Saturday, March 27, 2010 - by MMAWeekly.com Staff The bad news is Thiago Alves wasn't able to fight Jon Fitch at UFC 111, but the much better news is that the Brazilian will be able to return to action as soon as May, after having a minor surgery that will keep him away for only a few weeks. Alves spoke to the media on Friday evening in New York City to update everyone on what was a fairly vague, yet scary situation after he was not approved to fight following a CAT scan that revealed an issue with the fighter's brain that could not be solved by fight time. Fitch remained on the UFC 111 card ...

Saturday, March 27, 2010 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com  The answer has finally come, and the answer is Shane Carwin.The question? Who is next up for returning UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar? Carwin on Saturday at UFC 111 night kept his unblemished record intact, although it took him longer to defeat Frank Mir than any other fight of his career. That still only amounts to 3:48. Carwin used his wrestling skills, clinching Mir against the fence to negate the former UFC champion’s newfound striking prowess. As he pressed, Carwin peppered Mir with short punches to the head and body, while driving knees to the Mir’s legs, until he ...

Light heavyweights Matt Hamill and Keith Jardine are targeted to meet at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale, MMAjunkie.com has learned. Sources close to the negotiations said at least one fighter has formally agreed to the fight and is expected to sign a bout agreement shortly. Although not yet formally announced by the UFC, The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale is expected to take place June 19 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event airs like on Spike TV and features the finalists of the reality show's 11th season as they fight for a UFC contract. by Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie.com

Wanderlei Silva’s birthday gift is all set - a July 3rd fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Fighters Only can reveal. Silva was born on July 3rd 1976, which means he will turn 34 on the night he faces the Japanese-Korean judo stylist. It has long been rumoured that Silva’s next opponent would be Akiyama. The two were originally thought to be meeting at UFC 110 before Silva-Bisping was made and UFC president Dana White said after that event that Silva would probably fight Akiyama next. But the date was not set until recently. One of the fighters has signed and returned his bout agreements and the other is expected to be ...

UFC's Thiago "Pitbull" Alves will not fight at Saturday's UFC 111, because a CAT Scan shows an irregularity in his brain ... TMZ has learned. Thiago was scheduled to rumble with Jon Fitch on Saturday -- but a pre-fight CAT Scan revealed an irregularity -- a source close to 26-year-old Pitbull tells TMZ the irregularity involves an artery in the brain. UFC honcho Dana White tells TMZ he will fly Pitbull to a specialist for further evaluation. White says, "If it's true, it can be career-ending." No one will replace Pitbull on Saturday. The headliner is Georges St- Pierre -- ironically, the fighter who solidly beat Thiago in his last fight last July. from TMZ.com