Welterweight standouts Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger and Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann will face off in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale on June 1st in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC officials announced the bout today and the winner could advance on to a 170-pound title fight.
Ellenberger has won six straight fights inside the Octagon since suffering a contentious Split Decision defeat in his September 2009 UFC debut. He has knocked out 17 opponents to date. Kampmann has earned victories in four of his past six bouts and submitted Thiago “Pitbull” Alves on March 3rd.
Ellenberger (27-5-0) appeared to be seconds away from finishing current UFC Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit in 2009, but Condit managed to battle back in the latter rounds to earn a decision victory that some felt should have gone Ellenberger’s way. Since the setback, Ellenberger has become one of the fastest-rising stars in the welterweight division and his vicious knockout power has propelled him into title contender status. After a quick knockout of former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields in September, Ellenberger returned to the cage in February in his home state of Nebraska. Despite a strong third round from opponent Diego Sanchez, Ellenberger took a well-earned Unanimous Decision victory and now looks to be one win away from a shot at UFC title gold.
Kampmann (19-5-0) has twice found himself on the cusp of a UFC welterweight title shot, but untimely losses to Paul “Semtex” Daley and the aforementioned Shields forced the Danish striker out of the immediate title picture on both occasions. In November, Kampmann earned a Unanimous Decision victory over one of the top welterweight prospects in the UFC, Rick “The Horror” Story, and he is coming off of a last-minute submission win over one-time UFC title challenger Thiago “Pitbull” Alves earlier this month. Kampmann took advantage of an ill-advised takedown from Alves, who looked to be seconds away from claiming a decision victory, and submitted Alves with a guillotine choke. If Kampmann is able to get past Ellenberger, he may move on to a title fight of his own in the coming year.
The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale takes place on June 1st at a location to be determined in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event features the finale of this season’s lightweight competition.
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)