UFC 139 Preview: The Main Card

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Welterweights
Martin Kampmann (17-5, 8-4 UFC) vs. Rick Story (13-4, 6-2 UFC)

The Matchup: In terms of the welterweight landscape, plenty is riding on this fight for both men. While neither Kampmann nor Story is closer than a couple of fights to title contention, the loser will find himself relegated to middle-of-the-pack status.

Story is the perfect example of the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately attitude that permeates mixed martial arts. Touted as one of the new breed of contenders at 170 pounds following a six-fight winning streak, Story’s time in the limelight ended quickly when he suffered an upset loss to Charlie Brenneman at UFC Live 4. It should not have, because the Washington native remains someone to watch given his aggressive wrestling and willingness to trade with accomplished strikers.

Kampmann has had his share of hard luck, dropping controversial decisions to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez in his last two bouts. “The Hitman” has crisp kickboxing skills and is an accomplished jiu-jitsu player on the ground, so it will be up to Story to outwork his foe over the course of the fight. Kampmann has an excellent sprawl, as he stuffed 14 takedown attempts from Sanchez in their UFC Live 3 tussle. That should not deter Story, who is physically strong and will want to pressure the Dane to set up clinches and takedowns.

Kampmann can be very aggressive on the feet, so if Story can counter and change levels, he will be able to put the Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts standout on his back. If Kampmann finds himself in this position, he must fight to get back to his feet rather than being content to work from his guard, where Story can score points via control and positioning.

As he demonstrated against Thiago Alves, Story is not afraid to stand in the pocket. He has a solid one-two combination, and he absorbed some significant shots from the Brazilian in their UFC 130 meeting. Kampmann is comfortable using smooth combinations and fighting from distance, but he often prefers to rush his opponents to display his considerable power at close range.

The Pick: This should be a back-and-forth battle between two fighters with plenty to gain. If Story struggles in standup exchanges, he will find that Kampmann is no easy mark when it comes to securing the takedown. He is also capable of rocking Story with knees and short punches in the clinch. The fight comes down to Story’s ability use his wrestling and how Kampmann responds if he finds himself in Story’s comfort zone. In a close decision, the judges’ sympathy will lie with Kampmann, who will eventually land enough on the feet to get the nod on the scorecards.

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