UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin. June 11, 2011. Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The second UFC event in Vancouver, following UFC 115 in June 2010. Junior dos Santos defeated Shane Carwin by unanimous decision — 27-30, 27-30, 26-30 — in a three-round heavyweight main event to earn a title shot against Cain Velasquez.
The original main event had been Brock Lesnar vs. dos Santos, arranged after their coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter 13. Lesnar withdrew with a recurring bout of diverticulitis and was replaced by Shane Carwin, the former interim heavyweight champion. At the end of round one, dos Santos had Carwin battered and bloodied on the canvas. The referee watched closely. Carwin survived. Dos Santos let him up. He did not make Carwin’s mistake against Lesnar.
Chris Weidman made his UFC debut with a submission victory over Jesse Bongfeldt. Kenny Florian made his featherweight debut. Dave Herman won by TKO in his UFC debut.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: June 11, 2011
Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, Canada (second UFC in Vancouver; first was UFC 115 in June 2010)
Attendance: 14,685
Main Event: Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin — Heavyweight (original: Lesnar vs. JDS)
Result: JDS def. Carwin — UD (27-30, 27-30, 26-30) — earns HW title shot vs. Cain Velasquez
Notable: Original main event Lesnar vs. JDS fell through (Lesnar diverticulitis); Weidman UFC debut (sub); Florian FW debut; Herman UFC debut (FOTN); $70k bonuses
The Build-Up
Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos had coached opposite sides on The Ultimate Fighter 13. The fight was a natural follow-up. Lesnar withdrew after a recurring bout of diverticulitis — the same illness that had cost him months of his career and contributed to his loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121. Shane Carwin, the former interim champion who had himself been stopped by Lesnar at UFC 116, stepped in as replacement.
Main Event
Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin — Heavyweight
Round one was cautious in the opening exchanges. Then dos Santos landed and Carwin went down. Dos Santos swarmed with ground and pound. With seconds left in round one, Carwin was bloodied and flattened on the canvas. The referee stood over the fight. Carwin moved enough to survive the bell. The scene of Carwin dragging himself to his feet, face covered in blood, became one of the most iconic post-round images in HW history.
Dos Santos controlled rounds two and three, maintaining his striking advantage at range and repeatedly tagging Carwin with right hands. Carwin’s face absorbed visible damage. The scorecards were unanimous: 27-30, 27-30, 26-30. Dos Santos was awarded the number-one contender position for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Dos Santos explained his decision not to engage on the ground after Carwin went down at the end of round one: he had watched Carwin gas out completely against Lesnar at UFC 116. He chose to conserve his own energy and fight three rounds cleanly rather than exhaust himself in a finish attempt.
Co-Main Event
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes — Featherweight
Florian was a veteran UFC lightweight who had moved down to featherweight for this bout. He outpointed Nunes across three rounds, winning by unanimous decision. Florian declared post-fight that he intended to pursue the FW championship in his new division.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Joey Beltran def. Aaron Rosa — TKO — R? — HW
Dustin Poirier def. Jason Young — Decision — R3, 5:00 — FW
Nick Ring def. James Head — Decision — R3, 5:00 — MW
Krzysztof Soszynski def. Mike Massenzio — Decision — R3, 5:00 — LHW
Chris Weidman def. Jesse Bongfeldt — Submission — R1 — MW; Weidman UFC debut; future UFC MW champion
Main Card
Sam Stout def. Yves Edwards — TKO/KO — R? — LW; Sub Night ($70k to Stout)
Donald Cerrone def. Vagner Rocha — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — LW
Dave Herman def. Jon Olav Einemo — TKO — R2 — HW; Fight of the Night ($70k each); Herman UFC debut
Mark Muñoz def. Demian Maia — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — MW
Kenny Florian def. Diego Nunes — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 — FW; Co-Main; Florian’s FW debut
Main Event — Heavyweight
Junior dos Santos def. Shane Carwin — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (27-30, 27-30, 26-30) — HW; JDS earns title shot vs. Cain Velasquez
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Dave Herman vs. Jon Olav Einemo — $70,000 to each fighter.
Sub of the Night: Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards — $70,000 to Stout.
Records & Milestones
Second UFC in Vancouver — Rogers Arena; first was UFC 115 (June 2010) where Rich Franklin KO’d Chuck Liddell.
Chris Weidman UFC debut — submitted Jesse Bongfeldt in round one; Weidman went on to end Anderson Silva’s UFC winning streak at UFC 162 in July 2013, becoming UFC MW champion.
Dave Herman UFC debut — TKO of Einemo earns Fight of the Night bonus in his first UFC bout.
Brock Lesnar withdrew with diverticulitis — the recurring illness that defined the final stage of his UFC career; he would compete just once more before retiring from MMA.
Legacy & Impact
Junior dos Santos’ performance at UFC 131 confirmed his position as the UFC’s most dangerous heavyweight contender. He controlled three rounds against a former interim champion, nearly finished the fight in round one, and chose discretion over recklessness in managing his own energy. The contrast with Carwin’s own gas-out against Lesnar was deliberate and cited by dos Santos himself.
Chris Weidman’s UFC debut is one of the most significant prelim wins in the history of the MW division. He was an unknown commodity at the time. By July 2013, he had knocked out Anderson Silva twice. His UFC career began in Vancouver on a Saturday afternoon prelim with a submission of Jesse Bongfeldt.
FAQ
Why did Brock Lesnar not fight JDS at UFC 131?
Lesnar withdrew due to a recurring bout of diverticulitis, the intestinal condition that had kept him out of competition earlier in his career. Shane Carwin replaced him as the main event opponent.
Why did JDS not finish Carwin at the end of round one?
Dos Santos explained post-fight that he had studied Carwin’s gas-out against Brock Lesnar at UFC 116. He chose to conserve his energy rather than exhaust himself in a finish attempt. He trusted his cardio advantage across three rounds and fought accordingly.
Was UFC 131 the second UFC in Vancouver?
Yes. UFC 131 was the second UFC event held at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The first was UFC 115 in June 2010, where Rich Franklin knocked out Chuck Liddell.
Did Chris Weidman's UFC debut happen at UFC 131?
Yes. Chris Weidman made his UFC debut at UFC 131, submitting Jesse Bongfeldt in round one. Weidman went on to become UFC Middleweight Champion, defeating Anderson Silva by knockout at UFC 162 in July 2013.
What title shot did JDS earn at UFC 131?
By defeating Shane Carwin at UFC 131, Junior dos Santos earned the number-one contender position for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He subsequently fought and defeated champion Cain Velasquez by KO at UFC on Fox 1 in November 2011.
References
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