Pro Sports Blogging

A much anticipated UFC 111 comes to us Saturday night live from the Prudential Center in smelly New Jersey.  Yes, New Jersey tends to be a smelly state.  I’ll tell you what isn’t smelly however, this show.  Check out the rundown below:

Main Event – Welterweight Championship

Georges ‘Rush’ St. Pierre ( c ) vs. Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy

Co-Main Event – Interim Heavyweight Championship

Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin

Welterweight Bout

Ben ‘Killa B’ Saunders vs. Jake Ellenberger

Welterweight Bout

Jon Fitch vs. Thiago ‘Pitbull’ Alves

Lightweight Bout

Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek

Lightweight Bout

Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham

Welterweight Bout

Ricardo ‘Big Dog’ Almeida vs. Matt ‘The Immortal’ Brown

Lightweight Bout

Kurt ‘Batman’ Pellegrino vs. Fabricio “Morango’ Camoes

Light Heavyweight Bout

Rodney ‘Snonuff The Master’ Wallace vs. Jared Hamman

Middleweight Bout

Rousimar “Toquinho’ Palhares  vs. Tomasz “Gorilla” Drwal

Welterweight Bout

Matthew Riddle vs. Greg Soto

Bonus Fight

Drunk Fan #1 vs Drunk Fan #2

I attended UFC 101 in Philly last year and the arena was filled with tri-state area animals.  No, I’m not referring to all those in attendance just the ones responsible for or involved in the 3 fights that broke out, yes 3.  That’s 3 more fights than I’ve seen at all the other shows I’ve been to.  I’m about 93.7% sure this will happen again.  I could be wrong but I doubt it.  If during the broadcast you suddenly hear the crowd get loud in the middle of a dull fight you know what’s going on, ‘Al Alchy’ is taking on ‘Bobby Booze’ or ‘Brenda Brew’ is squared off with ‘Sandy Suds’. 

As you can see a very impressive card here with 2 title fights. Well one real title and one phony one.  So as for the co-main event, many of you know the story by now.  I’ve run it down before.  Long story short the winner of this bout will take on the returning champion Brock Lesnar in July for the Unified UFC Heavyweight Championship. Read all about it here http://prosportsblogging.com/fight-club/mma/fear_brock_lesnar/ .  Mir sees Shane Carwin as a better version of Lesnar.  His words, not mine.  With that said Frank will use this fight as his measuring stick for the progress he’s made since being decimated by the current champion.  He’ll hold a technical striking, experience, and submission advantage over his adversary.  I see the most likely way Mir wins the fight here is by stunning Carwin while on their feet and finishing things on the ground via submission much in the same manner as Cheick Kongo back in December at UFC 107.  Carwin’s advantages here are overwhelming power, brute force, wrestling, and ground & pound.  He can win the matchup quickly with just one punch or mat mauling (2^nd Round Submission trademarked) his way to the title. 

In the main event Georges St. Pierre is a huge favorite, as he should be.  GSP has been on a tear since regaining the Welterweight title from Matt Serra.  He’s won 21 rounds in a row in his last 6 fights.  He’s a better athlete, a better mixed martial artist, a better wrestler, and overall more experienced in the spotlight.  But there is the question as to who is a better striker and who is mentally tougher. Many give Dan Hardy the advantage when the fight is standing.  I don’t know if I’d go that far but he certainly poses a serious threat.  As for mental toughness we’ve yet to see Dan Hardy in a marquee fight.  Sure he’s had a few good wins, but really over who and on what stage?  ‘Rush’ has 8 title fights on his record and he’s consistently battled the best in the division successfully for years.  His only losses he’s avenged in dominant fashion.  For those of you who have watched the Primetime series on Spike TV (for those who haven’t there should be a re-airing of all 3 episodes this weekend) you’ve heard Hardy constantly say that he’s tougher mentally and physically then Pierre.  I’m sure he believes what he says but really should we?  I’m not saying Hardy can’t win but I very much doubt he will.  This is in no way a shot at ‘The Outlaw’ just belief in the fighter that GSP is. As we’ve seen time and time again anything can happen when the octagon door closes and Hardy pulling the upset wouldn’t be the craziest thing we’ve seen in the last week. Just check your NCAA bracket for that.  So tune in Saturday night and you’ll see a severe beating that displays one man’s world class talent or another man’s ability to make the most of his opportunity and take down a legend.

I’ve said my piece now it’s your turn.  I want to hear from you.  Let me know who you see winning the 2 main events and why.  If you want to go even further and make predictions for the rest of the show I’m certainly not against that either.

And if you are from Jersey and were offended by my “smelly” comment then I welcome you to fly me out there and show me how non-smelly it is. I’m kidding . . . kind of.

As always, stay golden

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Written by Martin Foster
Martin H. Foster is the author of "The 2nd Round Submission" and host of "Verbal Submission Radio" Follow him at www.twitter.com/MHMFoster