Tag: Welterweight

Following Back-to-Back KO Losses, Martin Kampmann Announces His Hiatus From MMA


(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


(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.

–J. Jones

UFC: Is Tarec Saffiedine a Contender at Welterweight?

There are two certainties in the UFC’s 170-pound class entering 2014: Things are open for business as they haven’t been in a decade, and Tarec Saffiedine is a guy who could easily emerge as a top contender. In his showdown with replacement talent Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC Fight Night 34, a fight that showed […]

There are two certainties in the UFC’s 170-pound class entering 2014: Things are open for business as they haven’t been in a decade, and Tarec Saffiedine is a guy who could easily emerge as a top contender. In his showdown with replacement talent Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC Fight Night 34, a fight that showed […]

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Georges St-Pierre’s Absence: What Will Happen to UFC Welterweight Division?

As you have probably heard, Georges St-Pierre is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the UFC. While it’s undeniably a sad day for the UFC, the show must inevitably go on.  The welterweight division will continue chugging without its long-time champion, but the door is now open for an exciting rush to fill the […]

As you have probably heard, Georges St-Pierre is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the UFC. While it’s undeniably a sad day for the UFC, the show must inevitably go on.  The welterweight division will continue chugging without its long-time champion, but the door is now open for an exciting rush to fill the […]

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Report: Georges St-Pierre Takes Indefinite Leave, Gives Up Welterweight Belt

Georges St-Pierre, the UFC welterweight champion and one of the best fighters in MMA history, will announce Friday that he is taking an indefinite leave of absence and relinquishing his UFC belt. That is according to a report published by Canadian website RDS.ca and subsequently translated and tweeted by MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. RDS.ca just reported that […]

Georges St-Pierre, the UFC welterweight champion and one of the best fighters in MMA history, will announce Friday that he is taking an indefinite leave of absence and relinquishing his UFC belt. That is according to a report published by Canadian website RDS.ca and subsequently translated and tweeted by MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. RDS.ca just reported that […]

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Georges St-Pierre Vacates UFC Welterweight Title, Takes Indefinite Hiatus

Longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has elected to take what he described as an indefinite absence from mixed martial arts. St-Pierre, who has served as one of the most dominant and popular champions in the history of the company, has also vacated his championship. The French-Canadian fighter made the announcement on a Friday afternoon conference […]

Longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has elected to take what he described as an indefinite absence from mixed martial arts. St-Pierre, who has served as one of the most dominant and popular champions in the history of the company, has also vacated his championship. The French-Canadian fighter made the announcement on a Friday afternoon conference […]

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The UFC’s Future More Uncertain Than Ever in the Wake of GSP’s Departure


(Photo via Getty)

The UFC can undergo a new renaissance or it can further fade into Toughman on FX-level obscurity—and it’s actions in the aftermath of GSP’s hiatus (and possible retirement) from MMA will determine which path the company takes.

GSP’s departure has come at a devastating time. The UFC is in a rut. TUF has long since stopped being the advertising vehicle/farm system it was years ago. Ratings are down. The worst part of all is that PPV—the UFC’s chief source of revenue—is lagging too. The culprit is a lack of stars, or rather the UFC’s apparent inability to replace the fading ones.

The UFC lost Chuck Liddell. The UFC lost Brock Lesnar. Rashad Evans, a good draw in his own right, is aging, as is the recently-toppled Anderson Silva. Ronda Rousey lost her luster and already put an expiration date on her career.

Now they’re short a Canadian superhero, a man who’s drawn an average of 800,000 buys over the last three years. And there are no young studs to pick up the slack. Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez are not fit to carry the company on their shoulders judging by the buyrates on their recent PPVs. The UFC’s young, great ethnic hopes—Tiequan Zhang, Erik Perez, and Erick Silva—haven’t developed as planned. Most importantly, the strategy of grooming Rory MacDonald to be GSP’s replacement has failed (or has at least been delayed).

The UFC’s future is still on the backs of aging warhorses whose knees are beginning to buckle.

Yet there is still hope.


(Photo via Getty)

By Matt Saccaro

The UFC can undergo a new renaissance or it can further fade into Toughman on FX-level obscurity—and its actions in the aftermath of GSP’s hiatus (and possible retirement) from MMA will determine which path they follow.

GSP’s departure has come at a tumultuous time. The UFC is in a rut. TUF has long since stopped being the advertising vehicle/farm system it was years ago. Ratings are down. The worst part of all is that PPV—the UFC’s chief source of revenue—is lagging too. The culprit is a lack of stars, as well as the UFC’s apparent inability to replace the fading ones.

The UFC lost Chuck Liddell. The UFC lost Brock Lesnar. Rashad Evans, a good draw in his own right, is aging, as is the recently-toppled Anderson Silva. Ronda Rousey lost her luster and already put an expiration date on her career.

Now they’re short a Canadian superhero, a man who’s drawn an average of 800,000 buys over the last three years. And there are no young studs to pick up the slack. Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez are not fit to carry the company on their shoulders judging by the buyrates on their recent PPVs. The UFC’s young, great ethnic hopes—Tiequan Zhang, Erik Perez, and Erick Silva—haven’t developed as planned. Most importantly, the strategy of grooming Rory MacDonald to be GSP’s replacement has failed (or has at least been delayed).

The UFC is riding on the backs of aging warhorses whose knees are beginning to buckle.

Yet there is still hope.

GSP is leaving the welterweight division, true. But there are other men primed to take his spot at the top. Welterweight is now a division where anybody in the top 5 or even top 10 could win the belt. It’s a division that’s thrilling and unpredictable for the first time in years. The next champ will be either Johny Hendricks or Robbie Lawler since the two are facing off at UFC 171, but it’s not crazy to think that Carlos Condit, Matt Brown, or even Hector Lombard could hold the belt someday in the near future.

The same “this-division-is-a-close-race” claim can be made for the post-Anderson Silva middleweight division and even the lightweight division under Anthony Pettis.

Nobody is saying “Who cares? Silva/GSP/Penn will just murder whoever wins the No.1 contender fight.” This is the benefit of old greats retiring. Belts are open for the taking again. There is no fate but what the fighters make for themselves.

If the UFC can somehow find a way to take advantage of this rather than picking one fighter to promote and hoping they win all their fights (Michael Bisping, Rory MacDonald, Ronda Rousey, etc), the future won’t be quite so bleak as we at CagePotato often make it out to be.