Shane Carwin has agreed to face
Frank Mir in an interim heavyweight title bout at UFC 111 on March 27 in Newark, N.J.
AOL Fanhouse’s Mike Chiappetta was the first to report the matchup, which Sherdog.com also confirmed through sources close to the proposed bout.
Sherdog.com has been unable to confirm if Mir has accepted or declined the offer yet.
Carwin was originally scheduled to face UFC heavyweight champion
Brock Lesnar at UFC 106 last November in Las Vegas, until Lesnar pulled out of the bout with a severe intestinal tract infection. The 32-year-old fighter was hospitalized for 11 days and underwent “minor surgery” before he was released. Lesnar is recovering at his home in Alexandria, Minn., and his return to the sport is not a given at this point.
UFC President Dana White said last week that Lesnar may have to undergo additional surgery, which prompted the promotion to enact an interim title in the champion’s absence.
“I have not signed any contracts yet but I have told my manager to inform UFC Matchmaker that "I accept the offer"” wrote Carwin on his Web site on Wednesday, referring to the Mir match.
Carwin, a 1999 NCAA Div. II wrestling champion, has stopped his opponents with first-round punches in all three of his UFC appearances. At UFC 96 last March, the 34-year-old Carwin bounced back from a knockdown at the hands of former title challenger
Gabriel Gonzaga to finish the Brazilian in 69 seconds.
Mir barged his way back into the heavyweight contender’s circle with his 72-second dismantling of
Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 last Saturday in Memphis, Tenn. Mir became the UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 48 in June 2004 after he broke
Tim Sylvia’s arm during a submission he found in the bout’s first 50 seconds. Rebounding from a serious motorcycle accident in 2005, Mir captured the interim title and became the only fighter to stop
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92 in December 2008. Mir was defeated by Lesnar in brutal fashion during their title reunification rematch at UFC 100 last July.
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