TUF Live Finale: Power Ranking Martin Kampmann's UFC Fights

Friday marks the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 15, effectively crowning another champion of the long-running TV show. But, the event will be headlined by top contending welterweights Martin Kampmann and Jake Ellenberger.

Martin Kampmann's trip to the top of the welterweight division hasn't been without its bumps in the road. Kampmann has been the subject of controversial decisions, while putting on some great fights for the UFC.

Here is a power ranking of Martin Kampmann's fights in the UFC thus far.

UFC 88: Kampmann vs. Nate Marquardt

UFC 88 saw a big increase in competition for Martin Kampmann. Unfortunately, Kampmann was not ready for this big of a step-up so early in his career.

It only took Marquardt one round to finish Kampmann. At 1:22 of the first round, the referee stepped into save Kampmann who was being brutalized by Marquardt's striking attack.

It was a roadblock in Kampmann's early UFC career, but it would not derail his climb to the top.

UFC 103: Kampmann vs. Paul Daley

Paul Daley did the right thing when Joe Silva called him, stepping up to fight Martin Kampmann on short notice. Luckily for Daley, he was successful in his endeavor.

Kampmann was outgunned by the powerful Daley, who threw barrages of punches at Kampmann. At 2:31 of the first round, Kampmann was knocked out in one of his least impressive fights of his career.

Kampmann would recover, but this was definitely an embarrassing defeat for him. 

UFC 121: Kampmann vs. Jake Shields

UFC 121's bout against Jake Shields was a controversial one for Kampmann, which saw him lose a close, hotly-contested split decision to Jake Shields.

Shields did not do enough in many fans' eyes to win the fight. In my eyes, it was close enough where either man could have won or even drew. 

Either way, the fight was boring and largely uneventful.

UFC Fight Night: Kampmann vs. Carlos Condit

Next up is Kampmann's fight against current interim champion Carlos Condit, which marked both men's first UFC main event in their careers.

Condit was the WEC welterweight king, while Kampmann was seen as a competitive guy that Condit could build his resume on. The fight was solid and eventually saw Kampmann take a very close split decision.

Should Kampmann get by Jake Ellenberger this weekend, a rematch with Condit would definitely be an interesting one.  

UFC Fight Night: Kampmann vs. Crafton Wallace

Martin Kampmann's debut in the UFC came against Crafton Wallace, a man who would serve as a measuring stick for Kampmann's UFC career.

Kampmann wasted no time in making his mark in the UFC, submitting Wallace in under three minutes with a rear-naked choke. It was just a preview of how good Kampmann could be.

TUF 4 Finale: Kampmann vs. Thales Leites

Kampmann's second fight in the UFC was no picnic, as he drew respected veteran Thales Leites as his opponent. Leites, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, presented all sorts of problems on the ground for the less experienced Kampmann.

Using his takedown defense and superior standup, Kampmann was able to earn a unanimous decision over Leites. This was the first sign of Kampmann's potential against top opponents.

UFC 93: Kampmann vs. Alexandre Barros

Making his welterweight debut at UFC 93, Kampmann faced highly-touted prospect Alexandre Barros in  a bout which took place in Ireland.

It took two rounds, but eventually Kampmann was able to stop Barros with punches. This successful welterweight debut took a mid-tier middleweight and turned him into a potential contender at welterweight.

UFC 108: Kampmann vs. Jacob Volkmann

Only 4:03 is all it took for Martin Kampmann to submit crafty grappler Jacob Volkmann, who is now a lightweight. This win helped erase the memory of the knockout he took at the hands of Paul Daley. 

Kampmann's guillotine victory showed he was well-rounded and could fight anywhere, whether it was the ground or in the striking game.

UFC 68: Kampmann vs. Drew McFedries

Martin Kampmann fought for the third time in the UFC against Drew McFedries, a powerful puncher with a lot of hype behind him.

In one round, Kampmann was able to work McFedries to the ground and secure an arm-triangle choke. The tap gave Kampmann his third UFC victory in three outings.

UFC 115: Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago

UFC 115 presented an interesting challenge for Martin Kampmann, as he was matched up against Paulo Thiago. Many people saw Kampmann's best chance of winning on the feet, but many were surprised with Kampmann's approach to the fight.

For a majority of the fight, Kampmann grappled with Thiago, searching for submissions throughout the fight. He would go on to win an impressive unanimous decision, putting him into consideration against top contenders in the division.

UFC 85: Kampmann vs. Jorge Rivera

In another early fight in his UFC career, Kampmann took on veteran Jorge Rivera in London. Many people saw this as a good matchup for Rivera, who possesses good boxing skills to rival Kampmann's Muay Thai.

To most people's surprise, Kampmann was able to submit Rivera in 2:44 of the first round with a guillotine choke. It was his third submission in four UFC outings.

UFC on FX: Kampmann vs. Thiago Alves

Headlining the UFC on FX in Australia, Martin Kampmann found himself in a war with Thiago Alves. Both men have great Muay Thai skills, but Alves was outstriking Kampmann throughout the fight.

One mistake was all Kampmann needed to steal the victory. Showing his resilience, Kampmann submitted Alves with 48 seconds left in the fight. It was Kampmann's third guillotine victory in the UFC. 

UFC 139: Kampmann vs. Rick Story

It may not have been Kampmann's prettiest fight, but it certainly was one of his most important.

UFC 139 saw Martin Kampmann draw powerful wrestler Rick Story, a guy who had a ton of hype and was looking to rebound from a recent loss. Kampmann used solid takedown defense and precision striking to earn the unanimous nod from the judges. 

The win earned him a lot of due credit and talks about potential top-name opponents. 

UFC Live: Kampmann vs. Diego Sanchez

This is Kampmann's top-ranked fight. Yes, a loss is Kampmann's best fight. 

Kampmann used his technical, precise striking to make Diego Sanchez's face into a bloody mess. It is one of the most controversial decisions of all time, as the judges gave the fight to Sanchez.

Sanchez's face told the story of who really won the fight. The fight was an absolute war that Kampmann deserved to win.