Already looking ahead to UFC 111

Is UFC 111 the next UFC event to really get excited about? It’s got the welterweight title bout between champ Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy, which I’m sure will be as lopsided as GSP’s last six bouts but then, as with Anderson Silva, it’s entertaining just to marvel at his athletic prowess and could always provide another “Hit him with your groin!” moment.

Then there’s the heavyweight fight between Shane Carwin and the newly bulked-up Frank Mir for the interim title, an interim title that’s now wasteful and unnecessary given Brock Lesnar’s expected return at UFC 116 on July 3. Still, it’ll be interesting to see Carwin really tested and might give us some idea of how he might have done against top-level talent like Lesnar if they had met at UFC 106 or UFC 108, as was originally scheduled.

Next on the card is the rematch between welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves that was originally slated for UFC 107 back in December until Alves blew out his knee. This is a chance for the Brazilian to even the score after a 2006 loss to Fitch and marks his first fight since losing to GSP at UFC 100.

Further down the card you’ll find Martin Kampmann taking on Ben Saunders in a one of those middling match-ups that might entertain in a scrappy sort of way but could fizzle into a three-round borefest just as easily. Sneaking into the opening slot of the night is perennial undercarder Mark Bocek vs. Jim Miller, which doesn’t exactly feel like it’ll provide an explosive start to an event backloaded with nitroglycerin.

Scattered throughout the preliminary card you’ll find Nate Diaz vs. Rory Markham; Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Brown; Fabricio Camoes vs. Kurt Pellegrino; Jared Hamman vs. Rodney Wallace; Tomasz Drwal vs. Rousimar Palhares; and Ricardo Funch vs. Matthew Riddle. Funch and Riddle… I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere.