The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey tonight for UFC 111: “St. Pierre vs Hardy.” The card was headlined by a UFC Welterweight Championship bout between Georges “Rush” St. Pierre and brash challenger Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy.

The UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship was decided when Shane Carwin knocked out Frank Mir, while former title challenger Jon Fitch defeated late replacement Ben “Killa B” Saunders in a featured welterweight bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play from the event.

 

UFC Welterweight Championship

Georges “Rush” St. Pierre vs Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy

Round 1:
The fighters traded single punches and St. Pierre quickly scored a takedown. He landed in half-guard, but Hardy looked to counter with rubber guard. St. Pierre powered out and moved to side-control. Hardy scrambled and nearly stood up, but St. Pierre took his back. St. Pierre worked for a rear-naked choke and then an armbar, but Hardy escaped and stood up.

St. Pierre immediately took him down again and moved to half-guard. He passed directly to mount and flattened Hardy out. Hardy spun and gave up his back, but St. Pierre prevented him from standing up. St. Pierre landed small punches and moved into a deep armbar. Hardy refused to tap out and managed to escape, then got back to his feet just before the bell. 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 2:
Hardy looked to land his trademark left hook in the second round, but St. Pierre stayed out of range. St. Pierre scored a quick takedown and resumed his ground assault. He moved to side-control and landed short elbows to the body. Hardy scrambled and got to one knee. St. Pierre locked on an armbar in the process, but Hardy escaped.

Hardy elbowed from the top until St. Pierre stood up. St. Pierre landed a leg kick and Hardy responded with a jab and a head kick that just missed. A one-two scored for St. Pierre and Hardy smiled. St. Pierre landed a Superman Punch and took Hardy down. Hardy tried to set up a submission, but could not. 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 3:
St. Pierre wasted no time in taking Hardy down in the third round. He moved to half-guard briefly, but Hardy regained full guard. St. Pierre stood over Hardy and landed a left hand and an elbow. More short strikes followed for St. Pierre and he kept the pressure on with elbows. St. Pierre landed a punch to Hardy’s eye and then moved to half-guard again.

Hardy did well to regain guard yet again and postured for a triangle choke, but St. Pierre used the opportunity to move to side-control. St. Pierre latched on for a Kimura and wrenched Hardy’s arm back, but Hardy escaped. Hardy scrambled out of a keylock attempt and briefly stood, but St. Pierre promptly took him down again. St. Pierre moved from side-control to Hardy’s back. He tripped Hardy to the mat in the final seconds. 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 4:
Once again, St. Pierre quickly took the fight to the mat in round four and he moved to mount within seconds. Hardy gave up his back and stood, but St. Pierre dragged him back down. Hardy stood and tripped St. Pierre, but St. Pierre reversed and worked from the top. He stood over Hardy and peppered him with punches. St. Pierre moved to side-control and threw short elbows.

More short elbows followed and St. Pierre locked on a deep Kimura that had Hardy in all sorts of trouble. He torqued way back on Hardy’s arm, but Hardy again refused to tap out despite clearly being in great pain. Hardy escaped the hold and St. Pierre moved back to side-control. Hardy regained half-guard and elbowed from the bottom. St. Pierre spun for a kneebar just before the bell. 10-9 St. Pierre.

Round 5:
After a brief exchange of strikes in the final round, St. Pierre scored another takedown. Hardy tried for a triangle choke, but St. Pierre easily evaded and landed knees to Hardy’s ribs. St. Pierre pushed Hardy to his back and worked for a Kimura. He turned it into a straight armbar and Hardy punched his way free. St. Pierre moved to side-control and tried for a keylock, but Hardy escaped.

St. Pierre switched to short punches and knees to the body of Hardy as the British striker could do little in return. St. Pierre continued to work for submissions, but Hardy defended well. He elbowed from the bottom and scrambled to his feet. St. Pierre slammed him down again and struck from the top until the bell. 10-9 St. Pierre.

Winner: Georges St. Pierre by Unanimous Decision (50-43, 50-44, 50-45) after five rounds. He improves to 20-2-0 and remains the UFC Welterweight Champion.

 

UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship

Shane Carwin vs Frank Mir

Round 1:
The fighters kept their distance early on and looked to find their range. Mir pushed forward and Carwin clinched. He backed Mir to the cage and threw knees to Mir’s leg. Carwin mixed in short punches and kept the pressure on. Referee Dan Miragliotta eventually separated the fighters and Mir landed a counter one-two.

Both fighters threw big power punches and Mir clinched, but Carwin reversed against the cage. He resumed kneeing the leg of Mir and blasted Mir with huge uppercuts. Mir collapsed to the mat as Carwin teed off with punches. He somehow held on as Carwin battered him, but more punches followed until Mir was out cold. Tremendous victory for Carwin.

Winner: Shane Carwin by KO (Punches) at 3:48 of round one. He improves to 12-0-0 and becomes the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion.

 

Kurt “Batman” Pellegrino vs Fabricio “Morango” Camoes

Round 1:
Camoes immediately grabbed a single-leg and tried for a takedown, but Pellegrino stayed on his feet. Camoes attempted a throw and a scramble ensued. He took Pellegrino’s back and Pellegrino stood up. Camoes worked for a standing rear-naked choke as Pellegrino attempted to defend. Pellegrino escaped by slamming Camoes head-first into the mat. He took Camoes’s back and tried for a rear-naked choke of his own, then moved to mount.

Camoes escaped and regained guard. He tried for a triangle choke and then an omoplata, but Pellegrino powered out and moved to side-control. Pellegrino spun around, but briefly found himself in an inverted Anaconda Choke. Pellegrino landed elbows from Camoes’s guard and moved to half-guard. He attempted a Kimura and landed elbows before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Pellegrino.

Round 2:
The fighters exchanged jabs and Pellegrino took Camoes down. Camoes took Pellegrino’s back, but Pellegrino escaped and a scramble ensued. Pellegrino stood over Camoes and landed short punches, then worked from Camoes’s half-guard. He moved straight to mount and smiled. Pellegrino scored with short punches and elbows, but Camoes regained half-guard.

Hammerfists and elbows landed for Pellegrino and he pressed Camoes against the cage on the ground. Camoes worked back to his feet and ate a pair of knees, but Camoes countered with a throw. He wound up on the bottom, however, and Pellegrino took his back. He secured a rear-naked choke and Camoes was forced to submit.

Winner: Kurt Pellegrino by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 4:20 of round two. He improves to 15-4-0.

 

Jon Fitch vs Ben “Killa B” Saunders

Round 1:
Saunders opened with a stiff body kick and Fitch answered with a leg kick. Saunders clinched and landed knees to the body. He pressed Fitch against the cage, but Fitch reversed and tried for a trip takedown. He was successful on his second attempt and got Saunders down. Saunders used butterfly guard to keep Fitch at bay, but Fitch postured up and landed elbows.

Fitch stayed on top and threw short elbow strikes, but Saunders regained full guard and punched from the bottom. Saunders tried to set up a triangle choke, but Fitch avoided danger and continued to punish Saunders with punches and elbows. Saunders landed two big upkicks, but Fitch retained top control with more strikes until the bell. 10-9 Fitch.

Round 2:
Fitch opened round two with leg and head kicks and Saunders looked to reply with kicks of his own. Fitch clinched and slammed Saunders to the mat. He kept the pressure on and prevented Saunders from setting up any submissions. Fitch struck from the top with punches and elbows and Saunders had little answer. Fitch moved to half-guard and rained down more strikes.

Fitch postured up and landed a big right hand and Saunders smiled. He bloodied Saunders’s nose and landed more elbows. The crowd voiced their displeasure with the fight and referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters up. Saunders rushed right in with a knee and Fitch clinched. He could not get Saunders down and settled for knees before the bell. 10-9 Fitch.

Round 3:
Fitch scored with a nice right hand to begin the final round and followed with an uppercut in close. He landed a leg kick and knees in a clinch and Saunders worked for a standing Kimura. Fitch escaped and the fighters stood against the fence. Both landed short knees to the body until the referee separated them. A big combination landed for Fitch and he clinched again. Once more, Saunders looked to counter with a Kimura, but Fitch took his back.

Fitch held Saunders in place against the cage and punched with his free hand. He landed a right hand and backed away. Fitch caught a kick and took Saunders down. He elbowed from the top, then stood over Saunders and scored with hammerfists. Fitch moved to half-guard and continued to strike, but the crowd was not impressed. Fitch cut Saunders late in the round with elbows. 10-9 Fitch.

Winner: Jon Fitch by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 22-3-0, 1 NC.

 

Jim Miller vs Mark Bocek

Round 1:
Miller opened up with jabs, but Bocek cracked him with a pair of right hands. He clinched and pressed Miller up against the cage, but Miller defended well. Miller secured a guillotine and dragged Bocek to the mat, but Bocek escaped and tried for a choke of his own. The fight returned to the feet and both landed knees. Miller punched free of the clinch and landed a stiff leg kick.

Bocek scored with another right cross and caught a kick from Miller. He slammed Miller to the ground and escaped a gogoplata attempt. Bocek worked from half-guard and looked to pass. Miller worked for a Kimura and got it. Bocek was just about to tap, but Miller lost the hold as Bocek rolled over. Miller cut Bocek with an elbow and dove in with a punch. Very, very close round. 10-9 Miller by the slimmest of margins.

Round 2:
Miller began the second round with quick kicks and punches, but Bocek scored a takedown. He landed in Miller’s half-guard and worked for an arm-triangle choke. Bocek let it go and moved to side-control. Miller scrambled and Bocek stood over him. He landed a diving punch and returned to Miller’s half-guard. Bocek once again tried for an arm-triangle choke and Miller escaped.

Miller reversed and attempted a heel hook, but Bocek fought out and moved to mount. He postured up and landed punches as Miller gave up his back. Bocek secured a body triangle and worked for a rear-naked choke. He isolated one of Miller’s arms and continued to try to lock in the choke. Bocek switched to a neck crank, but Miller scrambled to his feet and slammed Bocek backwards. Huge heart by Miller. 10-9 Bocek.

Round 3:
Miller scored with a lunging uppercut to open the final round and followed with a leg kick as Bocek bled from what appeared to be three separate cuts across his forehead. Bocek shot in for a takedown and Miller stuffed it. Another leg kick and a left hook landed for Miller. The fighters traded punches and Miller landed kicks. Bocek clinched against the cage and Miller countered with a guillotine choke.

Miller released the choke and landed knees. He followed with standing elbows and tried to take Bocek down. Bocek reversed and took Miller down briefly, but Miller scrambled to his feet. Bocek latched onto a front headlock as Miller stood against the cage. Bocek took Miller down in the middle of the cage and Miller battled to his feet again. Miller scrambled and took Bocek’s back at the bell. Excellent fight and a razor-thin final round. 10-9 Bocek, barely.

Winner: Jim Miller by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 17-2-0.

 

(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)