UFC 111: St-Pierre Dominates Hardy, Carwin Knocks Out Mir
Two championship fights gave UFC 111 its shape on March 27, 2010, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Georges St-Pierre retained his welterweight belt by controlling Dan Hardy across five rounds, while Shane Carwin knocked out Frank Mir to win the interim heavyweight title. Ten completed bouts also featured Kurt Pellegrino’s submission victory and Nate Diaz’s successful move into a heavier weight class.
Video: UFC’s contemporary extended preview, presenting the two title matchups before fight night.
St-Pierre controls the championship fight
Hardy earned his opportunity by defeating Mike Swick at UFC 105, becoming the first British fighter to challenge for a UFC championship. He brought striking power and the confidence to pursue an upset. St-Pierre brought a more complete ability to decide where and how the fight would be contested.
The champion’s wrestling repeatedly put Hardy on the mat and limited the challenger’s chances to build sustained standing offense. St-Pierre worked through positions and submission attempts, making the contest a difficult defensive exercise for Hardy. The challenger resisted dangerous arm attacks and refused to surrender, but survival did not give him control of the fight.
After twenty-five minutes, St-Pierre won by unanimous decision and retained the belt. It was his fourth successful defense of his second welterweight reign, following the victory over Thiago Alves at UFC 100. Hardy’s toughness became one of the night’s talking points; the competitive outcome remained firmly in the champion’s favor.
The bout shows why a decision can still be decisive. St-Pierre did not produce the finish he sought, yet he continually denied Hardy the conditions needed to make his best weapon matter. The distinction between a challenger lasting the distance and a challenger threatening to win is essential to understanding this title defense.
Carwin claims the interim heavyweight belt
The interim championship existed while undisputed heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was out of action. Carwin faced Mir, who had rebounded from his loss to Lesnar by submitting Cheick Kongo at UFC 107. A former champion’s experience and submission ability made Mir a serious test for an unbeaten heavyweight with a run of early finishes.
Carwin passed that test with punches. His power at close range and follow-up attack brought the knockout at 3:48 of the opening round. He had once again finished before the second round, now with an interim UFC title to show for it. The victory created a future unification matchup with Lesnar, rather than replacing Lesnar as the undisputed champion that night.
That distinction keeps the event’s championship history clear. St-Pierre defended an existing undisputed title in the main event; Carwin won an interim title in the co-main event. The two performances also reached their outcomes in very different ways: prolonged positional command in one, concentrated finishing power in the other.
Pellegrino finishes, Fitch and Miller win decisions
Pellegrino submitted Fabricio Camoes with a rear-naked choke in round two after navigating danger earlier in the contest. Jon Fitch defeated Ben Saunders by unanimous decision, while Jim Miller earned the same result against Mark Bocek. Their wins completed a main card containing a title defense, an interim title change, a submission and two additional decisions.
The supporting results matter when revisiting the division pictures. Pellegrino added a finish against a skilled grappler, Fitch maintained his position among established welterweights, and Miller continued building his lightweight résumé. Each had a different kind of assignment, even if the championship bouts drew most of the attention.
Diaz wins at catchweight and Riddle wins by disqualification
Diaz stopped Rory Markham with punches at 2:47 of round one. Diaz was moving up from lightweight, but Markham weighed 177 pounds for a scheduled welterweight fight; Diaz agreed to proceed at catchweight. Ricardo Almeida submitted Matt Brown in round two, and Jared Hamman defeated Rodney Wallace by unanimous decision.
Rousimar Palhares submitted Tomasz Drwal with a heel hook in 45 seconds. The finish also drew criticism because the hold remained applied after the tap and the referee’s intervention. The opening bout ended differently: Matt Riddle won by disqualification when Greg Soto landed an illegal upkick in round three. These circumstances belong in the record alongside the winning methods, since they explain two of the evening’s most unusual endings.
Complete UFC 111 results
Main card
- Georges St-Pierre def. Dan Hardy — unanimous decision, round 5, 5:00; retained the welterweight title.
- Shane Carwin def. Frank Mir — KO (punches), round 1, 3:48; won the interim heavyweight title.
- Kurt Pellegrino def. Fabricio Camoes — submission (rear-naked choke), round 2, 4:20.
- Jon Fitch def. Ben Saunders — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Jim Miller def. Mark Bocek — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
Preliminary card
- Nate Diaz def. Rory Markham — TKO (punches), round 1, 2:47; catchweight following Markham’s weight miss.
- Ricardo Almeida def. Matt Brown — submission (rear-naked choke), round 2, 3:30.
- Rousimar Palhares def. Tomasz Drwal — submission (heel hook), round 1, 0:45.
- Jared Hamman def. Rodney Wallace — unanimous decision, round 3, 5:00.
- Matt Riddle def. Greg Soto — disqualification (illegal upkick), round 3, 1:30.
Sources
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UFC 111, Georges St-Pierre, Dan Hardy, Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, UFC Results
