Martin Kampmann beat the WEC 170 lb Champion, Carlos Condit at Ultimate Fight NIght 18. This is a big accomplishment for any up and coming 170 pounder, and big fights with even bigger names were sure to come right? Wrong. Instead of being matched up with a UFC veteran who has built a name for himself, the UFC has tried to match Kampmann up against a UFC new comer, T.J. Grant.
According to Versus.com, Kampmann had turned down the fight with Grant in hopes of scoring a fight with an opponent who has a bigger name and higher rankings. Let’s face it, in less you are Brock Lesnar, you get big in MMA by fighting and winning against the best fighters. Kampmann’s win against Carlos Condit I would say was a big step up for Kampmann. He beat Condit, so why would he now want to fight anyone with a smaller name than Condit. Hasn’t he proved he is worthy?
On the contrary, there are many fighters out there who will fight anyone anywhere. To be offered a fight in the UFC is an honor and a huge opportunity for most of the worlds fighters. Turning down a chance to fight in the UFC could turn out to be a big mistake for Kampmann. Like any employer, the UFC surely appreciates fighters who will do what it takes to put on a good show and who can be relied on to do what it takes to accelerate the name of the UFC. If you are a fighter who pays his dues, it is likely that the UFC will give you opportunities to move forward. If you are a fighter who makes waves, it is possible you could find yourself out on the street.
Here is what Kampmann had to say about the situation:
“No disrespect to T.J. Grant, but I don’t think it’s a fight that makes any sense for me at the moment I want to fight some higher ranked guys. I never even knew who the guy was, and he’s probably a tough guy, but I want to fight guys who make sense for me and who can escalate me up the ladder more, so I didn’t accept that fight. If I’m thinking with my balls, I’ll take any fight that comes up, but I got to be smart about my career and take the fights that make sense for me, and I don’t think that fight makes sense for me at this time. Maybe when he gets some more wins in the UFC and builds up some good wins in the UFC, then maybe will meet somewhere along the road later. There’s a lot of good guys, but most of the guys have fights … There’s some guys that are ranked high and can help me move higher up the rankings. You know, that’s my goal to move higher up the rankings, so I want to fight some higher ranked guys.”
It will be very interesting to see if this tactic helps Martin Kampmann’s career or if it hurts it. Only time will tell.