UFC 121 Press Conference Notes: Kampmann Not Guaranteed Title Shot if He Beats Shields and There is Movement in MMA in New York

(They were polar opposites with hearts of gold and a weakness for terrible chest tattoos.)
If you didn’t catch today’s UFC 121 press conference, you didn’t miss a whole hell of a lot more than the usual answers to the usual questions, but there were a …


(They were polar opposites with hearts of gold and a weakness for terrible chest tattoos.)

If you didn’t catch today’s UFC 121 press conference, you didn’t miss a whole hell of a lot more than the usual answers to the usual questions, but there were a few interesting tidbits revealed by UFC president Dana White including that he will be travelling to New York tomorrow to discuss some movement in the sanctioning of MMA in the hold-out state and the fact that he considered giving Jake Shields a title shot in his first UFC fight based on his record and accomplishments outside the Octagon.

Reflecting off of another, "Do you see MMA in the Olympics in the future?" question he was lobbed at the presser, White explained that things in New York are "moving faster than [he] could have imagined" and that he will be meeting with some unnamed individuals in that regard on Thursday.

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Watch the ‘UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez’ Press Conference Right Here, Beginning at 5 p.m. ET

As is tradition during UFC fight week, the major players of UFC 121 are about to assemble for a public press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, J…

UFC 121 poster Brock Lesnar Cain Velasquez

As is tradition during UFC fight week, the major players of UFC 121 are about to assemble for a public press conference at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Beginning at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, Jake Shields, Martin Kampmann, Tito Ortiz, Matt Hamill, and Dana White will be fielding questions from the media. You can watch the proceedings in the UFC’s media player, which is waiting for you after the jump. And if you need any more help in getting hyped up for this event, be advised that Spike TV will be airing UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin tonight at 7 p.m., followed by the third and final episode of UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs. Velasquez at 9:30 p.m. 

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Martin Kampmann Thinks Jake Shields Is a Boring Fighter

(Martin Kampmann: Even when he grooms his eyebrows it’s intense.)
In the lead up to Saturday’s UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velsasquez show in Anaheim, a major talking point has been Jake Shields’s highly anticipated UFC debut. Lost in all the hype and Jake-c…

Martin Kampmann UFC
(Martin Kampmann: Even when he grooms his eyebrows it’s intense.)

In the lead up to Saturday’s UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velsasquez show in Anaheim, a major talking point has been Jake Shields‘s highly anticipated UFC debut. Lost in all the hype and Jake-centric media coverage is Shields’s opponent Martin Kampmann, who has taken out names like Paulo Thiago, Carlos Condit, and Thales Leites during his 10-fight run in the Octagon.

Martin was a guest on the latest episode of The Bum Rush Radio Show, where he discussed being underestimated by fans, and agreed with the widespread opinion that Jake Shields is boring a fighter. For the benefit of you lazy bastards who haven’t subscribed to our show yet, we’ve reprinted an excerpt below…

CAGEPOTATO.COM: It seems like all the media attention in this fight is on your opponent. You have Dana White saying Jake Shields will likely get a title shot if he beats you…do you feel overlooked or disrespected in any way by how this fight is being promoted, or presented in the media?
MARTIN KAMPMANN: He’s getting a lot of hype, and I feel sometimes people underestimate me. People underestimated me for my last fight too, they were counting me out then as well, but I proved everybody wrong, and I plan to prove everybody wrong in this fight as well…I’m in the UFC to achieve my goals, and Jake’s just another guy in the way.

If Jake Shields is being offered a title shot if he beats you, do you think the same offer should extend to you? If you beat Shields, are you worthy of the next shot?
Yeah, I definitely think so. If he can earn a title shot coming in from Strikeforce with his first fight in the UFC…this is my 11th fight in the UFC, so I think I’ve paid my dues. Of course it’s up to the UFC who gets the title shot, but I definitely think that it’ll put me up in #1 contender status with a win.

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Check Out Episode 8 of The Bum Rush Radio Show With Special Guest Martin ‘Hitman’ Kampmann

  (This wouldn’t be the last time Ben and Dana’s paths would cross…)
Chances are, if you’re an MMA media type like Ben, Chad or myself and you get a mid-afternoon call from Dana White on a Saturday, it’s not because he’s inviting you out for Pi…

 
(This wouldn’t be the last time Ben and Dana’s paths would cross…)

Chances are, if you’re an MMA media type like Ben, Chad or myself and you get a mid-afternoon call from Dana White on a Saturday, it’s not because he’s inviting you out for Pinkberry.

I won’t give away the surprise, but I will say, if nothing else, although I recommend you check out Ben’s interview with UFC welterweight contender Martin Kampmann, I suggest you listen to the first five minutes of the show to hear what "The Baldfather" had to say to our fearless leader.

All of the usual inane banter, terribly inaccurate predictions and somewhat expert analysis are all still included free of charge.

Instead of waiting with bated breath for us to post the latest episode of the show every other week, make your complicated lives easier by subscribing to The Bum Rush on iTunes HERE.

With Win at UFC 121, Jake Shields Likely to Fight for UFC Welterweight Title

Filed under: UFC, NewsJake Shields has yet to enter the UFC octagon for the first time, but less than two weeks from his debut, UFC president Dana White has added an extra incentive for him to win.

According to White, Shields may well be the No. 1 con…

Filed under: ,

Jake Shields has yet to enter the UFC octagon for the first time, but less than two weeks from his debut, UFC president Dana White has added an extra incentive for him to win.

According to White, Shields may well be the No. 1 contender in waiting.

“If Jake Shields wins against Martin Kampmann, it’ll probably be him next,” White said when asked about the next man in line to compete for the welterweight title after the scheduled Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck title fight in December.

For The Sake of UFC Fans Everywhere, Please Let Martin Kampmann Beat Jake Shields

(Video courtesy YouTube/MMANews.com)
If Jon Fitch has any clout left with the UFC since being fired and re-hired by the organization because of a dispute over signing over his likeness rights to the UFC Undisputed video game franchise, the American Kic…

(Video courtesy YouTube/MMANews.com)

If Jon Fitch has any clout left with the UFC since being fired and re-hired by the organization because of a dispute over signing over his likeness rights to the UFC Undisputed video game franchise, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter may get the winner of the UFC 121 welterweight tilt between Martin Kampmann and Jake Shields.

"The next time a title shot is coming around is probably going to be a while, so I’m kinda thinking I might wanna fight again before the title shot. The winner of Kampmann-Shields would be a perfect match-up. I’ve known Jake [Shields] for a long time. He’s a good friend of mine. I’m all about fighting the best guys in the world and we’ve known for a long time that this day would probably come where we’d have to fight. So be it."

If you recall, Fitch was supposed to get next dibs at the winner of the UFC 124 Kos-GSP showdown, but after his lacklustre win over Thiago Alves at UFC 117, Dana White reneged on giving him the next title shot, saying, "We’ll see," when pressed about it at the post-fight press conference.

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