Carlos Condit had unfinished business with Martin Kampmann when the two met up in the main event of UFC Fight Night 27 last night (Aug. 28, 2013) from Indianapolis, Indiana. As expected, the bout delivered a rousing war that was punctuated by a statement win from Condit.
To watch Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann 2 full fight video highlights right now click here. Meanwhile, let's take a look at how Condit got back into the win column at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The only knock on Condit in his last two losses against Georges St. Pierre and Johny Hendricks was his takedown defense, so Kampmann immediately began looking for the takedown. "Hitman" achieved his goal, and looked to advance position by taking Condit's back. Never an easy target, Condit maneuvered free only to be taken down once again. He got up to land a few punches, but Kampmann ultimately won the first frame with effective wrestling.
It was beginning to look like their previous match at UFC Fight Night 18 in April 2009, where Kampmann spoiled Condit Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut by utilizing his wrestling to take a close split decision. However, Condit knew what he was up against. After a stiff left hand from Kampmann, Condit responded with a crisp boxing sequence. Kampmann once again sought the takedown, but this time Condit was ready, countering with precise punches and kicks.
Fully finding his timing in the third round, Condit began to unleash his extensive arsenal of strikes in rapid succession. Finding his mark with knees, kicks, and many different punches, Condit opened up a cut on Kampmann's face that began to gush blood. When Kampmann obtained another takedown, Condit reversed and took Kampmann's back to look for a rear naked choke.
The tide had turned to heavily favor Condit, and although Kampmann attempted to mount some offense early in the fourth round, he simply couldn't stop the buzz saw that Condit had become. "Natural Born Killer" rushed forward with a brutal series of knees, following up with strikes to earn the stoppage and avenge his prior loss.
The win was an absolutely crucial one for Condit, who avoids the dreaded three-fight losing streak. He remains an incredibly talented and tough fighter, and his trademark ability to turn it on as the fight progresses worked wonders for him last night. There are still question marks surrounding his takedown defense, but after Kampmann expended a good deal of energy in the first, Condit was noticeably better in subsequent scrambles.
That may not work against top opponents like St. Pierre and Hendricks, but it did at UFC Fight Night 27. Condit will now find himself looking to fight another top name in his quest back towards a title shot. His long-awaited rematch with Rory MacDonald would have been a great fight to make, but Macdonald recently signed on to fight Robbie Lawler. Perhaps a bout against Jake Ellenberger would be a good matchup for Condit while the title picture is sorted out later this fall at UFC 167 from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Demian Maia might also be next for Condit if he gets past Jake Shields at UFC Fight Night 30.
For Kampmann, it's back to the drawing board with a whole heap of questions to answer. He's been stopped via strikes in his last two fights, and the divisional talent isn't getting any easier. While he shot up to contender status with his finishes of Ellenberger and Thiago Alves, both were comeback wins were Kampmann was initially dominated.
He's in a sort of No-Man's Land right now, and he'll need a few impressive wins to get back any sort of true relevancy. A fight with Matt Brown could be an enticing proposition, which would certainly be a great test of how ready the surging "Immortal" is for Top 10-ranked competition.
Carlos Condit made a statement with his brutal finish of Martin Kampmann from Indianapolis. What's next for "Natural Born Killer?"