Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin Likely for Interim Title at UFC 111
by Anton Tabuena on Dec 16, 2009 10:48 AM EST
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This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.
According to MMA Fanhouse:
With UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar still indefinitely on the shelf, the organization is moving swiftly to create an interim championship.
And fresh off his spectacular win at UFC 107, Frank Mir is being tabbed to face No. 1 contender Shane Carwin to fill the interim title matchup, FanHouse has learned.
The bout, which has not been officially signed but has been verbally agreed to by at least one side, will be featured as the co-main event at UFC 111 on March 27, 2010 in Newark, N.J.
Dana White announced earlier that they'd give it about a month and a half before deciding whether to set up an interim title or not, but with Mir winning impressively against Kongo, it looks like they're deciding to capitalize on his momentum. Both fighters have said that they're willing to face off if Lesnar still isn't ready, so if it was indeed offered, look for it to be finalized very soon.
UFC 111 is shaping up nicely as it is set to be headlined by another championship bout, Georges St. Pierre's welterweight title defense against Dan Hardy. Thiago Alves and Ricardo Almeida have been also announced to participate on this card, and there are rumors that they could be fighting each other.
HT: mma.fanhouse.com
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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Hmm. Everybody must still be talking about movies.
Anyways, this was a quick announcement (the interim title). I wonder if this means Brock is going to be out until next fall.
by John Nash on Dec 16, 2009 3:18 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I actually think it would be beneficial for the UFC if they did strip Lesnar right now. That would mean that when he makes a return to fighting they can, if they want to, give him a 3-round-fight against a slightly less imposing opponent. I do believe Lesnar would draw viewers in a comeback-fight even if he fought Neil Grove.
"Marcus Davis is a plastic paddy"-Dan Hardy
by BlueberryMuffin on Dec 16, 2009 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
I agree?
Lesnar really is going to need to be built back up properly with that much ring rust (not to mention size loss). I don’t think he needs to be back to 100% before he can return.
just have him come back and fight roy nelson, roys a solid gatekeeper for the ufc and it will definetly draw a ton of fans
So Roy just won the TUF contest
And all of sudden he’s a gatekeeper? Do you know what a gatekeeper is?
Just some dude who hasn't faced the top UFC heavyweights
Thus by definition, he can’t be a gatekeeper.
So a KO loss in another org
Makes him a UFC gatekeeper? I see.
Hendo lost to Wand in 2000. Gatekeeper from that point onwards.
Serious question
What’s YOUR definition of a gatekeeper, everyone?
This is tough to call… Technically Mir is better standing and on the ground but if carwin touches Franks chin or gets top position… it’s over.
If Mir stays outside and can hurt him enough to get to a submission he can pull it off.
That about covers it. The strange thing I’m not really convinced that Carwin is that great a fighter but I’m favoring him over the superior Mir. There is just something about this matchup that makes me think Mir is going to end up being pummeled.
by John Nash on Dec 16, 2009 3:42 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
It is similar to when Brett Rogers beat Arlovski in that we did not find too much about him even though he won against a highly ranked fighter. Carwin has beaten Gonzaga, but as far as anyone else that is notable, he hasn’t really fought enough higher ranked fighters to gage Carwin. I think that Mir gets a bad wrap because of his trash talk and arrogance, but I think that blinds people into thinking that he is not a good figher, when in fact he is a good fighter and the record to show for it (I am not talking about you, I am just speaking in general BTW).
What he did show in th eGonzaga-fight was that he had a chin and that he was hard to submit. While that still leaves a lot of questions regarding Carwin, those two particular answers does not necessarilty bode well for Mir.
"Marcus Davis is a plastic paddy"-Dan Hardy
by BlueberryMuffin on Dec 16, 2009 10:10 AM EST up reply actions
He also showed that he could get taken apart until he lands a lucky haymaker.
I wouldn’t call that fight flattering at all for Carwin except for his power.
A lucky haymaker isn’t the same as a straight right to the chin. But you’re right, his striking defense was pretty bad.
by woomikee on Dec 16, 2009 10:41 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Mir is a terrible striker and pretty much the last person who should be trying to keep someone at bay from the outside with a jab or something, he just doesn’t have the ability or power. Carwin has nothing to fear from the stand-up and can pick and choose when to take it to the ground.
25LBS OV MUSCLEZZZZ!!! and a knockdown of Kongo doesn’t change that.
Really? Outboxing Nogueira to a TKO? KTFO Congo in a few seconds and leaping into a guilotine? Have you even watched those fights?
The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering BROCKLESNAR; to the last I grapple with thee.
Mir is decent on the feet but not great. And he didn’t KTFO Kongo, he submitted him.
The only thing Jon Jones does better than Matt Hamill is hear.
(And smash faces)
by ufc4 on Dec 16, 2009 12:56 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
pardon me playing losely with the definition, mr. semantics.
The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering BROCKLESNAR; to the last I grapple with thee.
by judonerd on Dec 16, 2009 12:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hope that this is not for an interim title only for the winner to fight Brock Lesnar on his next fight. Carwin has the power advantage even though Mir is bulking up, and Carwin has the wrestling advantage as far as pedigree is concerned. I would say that Mir has the better standup and of course Mir has the better BJJ. Mir vs Carwin makes a lot of sense to me actually, and I hope that it happens.
Either way… whoever wins this, the fight with Brock will be a mega event.
Green Hulk vs Grey Hulk or “The Karate Kid”.
If neither fighter is ready (medical suspensions, injuries etc…) by the time Brock comes back then the winner of Cain vs Nog will be the back up… or if Brock doesnt come back in time then the winner of Cain vs Nog will take on the new Interim Champ and life goes on.
I just think it would be such a waste
to let those guys grind each other into dust before any of them face Brock. The UFC’s gotta postpone that, otherwise six or eight months from now, the HW division looks pitiful again.
Keep at least two serious title contenders dangling out there, the winners of Mir/Carwin and Nog/Cain to begin with, and the HW picture could provide some great drama and build-up for a couple of years.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
If Dos Santos can get past Yvel, then it seems like Dos Santos would be in that mix as well as everyone else.
JDS is nowhere near as marketable as Carwin, Mir, Cain or Nog. I bet you dollars to donuts that the casual fans would not readily accept him as “in the mix”
Important point.
Remember when Machida was having difficulty getting fights against big names (Forrest publicly said he didn’t want to fight him because there was no upside for his own career)? It’s going to be a similar flavor of scenario for JDS right now. There’s too much built-up star power in front of him. They need to be eliminated to make room for him, and he’s going to have to help out his own cause quite a bit.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
I don't get the timing, either
If Brock’s gonna be ready by July or so, why an interim title? They fight in March, the interim champ won’t fight again until Brock in the summer or fall most likely, so why do a interim at all and not just do a #1 contender match? An interim champ wouldn’t even defend the interim belt until he saw Brock, so what’s the point? Why is an interim champ so much more worthwhile than a legit #1 contender match?
"(Brock Lesnar) is never in good spirits and he's not in good spirits now." - Dana White
No way they do two title fights on the same card
This is the UFC. They want 2x buys. Jersey is not that lucky. Look at 108, it’s being headlined by Rashad/Thiago Silva in VEGAS!
They’re not going to do 2 title fights with GSP in Newark. I wish.
They've done two-title fight cards in locations other than Vegas before
UFC 73 was in Sacramento.
I don’t really understand your reasoning unless you’re being sarcastic.
I think they are trying to show New York how smart it would be on their part to regulate the sport in that state. And what better way to do it than put on a massive show in the neighbouring state?
Did you miss UFC 100?
Nice anti-UFC trolling attempt.
by 831 Son on Dec 16, 2009 10:03 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I would be suprised if they did two title fights also, just because of all the injuries and trouble they have had getting “big name” main events lately. Makes more business sense to split up the fights on to two differant cards. I’m definately not complaining though! As for the fight, I think Mir figures out a way to beat Carwin here. I wonder if Frank is done bulking up or if he plans to put on even more muscle.
Be a man, not a child-Phil Anselmo
by ANance on Dec 16, 2009 10:27 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Either Mir proves that he is, indeed, ready for Brock – OR Carwin officially cements his place at the top of the heap at HW.
This should be good.
by Monday Morning Martial Artist on Dec 16, 2009 8:53 AM EST reply actions
If the UFC is really going to make an interim title...
I would prefer they did another four man mini tournament. Winner of Mir/Carwin vs the winner of Nog/Cain for the interim title.
It would make things more exciting in my opinion and I think as far as interim titles go, it would feel a lot more legitimate to fans knowing that person had to work through two tough fights to get there.
Also you could have the two losers fight each other, and the winner would be quickly pushed back into the title picture with an impressive victory, much in the way Mir has after his recent win.
by PM23 on Dec 16, 2009 9:51 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Eliminate three contenders instead of just one = bad idea.
The only thing Jon Jones does better than Matt Hamill is hear.
(And smash faces)
by ufc4 on Dec 16, 2009 10:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
If Mir can be considered back in the title picture after just one win, I don’t see how any of the other guys couldn’t do the same if the were to lose in this mini tournament.
Mir sells fights. He’s someone who causes heat. It’s not rocket science that he’d be back in the title picture. As good as Carwin is, his personality isn’t that great, he’s kind of boring cause he’s so nice.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 16, 2009 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
If I'm not mistaken...
isn’t one of the big reasons that Carwin got the fight with Lesnar in the first place was because he criticized Lesnar’s antics after the Mir fight…therefore creating the “heat” that you spoke about.
Also that’s why I suggested that the losers face off, to push at least one of the contenders back into the title picture asap.
His “heat” was contrived. He tried playing that “Captain America” role but I find him boring.
Mir is legit with his heat and his shit talk. I’d make the comparison as Koscheck/Diego. Koscheck has a personality where people are drawn to him. Diego is a weirdo who doesn’t understand the media. Not fighter bashing.
by Matthew Roth on Dec 16, 2009 11:20 AM EST up reply actions
"Cause he's so nice"
Guess you’re not a GSP fan. I’m not either for the same reason…..and others.
by SHOGUNROBBERY on Dec 16, 2009 12:11 PM EST up reply actions
FUCK YES! I CAN’T WAIT TO GET TICKETS. THIS IS GONNA BE AWESOME! 78 was such a bummer that them stacking this card is awesome. TAKE THAT AUSTRALIA!
by Matthew Roth on Dec 16, 2009 10:00 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
representing New Jersey!
I’d be that happy too if the UFC went here.. haha :)
by Anton Tabuena on Dec 16, 2009 8:21 PM EST up reply actions
They should strip Brock of the title.
Not only is it unfair to these two guys to be in limbo, perhaps even defending their “interim” title if Brock is out for over a year.
But it is also unfair for Brock for him to be out 6-14 months(who knows?) and then have him come back after what I’d imagine will be a lengthy rehab, training camp, etc, and overcome ring rust to defend his title.
For all parties involved stripping Brock of his title makes sense, Brock can come back, get a fight under his belt, then go after the title. No need to make the situation any harder on Lesnar than it is now.
You're Wrong!!!!
It sounds like a logical plan/idea on paper…but you’re forgetting this one teensy-weensy dynamic here :
Brock Lesnar.
Does Dana White want to piss off Brock so much to the point where he tells Dana to go F himself and leave? That’s what will happen if he follows through with your idea, DirtyML. Let’s be realistic here…..It’s all about the Benjamins and Brock helps the UFC make the MOST out of all the fighters right now. It would be an UNHEALTHY RISK for the UFC’s immediate future if Dana were to strip Brock of the title due to Injury/Illness….
Bad Idea Contenders do not need to be eliminated the heavyweight division is not that stacked....
They should give both of them fights against some gilbert yvel types.
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
I'd rather see good fights
Why do we need to preserve “contenders” Make good matchups and the contenders will naturally emerge. Is anyone really fooled by say an undefeated John Fitch when he fought GSP? Just because these guys have pristine records isn’t really going to sell fights.
Having these big fights at HW is only going to make the Brock matchup more marketable not to mention we get to see good fights in the interim.
But do you really want to see Frank Brock again so soon?
I mean…frank was the last person Brock fought…
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
by AfroSamurai on Dec 16, 2009 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
Even if say Carwin loses, It’s not a HUGE blow to him. I mean he’d need maybe two more wins and he’d be right back in the title picture.
Fighting a guy like Yvel is more of a risk and really no gain.
by Who is Ryoto on Dec 16, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions
Surprised
I didn’t think they were going to make this match up. I thought we’d see Mir fight JDS if he won against Yvel. Awesome fight either way.
Thats a fight i'd like to see
But with Frank and Shane knowing how to pick their fights i’m sure they will fight and it will be good.
I’m not resting until I’m officially Anderson Silva status.- Jon "Bones" Jones
by AfroSamurai on Dec 16, 2009 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
I can see Mir getting this shot at the interim title alone do to his popularity withy casual fans and how he will sell this fight and thats what equals PPV numbers. Now as for stadning’s in the HW devision and who deserves this shot the most I think bolth Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos bolthare ahead of Mir at this point in the pecking order ? Bolth have beaten better top HW competition Sence Mir lost to lesner and have longer winning streaks.Cain coming of Kongo win and the Rothwell win and Dos Santos has a nice 3 fight winning streak going with wins over Werdum, Struve and CroCop.
Carwin vs. Mir
This is going to be a good test to see how Mir would fair against Brock again. I can’t wait to see this fight.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13
Pretty sure that this one is not going to a decision, one way or another.
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
After Houston-Kimbo I’m not saying those words ever again.
The only thing Jon Jones does better than Matt Hamill is hear.
(And smash faces)
by ufc4 on Dec 16, 2009 12:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
This fight isn’t going to a decision. I can’t go 3 rounds.
-Mathew Boucher
Keep firing Assholes!
Fedor has accomplished nothing until he fights Kimbo.
by Ubernoober on Dec 16, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hate these interim belts! They suck and never had a positive effect on things. Remember how much it sucked having Nog as interim champ when Randy was gone?
for all intents and purposes, just consider all my posts as works of satire.
"Interim belt" is jsut another phrase for #1 contender
Don’t have a cow. As long as there isn’t a season TUF build up after this it’s not a big deal.
by KahilBS_Marshal on Dec 16, 2009 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
it sucked until Mir won the title.... Then it setup a huge rematch.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
How does this have less than a third of the comments as the Vera/Jones fight?
It’s a title fight!
That being said, Mir will win by submission within 2 minutes.
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