Martin Kampmann vs Jake Ellenberger

by Dr. Octagon, J.D.

I’m really pumped for this fight. Martin Kampmann is always in good fights, but he was getting his butt kicked for two and a half rounds before he submitted Thiago Alves. It was the three-round version of Anderson Silva beating Chael Sonnen. Jake Ellenberger beat the crap out of Diego Sanchez, who was able to leverage his demonstrable insanity to hurt a tired Ellenberger in the third round. Ellenberger won the decision, but people have been questioning his conditioning ever since.

This is a five rounder, so hopefully Jake has been working on his cardio. He’s a huge welterweight and a 2:1 favorite to win. But I have a weird feeling that Kampmann is going to win this. Ellenberger is big, but Kampmann could win by submission, or by better cardio, or by picking Jake apart on his feet. Even though Jake got the win and Kampmann lost against Diego Sanchez, Kampmann looked just as good. It will all depend on whether Jake can get the takedown and work the top control with his superior strength.

I think Kampmann is probably the better technical fighter, but Jake is so big he could land a knockout punch, or just work top control for the whole fight. Live updates after the jump:[[MORE]]

Round 1: Jake comes in with a left hook and catches Kampmann; Jake is on top of him. Kampmann is tough, but he can’t hang on his back with a huge guy like Jake. Jake isn’t doing anything from the guard. Kampmann is just sitting up on the cage. Ellenberger is able to posture up and lands a shot. Kampmann has Jake’s neck, they are nestled like a pair of love birds against the cage. I’d argue that Kampmann isn’t strong enough to sub big Jake, but he subbed Thiago Alves, who is absolutely enormous.

Jake’s leaving his head in there. This is a boring first round. About four minutes of non-action so far. Jake gets his head out and Kampmann is able to get up. Kampmann shoots and Jake stuffs it.

10-9 Ellenberger. 

Round 2: Kampmann with a nice right. Kampmann with a left. Ellenberger with a pair of huge punches. Ellenberger is swarming and Kampmann’s face is busted. But Kampmann keeps coming forward. Ellenberger eats some knees in the clinch and Mazzagati stops it. Ellenberger appears angry at the stoppage, but it looked fair to me.

On the replay it looks like Ellenberger got hurt by a punch to the forehead, but the knees are what really did the damage.

Kampmann by KO 1:40 in Round 2. 

Ellenberger looks furious. Kampmann will get Jonny Hendricks for the title eliminator. The crowd is booing a little bit. They don’t like the call I guess. Ellenberger isn’t saying anything about the stoppage. Classy. A lot of fighters would try to say they weren’t out, but it wasn’t like he popped up and complained as we saw in Kim Winslow’s prior phantom stoppage.