Remember Martin Kampmann, Potato Chips (that’s what we call our fans now).
Seeing as he hasn’t fought in over a year, we kind of almost forgot he existed.
If you’re struggling to remember, Kampmann hasn’t fought since a 2013 TKO loss to Carlos Condit. Before that, he was knocked out by Johny Hendricks at UFC 154 in 2012.
Despite the inactivity and two-fight losing streak, Kampmann isn’t done (yet). He told MMA Fighting the following…
Remember Martin Kampmann, Potato Chips (that’s what we call our readers now).
Seeing as he hasn’t fought in over a year, we kind of almost forgot he existed.
If you’re struggling to remember, Kampmann hasn’t fought since a 2013 TKO loss to Carlos Condit. Before that, he was knocked out by Johny Hendricks at UFC 154 in 2012.
Despite the inactivity and two-fight losing streak, Kampmann isn’t done (yet). He told MMA Fighting the following (emphasis added):
I’m still signed with the UFC, but I’m on an indefinite hiatus. I’m semi-retired, you might say. I’m taking a break and focusing on coaching, stuff like that. I’m still signed with the UFC, I still have a contract with the UFC, but I just don’t have any fights lined up and I don’t plan on having any fights lined up in the future, either. I’m focusing on coaching right now. I still love fighting so I’ll never say never, but I can’t see myself fighting anytime in the future right now. I’ve had my share of concussions and it’s not always fun. I took some fights where I shouldn’t have taken them, but I pushed through it and that was a mistake in retrospect. Can’t change that now, but now I’m trying to watch out for my health better than I’ve done in the past.
Someone might want to let Kampmann know the bolded parts of his speech are pretty much the definition of retiring from MMA.
But for real, good for Kampmann. He’s prioritizing his health–which more fighters should do–and he’s got a great coaching gig over at Team Alpha Male. We wish him the best.
Another one bites the dust.
Martin Kampmann, welterweight warrior and one of the goriest, gutsiest performers in the history of the sport, is “on hiatus” according to what he told MMA Junkie this week.
The Dane seems likely to come back, something fans…
Another one bites the dust.
Martin Kampmann, welterweight warrior and one of the goriest, gutsiest performers in the history of the sport, is “on hiatus” according to what he told MMA Junkie this week.
The Dane seems likely to come back, something fans will no doubt rejoice over when it happens given his propensity for putting on jaw-dropping fights, but he’s done for now.
Throw him in there with Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey as a big name that has either hinted at going home for a bit or outright done it in the past few months.
Quinn Mulhern and Julie Kedzie are also on the list, though with less fanfare, and it leads to a big question: What’s going on in MMA that’s causing these young guys (and gals) to pack it in?
St-Pierre and Kedzie are the oldest in the group by far, and they’re 32 years old. That’s a startlingly young age to give up anything, much less a fairly lucrative career—St-Pierre as the world’s top draw, and Kedzie as a long-suffering female fighter who was finally in the big show—and it has to make one wonder.
The most logical argument centers around the fact that MMA is a gladiatorial pursuit at its core. You can put up a fence, flash some lights around and do the whole thing under the watchful eye of an athletic commission, but it’s still two people smashing each other’s faces in at the end of the day.
That’s not easy for someone to do once, much less dozens of times in a condensed frame during the prime of their lives. If it was, there would be a lineup of street fights a mile long on every corner in the country.
There’s also the training, presently being documented by our own Duane Finley in his trek across America, to grind away at a fighter’s soul. The hours toiling at battle ropes and kettle bells, eating head kicks from training partners instead of dinner with the family and spilling blood and sweat like they’re commodities without value.
It’s a burden to carry. It’s one that fighters choose to carry, but a burden nonetheless.
And what of the mental side of the game? Sure the miles add up physically, but the toll on the mind has to be significant too.
To push oneself to the outer limits of will on a daily basis only to be locked in a cage with a trained killer, your skills and Kim Winslow the only things to stop it from happening?
For every piece of Internet hate, Twitter soapbox or well-considered critique that comes every time that door shuts, that is mixed martial arts at its basest reality: You could die in there any time.
Think of the weight that would have on a human mind. No wonder these athletes need a break from time to time.
This isn’t to say that the sport is barbaric and horrible, that it needs to be regulated to the point that fight night becomes exclusively open-handed strikes in full pads. We all like an element of risk in life, and MMA is a sport that treads that ground in the same way hockey or football does.
But to not ask questions while some of the best athletes in the world leave the sport before they’ve even entered their prime, or while they’re right in the midst of it, is irresponsible. It’s enjoying the blood on the canvas without asking what the cost was.
This week the UFC lost another great combatant to the lure of life away from the fight, a trend that seems to be growing. This is a sport that is in no way for the feint of heart, and that applies to those who pursue its glories as well.
Times like these serve as prime chances to remember that and to be appreciative of it.
Georges St-Pierre isn’t the only long-time UFC welterweight who is taking a break from the sport now. Speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, 31 year-old Dane Martin Kampmann announced that he too will be taking a break from MMA.
“I’ve had a lot of tough…
Georges St-Pierre isn’t the only long-time UFC welterweight who is taking a break from the sport now. Speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, 31 year-old Dane Martin Kampmann announced that he too will be taking a break from MMA.
“I’ve had a lot of tough fights and even the ones I win, I sometimes make them tough for myself,” he said. “I’m just taking a long break.”
Kampmann has undeniably been on a tough stretch of late. “The Hitman” suffered knockout losses in his two most recent fights, falling to knees and punches from Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 27 and getting punched unconscious in spectacular fashion by Johny Hendricks at UFC 154.
As he stated even in his most recent victories, he has taken serious beatings. Against both Jake Ellenberger and Thiago Alves, he found himself seriously hurt before landing a hard knee or scoring a buzzer-beating guillotine choke.
As with St-Pierre, while walking away from the sport is always tough for lifelong fighters to do, it is for the best far more often than not. How long he will choose to shelf his gloves is a mystery but one has to hope he finds whatever inner peace he is looking for.
Kampmann originally joined the UFC as part of Zuffa’s buyout of the World Fighting Alliance promotion (which was also home to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida) and currently has a respectable 11-6 record in the Octagon.
He owns notable wins over Ellenberger, Alves and Condit and is currently ranked as the No. 10 welterweight in the promotion.
(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 popularsolution 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 hismost popularclient has decided to stop visiting him every month or so. #1percentproblems
(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 popularsolution 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 hismost popularclient 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.
The UFC may get a return on its hefty investment in power-punching former Olympian judoka Hector Lombard after all. After dropping two of his first three fights in the UFC at 185 pounds, Lombard certainly appeared at home after making the strenuous cut to 170 pounds and then demolishing (first-round KO) Nate Marquardt at UFC […]
The UFC may get a return on its hefty investment in power-punching former Olympian judoka Hector Lombard after all. After dropping two of his first three fights in the UFC at 185 pounds, Lombard certainly appeared at home after making the strenuous cut to 170 pounds and then demolishing (first-round KO) Nate Marquardt at UFC […]
That’s some hit, man. (I’m so sorry.) PicProps: Esther Lin / MMAFighting
So BG is gone this week, I assume to yet another wedding, because once he bought the tuxedo he was determined to get the mileage out of it. Seriously, he’s got the whole bit: natty little straight cane with the white tips, monocle, top hat, the whole nine. It’s dashing, but apparently it’s expensive as hell. That or he’s running some kind of scheme where he collects disposable cameras and plastic champagne flutes? What the fuck are you building in there, Goldstein?
So anyway, I’m poking around his office here at CP headquarters, kick over a box of CagePotato Hall of Fame t-shirts, and damn if i didn’t stumble over the ol’ arbitrariest of MMA supercomputers: the Potato Index.
Turns out it’s been hooked up this whole time, so I decided to pull up the numbers on UFC’s Fight Night 27, just for old times’ sake.
The Octagon Girls +16
The new Octagon Girls are lovely. Chrissy Blair is the archetypal California Girl; think Christie Brinkley in a Ferrari, but blonder. And the new brunette one getting tattoos exactly like Brittney Palmer’s was a nice touch.
Kansas City fighters + 42 Zak Cummings [+19] and Jason High [+23] both picked up their first UFC wins with good-looking performances. Jason High had previously lost to Erick Silva in June and Charlie Brennamen back in 2010, mostly because Joe Silva likes to call High on short notice for not-easy fights. The Kansas City Bandit gets a big bump with a quick win.
Abel Trujillo +11
Trujillo picks up the best kind of No Contest: the kind that comes from a foul that is both uber-agressive and debatable. Attacking grounded fighters with knees will always stir the passions; if Trujillo were a savvy marketer, he would start coming to the cage in a Hannibal mask and a straight jacket. A straight jacket covered in sponsor patches. Dana White would get a visible boner.
Roger Bowling -5
Unfortunately, according to (arbitrary) opinion, it’s better to take the loss in the cage and get the NC declared later. But enjoy your short-term memory and normal brain function. (Pussy.)
That’s some hit, man. (I’m so sorry.) PicProps: Esther Lin / MMAFighting
So BG is gone this week, I assume to yet another wedding, because once he bought the tuxedo he was determined to get the mileage out of it. Seriously, he’s got the whole bit: natty little straight cane with the white tips, monocle, top hat, the whole nine. It’s dashing, but apparently it’s expensive as hell. That or he’s running some kind of scheme where he collects disposable cameras and plastic champagne flutes? What the fuck are you building in there, Goldstein?
So anyway, I’m poking around his office here at CP headquarters, kick over a box of CagePotato Hall of Fame t-shirts, and damn if i didn’t stumble over the ol’ arbitrariest of MMA supercomputers: the Potato Index.
Turns out it’s been hooked up this whole time, so I decided to pull up the numbers on UFC’s Fight Night 27, just for old times’ sake.
The Octagon Girls +16
The new Octagon Girls are lovely. Chrissy Blair is the archetypal California Girl; think Christie Brinkley in a Ferrari, but blonder. And the new brunette one getting tattoos exactly like Brittney Palmer’s was a nice touch.
Kansas City fighters + 42 Zak Cummings [+19] and Jason High [+23] both picked up their first UFC wins with good-looking performances. Jason High had previously lost to Erick Silva in June and Charlie Brennamen back in 2010, mostly because Joe Silva likes to call High on short notice for not-easy fights. The Kansas City Bandit gets a big bump with a quick win.
Abel Trujillo +11
Trujillo picks up the best kind of No Contest: the kind that comes from a foul that is both uber-agressive and debatable. Attacking grounded fighters with knees will always stir the passions; if Trujillo were a savvy marketer, he would start coming to the cage in a Hannibal mask and a straight jacket. A straight jacket covered in sponsor patches. Dana White would get a visible boner.
Roger Bowling -5
Unfortunately, according to (arbitrary) opinion, it’s better to take the loss in the cage and get the NC declared later. But enjoy your short-term memory and normal brain function. (Pussy.)
Darren Elkins +14
Elkins survived a vicious body attack in the first and a dangerous grappling attack in the second and third. “Surviving” does not tend to lead to big gains in esteem, as witnessed by Elkins being bounced to the prelims despite a 7-2 UFC record, and minimal gains here.
Hatsu Hioki -27
Attacking Hatsu Hioki on the ground, with a leg lock, should be like picking a fight with Iron Man while wearing your own home-made power armor. But that’s exactly what happened, after Hioki had failed to put away a visibly hurt Elkins in the first round. Hioki is now 0-3 in the UFC, so don’t expect to see him before the organization returns to Japan.
Brandon Thatch +38
There’s a first appearance, and then there’s a debut. One you need to look up, and one just stands out. In 1 minute and 23 seconds of full-blown Tekken button-mashing mode, Thatch introduced himself to a whole bunch of new people.
Justin Edwards: -23
Poor Justin Edwards. Where previously he was always being mentally associated with this guy, now people are always going to mentally associate him with 82 seconds of gloriously violent interpretive dance. Expect Edwards to get another chance to redeem himself, but that’s a harsh beating to take.
TUF 18: Rousey vs Tate: +8
The latest incarnation of the Ultimate Fighter competition show continues to draw buzz with its first female inclusion, while Cat Zingano [-4] has been effectively forgotten. At least the UFC has a legitimate challenger after Tate suffers her second disarticulation loss.
Dylan Andrews: +18
Andrews looked to be losing a grappling match until he uncorked an economy three-pack of Aussie brand Uppercut that tucked Papy into Abedi in the third round. [Ed. note: The computer is unable -or unwilling – to apologize for this.] Carrying that kind of power late into the fight, even when injured, makes Andrews a scary opponent. Andrews lost points for calling his uppercut his “money shot”, because human fluids are disgusting.
Papy Abedi -11
Abedi kept his grappling attack entertaining, with some slick trips and a high-amplitude slam. His chin looks to be suspect, but that shouldn’t stop him from getting a call again, particularly when friend Alexander Gustafssen is on the card, or the UFC is visiting Europe.
Brad Tavares +17
Tavares showcased some powerful strikes without going complete Manhoef, possibly pacing himself for a tough fight. It was a good performance in that it showed potential, but it was outshone by a card packed with stoppages.
Bubba McDaniel -19
If your name is Robert, but everyone calls you “Bubba”, you have to be a tough SOB and you have fight to scare people [See also: “Tank”, “Barbie”]. McDaniel is not living up to expectations – late rally notwithstanding – and he’s only a couple of wins away from being “Rob”. If he taps to strikes he goes straight to “Bobby”.
Takeya Mizugaki +17
Mizugaki gets a bigger bump than the judges would indicate, with an intelligent performance that affirms his place in the bantamweight elite.
Erik Perez -6
No shame in a loss to Mizugaki, but it will slow the hype train. Perez stayed predictable enough for Mizugaki to counter sharply, and this should be an excellent learning opportunity for the 23 year old Perez.
Court McGee +5
Reports of McGee’s demise are greatly exaggerated. He is still very much alive and active, and earned a slim split decision in a very close fight. This fight is notable in that scores vary wildly from all sources, including the official judges, who scored the bout 30-27, 29-28, and 27-30. The notable aspect is that none of these official scores are indefensible. It is a curious, aberrational result that indicates a different scoring protocol should be investigated.
Robert Whittaker -5
Whittaker was on the losing end of a curious, aberrational result that indicates a different scoring protocol should be investigated, so now would be an opportune time for someone to approach him with a petition. The close result would seem to make the two interchangeable in the rankings for the near future.
Kevin Gastelum +36
Gastelum steps out at welterweight for the first time, and steps up on the Index with a convincing showing of boxing offense to augment his touted wrestling base.
Brian Melancon -21
Melancon was a late replacement for Paulo Thiago, which is enough to by him enough goodwill for another fight. That said, anybody at 170 pounds (always a packed division) that came from Strikeforce is on thin ice to begin with.
Rafael dos Anjos +34
Any winner over Cerrone puts the division on notice. A matchup against a convalescing T.J. Grant has been suggested, and seems entirely appropriate later this fall.
Donald Cerrone -16
Donald Cerrone has solidified his role the gate keeper at 155, which is not terrible by any stretch. He’s solidly in the Top 10, and he’s 584% more entertaining than a “You must be this _______ tall to fight the champ” sign.
Carlos Condit +37
A convincing win that completely erases any previous loss, Condit is riding high. Future Twitter fights or a well-phrased YouTube video could cause another slide on the Index, however. Like Cerrone, Condit is a perfectly-placed yardstick at 170 pounds — there doesn’t appear to be anyone not named St. Pierre* better than Condit.
Martin Kampmann -21
Look at Kampmann’s face when Dean waves the fight off. He’s not arguing, he’s bewildered – Kampmann’s just hoping someone got the license plate of that low-flying gang of ninja monkeys that just attacked him. (His face after the fight wasn’t much better.) Expect the Danish Hitman to come back with a vicious win after this, possibly rocking a different look going forward.
*Or Hendricks, as reader Scott Johnson rightly points out. Clearly, the Potato Index Super Computer IS BUGGY AFTER NOT BEING USED FOR SO LONG GAH. Asshole.
