UFC 131 Fight Card: Facebook To Stream Remaining Preliminary Card Fights

This weekend was supposed to be different for Shane Carwin.

Einemo, while certainly no pushover, was certainly the underdog. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with Norwegian roots would likely have a hard time dealing with the strength and punching power of Carwin.

According to a report by MMA Junkie, the preliminary fights from UFC 131 not airing on Spike TV will now be streamed in their entirety on the UFC’s Facebook page. This means the entire UFC 131 fight card will now be available for viewing for those not in attendance. It is believed the fight card will begin at approximately 6 p.m. ET, however, will will update this StoryStream when the exact time is known.

Preliminary Card (on Spike TV)

Speaking on NFL players liking MMA, here’s a L.A. Times article about NFL players training in MMA during the current lockout to stay in shape. It’s more a story to promote Jay Glazer’s business, but growth in MMA’s profile is nothing to scoff at.

The UFC 131 fight card is as follows:

Lesnar coached the current season of The Ultimate Fighter which was planned to set up a title-eliminator bout between Lesnar and #1 contender Junior dos Santos. The re-emergence of Lesnar’s diverticulitis a few weeks ago forced him out of that bout. Shane Carwin had to step in against dos Santos.

The spot also pitched Lesnar’s new autobiography “Deathclutch.”

This isn’t nearly the MMA challenge for Cerrone as Danzig even though Rocha is a superb and competitively active grappler. He’s the 2010 North American trials ADCC champion in addition to being the owner of numerous other prestigious grappling titles.

But given that the UFC’s top ppv star is now gone from the card and that UFC 130 and 131 are separated by a mere two weeks, the UFC has to be significantly more proactive to sell the 131 event.

The UFC appears to be selling this fight on the grounds that the main event features two hard-hitting heavyweights. I’m not sure there’s much else to go on, frankly, but I have doubts about what sort of audience either of these fighters or their bout can pull even if all of it is compelling.

Stay tuned for more updates to the UFC 131 fight card.

Let’s recall what Matt Pitt, board-certified physician, had to say about diverticulitis and Lesnar’s specific condition:

Lesnar’s current predicament is a choice of surgery or increased level of antibiotics, both with significant opportunity cost. I’m not entirely sure surgery this time out would mirror precisely what Dr. Pitt previously outlined, but clearly it’s the more extreme option of the two. Here’s how surgery is generally performed:

Sherdog.com caught up with dos Santos to get his reaction:

Ultimately, dos Santos wants to strike while the iron is hot. He’ll get the tough challenges and the respect from insiders if he wins. And overtime, if he continues to succeed, he’ll get that from outsiders as well. But defeating Lesnar on a grand stage would’ve rocketed the process forward. He may still get there, but it’ll be a slower, more circuitous route now.

MMA Junkie discusses the extent of his previous bout with Diverticulitis and addresses the present stakes:

Michael David Smith adds some perspective, including what this kind of loss does to the UFC’s pay-per-view bottom line: