Many people were looking forward to the rematch between Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, but will have to settle for Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic instead. Cro cop has had ups and downs over the years, but he has been on a positive stretch as of late that could be beneficial in his fight.

Three years ago it appeared that Cro Cop was on his way out, but he has really bounced back recently, winning 5 of his last 6 fights. He has been stronger recently, but he still seems to have some issues with confidence. He has been fighting for many years and has the technique to beat anyone if the situation is right. Cro cop will definitely have a shot to win this one, and it will all lie in his legs. He has a powerful kicking game and may be able to take Mir off balance with it.

Mir has been as good as anyone at points over the last few years. Unfortunately he has not been able to sustain it. Mir had beaten Brock Lesnar previously, but lost in their rematch. He has since lost again to Shane Carwin and is starting to look more like a second tier fighter. A loss in this one would be detrimental to his career.

This fight should be a good one as each fighter has something to prove.

On July 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with returning titleholder Brock Lesnar, Carwin will lock horns in an anticipated unification bout at UFC 116 “Lesnar vs. Carwin”.

In a teleconference, Carwin said, “If I touch anybody with my hands, I can knock him out. These are four-once gloves. Your margin for error is pretty small, especially being heavyweights”.

Carwin and his exploits are well documented, anchored at the Grudge Training Center in Colorado. The 35-year-old has finished five opponents in less than a minute and has never seen the second round. His longest to date is a three-minute-and-forty-eight-second outing against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir, which ended in a knockout.

“I’ve got a never-quit attitude; this is what I love to do. I am passionate about it. When I get in there, I want to fight. That’s how I look at it”, said Carwin.

He faces an uphill climb in Lesnar. At the University of Minnesota, the 6-foot-3, 265-pound South Dakota native was a four-time collegiate All-American wrestler. This is where he won a national championship as a heavyweight in 2000. In 2007, he transitioned successfully to MMA. After the transition, he carried a three-fight winning streak. In nearly a year, Lesnar has not competed because of life-threatening intestinal disorder in late 2009.

“Brock’s a big, talented, athletic heavyweight, those are rare to find. Those are the ones that push you to your limit. Every fight’s your biggest fight,” he said. “This is definitely the biggest fight of my career, but I don’t try to approach it any different. I think it’s a great time [for me to fight Lesnar]. It’s a challenge I look forward to”, said Carwin.

The event’s main bouts will be on pay per view and will likely include George St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy, Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin, Jon Finch vs. Thiago Alves, among many others. The main buzz about this mma fight is that two world titles are going to be on the line.

George St. Pierre is one of the best welterweight fighters of the sport, and looks to retain his reign and his dominance on the mat. Frank Mir is the other world title contender in the heavyweight category. He is trying to become the second man in UFC mma history to win the world title three different times.

UFC president Dana White has talked up the fights and boasts that they will both be incredible matchups. George St. Pierre is often regarded as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, and has been completely dominant as of late. His opponent, however, is not to be disregarded.

Dan Hardy has some incredible power and MMA confidence, and has the ability to upset the fight. On the other end, Frank Mir has an incredible submission game but his opponent Shane Carwin is undefeated and specializes in his wrestling moves. Both fights ought to have a lot of action and will be a must-see for any die hard MMA fans out there who link online betting these classic fights.