Sanchez, Kampmann on Target for UFC Live 3

Little margin for error exists in the cutthroat UFC welterweight division, a fact which hangs over the heads of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner Diego Sanchez and the world-ranked Martin Kampmann as their paths cross.

Sanchez tipped the scales at 171 pounds for his battle with Kampmann (171) in the UFC Live 3 main event on Thursday at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. The six other men booked for main card duty -- including co-headliners Mark Munoz (186) and C.B. Dollaway (186) -- also met their contracted weight requirements without incident at Wednesday’s official weigh-in.

A one-time lightweight title contender, Sanchez last appeared at UFC 121 in October, when he snapped a two-fight losing streak and posted a unanimous decision against Paulo Thiago at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The 29-year-old Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative has delivered 15 of his 22 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission and owns a stellar 11-4 mark inside the Octagon. Sanchez holds notable wins over former Sengoku Raiden Championship middleweight kingpin Jorge Santiago, reigning Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 2 winner Joe Stevenson and one-time Strikeforce lightweight boss Clay Guida. He has been finished only once -- on a fifth-round cut against B.J. Penn -- in 26 professional appearances.

Kampmann (Pictured, file photo), like Sanchez, has not fought since October, when he dropped a controversial split decision to top welterweight contender Jake Shields. Anchored at Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts in Las Vegas, the 28-year-old Dane has never lost consecutive bouts in his eight-year career. Wins over former World Extreme Cagefighting welterweight champion Carlos Condit, one-time UFC middleweight title contender Thales Leites and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 4 alum Jorge Rivera highlight Kampmann’s excellent resume. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and technically proficient standup fighter, he has scored 13 of his 17 career victories by KO, TKO or submission.

UFC Live 3 “Sanchez vs. Kampmann” -- which also features a middleweight duel pitting American Top Team’s Alessio Sakara (186) with top prospect Chris Weidman (186) and a bantamweight rematch pairing former WEC champion Brian Bowles (135) with Damacio Page (136) -- airs live on the Versus network at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It will be the first UFC event to be broadcast in 3-D.

UFC Live 3 “Sanchez vs. Kampmann”
Thursday, March 3
KFC Yum! Center
Louisville, Ky.

Diego Sanchez (171) vs. Martin Kampmann (171)
C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Mark Munoz (186)
Alessio Sakara (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
Brian Bowles (135) vs. Damacio Page (136)
Joe Stevenson (155) vs. Danny Castillo (155)
Steve Cantwell (206) vs. Cyrille Diabate (205)
Thiago Tavares (156) vs. Shane Roller (156)
Takeya Mizugaki (136) vs. Reuben Duran (136)
Rob Kimmons (185) vs. Dongi Yang (186)
Rousimar Palhares (186) vs. Dave Branch (186)
Igor Pokrajac (204) vs. Todd Brown (205)

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