UFC Fight Night Main Event - Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann

UFC Fight Night 18 on Spike TV is a very solid slate of fights, and the main event between Martin Kampmann and Carlos Condit figures to be the most exciting match of the night.

This bout is so tough to call that the BetUS Sportsbook has the fighters even on the odds with both coming in at -115.

Condit comes into the fight as the former World Extreme Cagefighting champion of the welterweight division before the organization ended up disbanding the weight class. He’s also won eight straight fights heading into this matchup, his UFC debut.

Condit is a very well-rounded fighter who has scored the majority of his wins by submission. Some have questioned his level of competition, but he has been absolutely dominant during his stint in the WEC. He’s shown that he is capable of transitioning smoothly from phase to phase in the cage, the mark of a potentially great fighter.

He has a long, athletic build at 6-foot-1 which means lots of leverage to work with in his jiu-jitsu game. He can stand up and chuck the leather but this is where he has yet to be truly tested as he hasn’t had to fight anyone with serious hands yet. That being said, he should be able to hold his own on his feet with his Kampmann, as “The Hitman” has never been mistaken for Chuck Liddell.  

Kampmann has toiled in obscurity a bit in the UFC, but he is a stout competitor with the ability to grind out fights and outwork his opponents.

He was dominated by Nate Marquardt at the middleweight division before moving down to welterweight which he can’t be blamed too much for, considering how impressive Marquardt has looked in his recent fights.

Kampmann’s biggest strength is his ability to finish fights, and he does it in a variety of ways. He has a lot of experience on the big stage as well, which could be a big advantage. Just the fact that he fought a guy of Marquardt’s caliber should calm his nerves a bit going into this fight as a main event. He also is the only man to have beaten Thales Leites in the UFC, who will face Anderson Silva for the middleweight title.

Condit could well be a contender in the future but Kampmann will prove to the world that he is one of the best middle and/or welterweight fighters around with a big win this time around by taking the fight to Condit and staying out of bad positions on the ground.

This might not be big-name matchup to some but it could easily be the fight of the night if both guys can overcome their nerves and do what they’re capable of doing on the big stage in the Octagon.

The Pick: Kampmann by decision