• UFC 131

Dos Santos v Carwin winner to fight for title in 2011

ESPN staff
June 10, 2011
Countdown: Dos Santos v Carwin

UFC president Dana White always has a plan of attack in mind, and he already seems to be planning a heavyweight title showdown before the end of 2011.

Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin will stand toe-to-toe at UFC 131 on Saturday, knowing victory will rubber-stamp the winner's status as the No. 1 contender in the heavyweight division.

That will guarantee a shot at reigning champion Cain Velasquez, whom both men are yet to face. Velasquez is recovering from major surgery on a torn rotator cuff, but White revealed this week that he expects the champion to return in "four-to-five months".

That timeline would see Velasquez back in October at the earliest, to defend his title for the first time since beating Brock Lesnar in October 2010.

UFC 136 is pencilled in for the potential championship bout, and Velasquez is known to be a quick healer by those who work closest to him.

For Dos Santos, victory over Carwin may represent justice after he missed out on his original title shot due to Velasquez's surgery.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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