On June 16th, 2007, Martin Kampmann was slated to fight Rich Franklin at UFC 72 in Ireland. However, Kampmann suffered a devastating left knee injury while training for the fight and he had to withdraw from the bout. Yushin Okami stepped in his place and lost a decision to Franklin. That propelled Franklin for a rematch with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, you know what happened next. That title shot could have been Kampmann’s. So with a year removed from his injury, Kampmann will return to action on June 7th to take on Jorge Rivera at UFC 85 in London, England. Will Kampmann be able to fight at the level he was before his injury? Here is what he told ADCC News in this quick Q&A.
ADCC: Martin it’s been over a year since you competed in the Octagon. Besides rehabbing the knee, what you been doing to keep yourself busy?
MARTIN: Well that's it. Rehabbing the knee is what I've spent most of my time with. But now I'm back in training though, working with all the guys at Xtreme Couture. It's good to be back in training again. I've missed it!
ADCC: Speaking of the knee, how does it feel right now?
MARTIN: It's feeling much better! I'm back at kicking people in the face again (laughs).
ADCC: Before your injury, you won eight straight including three in the UFC and gaining momentum for a title shot. Now people are looking for a challenger for Anderson Silva’s UFC Middleweight Title. Could you be that guy after a few fights down the road?
MARTIN: We'll see. I take one fight at a time but I would love to get a title shot somewhere down the road. Anderson is a tough guy and he's the champ for a reason, he's a bad ass.
ADCC: What is your opinion on what Silva has done to your division?
MARTIN: Like I said, he's a bad ass. He has basically wiped out all the top contenders, stopped every single one he fought. That's impressive.
ADCC: Your return to the Octagon will come on June 7th, 2008 at the 02 Arena in London, England against Jorge Rivera. How excited are you to get back into the Octagon to face a veteran like Rivera?
MARTIN: I'm very excited about being fighting again. Jorge is a real tough dude. I think a lot of people underestimate him, but he's a seasoned vet. He's a tough fight back for me, so it should be exciting for all the fans too. I can't wait!
ADCC: With the year lay off, do you think you will have any ring rust and do you have any worries that your knee injury could possibly happen again?
MARTIN: There's probably always gonna be a little concern in the back of my head, but once the fight is on, then it's fight time and I don't have time to worry about that. I don't ever wanna have to go through an injury like that again. No more injuries for me, I've had my share, thank you (laughs).
ADCC: If everything goes right, what happens on June 7th after the bell rings?
MARTIN: Then I'll be kicking Jorge's ass. Submission or knock out, I wanna stop the fight. Jorge comes out strong too, so I don't see this fight going the distance.
ADCC: Thanks for your time Martin and we wish you well in your return to the Octagon. Do you have anything to say to your fans or sponsors?
MARTIN: Thanks to all the fans supporting me still when I was injured. I can't wait to get back, look out it's gonna be a great fight!
source: adcombat.com
