadurzada at UFC 149 in late July.
What’s next for Martin Kampmann
Please, let it be Johny Hendricks.
After defeating Josh Koscheck at UFC on Fox 3, Hendricks said he was content to wait for the winner of the eventual title fight between Georges St-Pierre and Carlos Condit, but that would keep one of the top fighters in the division on the sidelines for nearly a year.
A fight between Hendricks and Kampmann for a shot at the winner of GSP-Condit makes too much sense, and it needs to happen before the end of the year.
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