KAMPMANN VS MARQUARDT SET FOR UFC 89

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KAMPMANN VS MARQUARDT SET FOR UFC 89
Saturday, August 02, 2008 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com

The middleweight division will possibly crown another top contender when Martin Kampmann returns to action at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England to face Nate Marquardt in a 185-pound match-up, as confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight.

Nate Marquardt has always been seen as one of the toughest competitors in the 185-pound weight class, picking up dominant wins over fighters such as Dean Lister and Jeremy Horn.

In his last fight out, Marquardt became the victim of bad timing and misplaced striking as he was penalized twice in his fight with Thales Leites at UFC 85 for illegal strikes, which essentially cost him the decision in the bout.

Now, Marquardt will look to get right back in the middle of the title picture against one of the quickest rising stars in the division, Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann.

Kampmann was poised for his opportunity to become the new top contender last year when he was slated to face former champion Rich Franklin in Ireland, but a knee injury occurred and he ended up sitting out for more than a year rehabbing and getting healthy.

Coming back at UFC 85, Kampmann was able to dominate a very tough opponent in Jorge Rivera. Now he’s looking to get back to the top contender’s spot with his fight with Marquardt.

The bout between Marquardt and Kampmann will likely round out the main card for UFC 89 in England, which will be shown via tape delay on Spike TV.