Danish welterweight
Martin Kampmann withdrew from his scheduled matchup with
Ben Saunders at UFC 111 “St. Pierre vs. Hardy” on March 27 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., after he sustained an injury in training.
Jake Ellenberger will replace Kampmann in the main card slot.
Ellenberger delivered his first career victory inside the Octagon at UFC 108 in January, when he stopped
Mike Pyle on second-round strikes. The 24-year-old International Fight League and Bellator Fighting Championships veteran has been finished only once in 27 professional bouts. Victories against
Pat Healy and
Jose Landi-Jons anchor his resume, which includes 19 wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Ellenberger has won five of his last six fights, losing only to former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion
Carlos Condit in that timeframe.
The once-beaten Saunders raised more than a few eyebrows when he knocked out the durable
Marcus Davis with a series of opening-round knees at UFC 106 in November. The 26-year-old American Top Team standout opened his professional mixed martial arts career with back-to-back draws and has gone the distance only once since. A potent clinch fighter who, at 6-foot-3, towers over many welterweights, Saunders was a quarter-finalist on Season 6 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. A UFC 99 defeat to the world-ranked
Mike Swick knocked him from the ranks of the unbeaten in June.
A welterweight title bout pairing champion
Georges St. Pierre with British upstart
Dan Hardy will headline UFC 111, along with a match pitting
Frank Mir against the undefeated
Shane Carwin for the interim heavyweight crown.
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