UFC Fight Night 18: Condit vs. Kampmann Officially Announced
UFC Fight Night 18
PRESS RELEASE — Music City has never seen hard-hitting action like this as many of the rising stars in the sport of mixed martial arts will be featured in a nationally televised event live on Spike TV Wednesday, April 1 at 9:00pm ET/PT. The first-ever UFC event in Nashville, TN will be headlined by welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann and will emanate from the Sommet Center. Spike TV’s “UFC Fight Night” will also include “The Ultimate Fighter 8” champs Ryan Bader and Efrain Escudero, “The Ultimate Fighter 5” standout Cole Miller, and the controversial “The Ultimate Fighter 8” contestant Junie Browning.
Winner of his last eight MMA bouts, Carlos Condit (23-4) currently holds the welterweight title in the UFC’s sister organization, the WEC. The 24 year-old, making his UFC debut, is a native of Albuquerque, NM, and has an impressive fighting resume with victories over Frank Trigg, Brock Larson, Carl Prater, and John Alessio.
Kampmann (14-2), a former Thai boxing champion in his native Netherlands, won his first four bouts in the Octagon™ as a middleweight before suffering a TKO loss to Nate Marquardt at UFC 88 last September. After dropping down in weight class to welterweight, Kampamann defeated Alexandre Barros via TKO in January at UFC 93. Fighting out of Las Vegas with Xtreme Couture, Kampmann will face his toughest test at 170 lbs against Condit.
The co-features include the first fights for “The Ultimate Fighter 8” champions Efrain Escudero and Ryan Bader. The 25 year-old resident of Tempe, AZ, Bader (8-0) attended Arizona State University where he was a 2-time All-American and 3-time All-Pac-10 wrestler. He is coming off an impressive first-round TKO over Vinny Magalhaes in December 2008 to be crowned “The Ultimate Fighter” in the light heavyweight division. However, his next big test in the Octagon is a tough one, Carmelo Marrero, who trains with the renowned American Top Team out of Coconut Creek, Fl. Marrero (10-2-1) made a big splash in his Octagon debut in October 2006 at UFC 64 by winning a split decision over the dangerous Cheick Kongo. After losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Wilson Gouveia, he won his last fight against Steve Steinbeiss last November and looks to continue his winning ways against Bader.
Undefeated Efrain Escudero (12-0) makes his first appearance in the Octagon since his three-round decision victory Phillipe Nover in December 2008 to capture “The Ultimate Fighter” crown in the 155lb division. Born in Mexico and raised in Tuscon, AZ, the former All-American collegiate wrestler currently fights out of Tempe, AZ. His opponent will be announced shortly.
Spike TV will open the two-hour televised fight card at 9:00pm with a lightweight battle between two very different “The Ultimate Fighter” contestants. Browning (3-1) is a Kentucky-native currently training in Las Vegas who reached the semifinals in the lightweight division for “The Ultimate Fighter 8.” He scored an impressive victory via submission over Dave Kaplan on the show’s live finale undercard in December 2008. However, it’s his outspoken and pugnacious attitude that made him a polarizing figure on the show. His opponent is Cole Miller (14-3), the affable veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 5” fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fl has won three of his last four fights including a third-round TKO via submission over Jorge Gurgel at UFC 86 last July.
The remaining fights will be announced shortly.
Tags: Carlos Condit, Carmelo Marrero, Cole Miller, Efrain Escudero, Junie Browning, Martin Kampmann, Ryan Bader
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Should be a great fight. I like both fighters. I would like to see Condit take it though.
This should be a great free card, I’ve even thought about making the trek to Nashville for it, but I just don’t think a Wednesday night trip 8 hours away is going to work out.
a good test for condit to see where he stands in the ww division. should b a goodin
Whoooeee I have been waiting for Condit in the UFC for a while now. But i’m more interested in if the extra 15 pounds will affect(effect,i can never remember which one it is)Kampmann’s power like it has with Mike Swick. I’m taking Condit with a rear naked choke in this one.
Nissen Osterneck is supposed to be fighting Jorge Rivera. That should be a great fight. You know what would be great fight though the winner of the Condit Kampmann fight against Swick or Fitch. I think that would be really good or the winner of the fioravanti johnson fight. A bunch of big welterwieghts in my mind. I think anyone of these guys could face the winner or loser of GSP vs Alves. Johnson vs Alves would be AWESOME and so would Swick and Johnson or even Swick and Alves. Those would be either great wars or really quick fights.
This sucks for Condit. Yes he can beat Kampmann, but would be owned by GSP , Alves, and the rest of the big welterweights.
I think Condit has the possibility for more money with the UFC than he did with WEC, even if he doesn’t get to be champion, just by his sponsors going up. Also, if Condit wants to fight the best in the world, now he has that chance, he didn’t in WEC.
Whether it sucks for Condit or not depends on if he wants to be the big fish in a small pond or a medium sized fish in a big pond, if he’s a true competitor, he’ll be much happier with the second one.
I still think Kampmann can cut down to Light Weight, Not to interested in Condit , UFC really needs to bring in Jake Shields he’s the only guy I can think of that can bring any real harm to the top Welter Weights
ProElite needs completely die so that Jake Shields can get out of his contract with them.
I agree Shields would be good in the UFC, i am really pumped to see Condit, man this guy is seriously good and still young and learning.
I also see Condit as a guy who can possibly go up in weight eventually with his body frame.
Yessss! Now I’m a big fan of the “Naturel Born Killer”,all the fights I ve seen of his r awsome,Kampan should validate his ranking,still there r very very few who can breath the air GSP is breathing-but I loved the fact that in the WEC we had the chance to see top guys fight often,im sad to knw tht won’t be the case now,still,WAR CONDIT! WAR!!!
Kampmann will kick his big overrated ass.