Martin Kampmann Expects A War Against Carlos Condit

Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann are set to headline UFN 27, in a Welterweight rematch of their 2009 meeting. The first fight was a controversial split decision win for Kampmann, who would do well not to take Condit lightly in their second meeting.

‘The Natural Born Killer’ has gained a wealth of experience since their last bout, and in my opinion is the better fighter now. Kampmann spoke with Sherdog.com regarding his upcoming bout:

“I expect war, I’m preparing for five rounds of tough action. Condit always brings it and goes in there to finish his opponents and I do that too. It’s going to be a hell of a fight.”

Kampmann’s last appearance was in November of 2012, where he suffered a brutal first round knockout at the hands of current number one contender Johny Hendricks. Condit’s last fight was also a loss to Big Rigg, but in a much closer three round decision.

I don’t use MMA math, so I won’t base my opinion on using Hendricks as a measuring stick. Although, the main difference here may be the toughness that Condit possesses. He has never been finished by strikes, whereas Kampmann has been T/KO’d four times.

The first bout between NBK and the Hitman was very close, and a lot of it took place on the ground. I expect Condit to go headhunting in this bout, looking to expose Kampmann’s chin and get an early finish.

You can’t grow muscle on your chin, so I don’t expect Kampmann to want much of Condit on the feet. Look for the Danish destroyer to try and grind Condit out, and make it a messy fight on the mat. Condit is no slouch on the mat, holding 13 submission wins, but he has a much clearer advantage in the striking game.

Kampmann says he is preparing for five rounds of war, but I get the feeling that what Condit brings is a lot more than that. He has a way of making fighters get in to that all out slugfest that coaches hate, and he looked very impressive against Hendricks, even in defeat.

Condit is only two fights out from his battle against GSP, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he competes for a title again in the near future.