UFC Welterweight Martin Kampmann Announces Hiatus from MMA

Georges St-Pierre isn't the only long-time UFC welterweight who is taking a break from the sport now. Speaking with MMA Junkie Radio, 31 year-old Dane Martin Kampmann announced that he too will be taking a break from MMA.

"I’ve had a lot of tough fights and even the ones I win, I sometimes make them tough for myself," he said. "I’m just taking a long break."

Kampmann has undeniably been on a tough stretch of late. "The Hitman" suffered knockout losses in his two most recent fights, falling to knees and punches from Carlos Condit at UFC Fight Night 27 and getting punched unconscious in spectacular fashion by Johny Hendricks at UFC 154. 

As he stated even in his most recent victories, he has taken serious beatings. Against both Jake Ellenberger and Thiago Alves, he found himself seriously hurt before landing a hard knee or scoring a buzzer-beating guillotine choke.

As with St-Pierre, while walking away from the sport is always tough for lifelong fighters to do, it is for the best far more often than not. How long he will choose to shelf his gloves is a mystery but one has to hope he finds whatever inner peace he is looking for.

Kampmann originally joined the UFC as part of Zuffa's buyout of the World Fighting Alliance promotion (which was also home to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto Machida) and currently has a respectable 11-6 record in the Octagon.

He owns notable wins over Ellenberger, Alves and Condit and is currently ranked as the No. 10 welterweight in the promotion.