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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
32-year-old Martin Kampmann hasn't fought since a particularly brutal beating at the hands of Carlos Condit last August, and he said last week he's not planning on returning to the cage anytime soon.
"I'm still signed with the UFC, but I'm on an indefinite hiatus. I'm semi-retired, you might say," Kampmann said in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour last week. "I'm taking a break and focusing on coaching, stuff like that. I'm still signed with the UFC, I still have a contract with the UFC, but I just don't have any fights lined up and I don't plan on having any fights lined up in the future, either. I'm focusing on coaching right now. I still love fighting so I'll never say never, but I can't see myself fighting anytime in the future right now."
Kampmann's concerns over the years of abuse he's already taken in the sport, and a desire to avoid further debilitating issues in the future, are the main issues keeping him out of action.
"It's kind of put things into perspective that I can't be fighting forever and I've got to watch my health," Kampmann said. "I've got kids and I want to be there for my kids."
"I've had my share of concussions and it's not always fun. I took some fights where I shouldn't have taken them, but I pushed through it and that was a mistake in retrospect. Can't change that now, but now I'm trying to watch out for my health better than I've done in the past."
Penick's Analysis: Kampmann's taking a smart path in his career. Any fighter who recognizes the damage they've taken over the years and thinks it's time to step away should do so. All professional athletes have a short time in which to ply their trade, and fighters are no different. With more and more information available on concussions, and the fact that there's a very real risk of serious issues from repeatedly getting punched in the head, more and more fighters may call an end to their careers earlier than expected.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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