After being forced to withdraw from a planned UFC 111 bout due to injury, welterweight contender Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann has agreed to face Brazilian standout Paulo Thiago at UFC 115 in June. The Las Vegas Sun was first to report on the proposed fight.

Kampmann was on the fast track to a title shot until he was stopped by British knockout artist Paul “Semtex” Daley, but he rebounded with a win over Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann. Thiago also bested Volkmann and is coming off of a huge victory over fellow top contender Mike “Quick” Swick.

Kampmann (16-3-0) has tasted defeat just twice in his UFC career and holds notable victories over Thales Leites and final WEC Welterweight Champion “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit. The Xtreme Couture standout dropped down to 170 pounds in 2009 and won two of his three fights, with the lone blemish coming in a UFC 103 meeting with Daley, who took the fight on short notice. Kampmann looked very impressive in his bout with Volkmann at UFC 108 and a victory over Thiago would place him firmly back in the title hunt.

Thiago (13-1-0) debuted in the UFC with a bang when he shocked Josh Koscheck with a first-round knockout at UFC 95 in February of 2009. He was unable to keep the momentum up and dropped a hard-fought decision to Koscheck’s American Kickboxing Academy teammate Jon Fitch, but Thiago has since reeled off two straight victories. Most recently, he choked Swick, also a member of the AKA team, unconscious with a Brabo Choke at UFC 109. A win over Kampmann would all but guarantee Thiago a number one contender’s bout.

UFC 115 is currently set for June 12th at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A rumoured trilogy bout between UFC legends Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz may headline the event, though recent issues involving the Vancouver State Athletic Commission have left UFC 115’s fate in question.

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)