Hard-hitting welterweight striker Martin Kampmann will try to inch his way back into title contention when he takes on UFC sophomore Jacob Volkmann at UFC 108 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Jan. 2, according to Sherdog.com.
Volkmann replaces the injured Rory Markham, who was forced to withdraw from the upcoming event with an Achilles strain.
Kampmann last competed at UFC 103: "Franklin vs. Belfort," going limp against the heavy hands of replacement fighter Paul Daley. "Semtex" stepped in for an injured Mike Swick and delivered the goods for a memorable UFC debut win.
Prior to the loss -- just his second in 13 fights -- "The Hitman" had strung together back-to-back wins after dropping to 170-pounds in an effort to test the waters at a lighter weight class.
That's because his nine-fight win streak was snapped by the much larger Nate Marquardt at UFC 88: "Breakthrough" back in September 2008. It was apparently a wake up call for the Danish kickboxer that perhaps he is better suited to compete in a division 15 pounds lighter.
Kampmann was in line for a possible shot at reigning welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre, until the misstep against Daley sent him back to square one. Now he has the chance to rebound against the wily wrestler from Minnesota
Volkmann had a debut loss after Paulo Thiago ruined "Christmas" at UFC 106: "Ortiz vs. Griffin 2" back on November 21. Prior to that, he was mixing it up at Bellator Fighting Championships back in May, submitting Kevin Knabjian via brabo choke in the first round of the promotion's sixth televised event.
In addition to Bellator, Volkmann stayed busy by competing six times in 2008, including stints under the Max Fights and Xtreme Fighting Organization (XFO) banners.
A loss to Kampann puts him in an 0-2 hole in the UFC. Not a good place to be for aspiring fighters.
UFC 108 features a re-worked main event between former light heavyweight champion "Sugar" Rashad Evans and the hard-hitting Thiago Silva. It's unclear at this time which fight will serve as the co main event; however, the recently promoted lightweight clash between Sean Sherk and Jim Miller will be featured on the televised main card.
To check out the latest UFC 108: "Evans vs. Silva" fight card click here. It's changed quite a bit.
Get the latest gear
