Author: John Morgan [kingofabuelos]

While British slugger Dan Hardy has used a mixture of punching power and
brash talking to work his way to the top of the UFC’s welterweight
title picture, many MMA observers feel he may have risen through the
ranks just a bit too quick.

After all, the UFC’s 170-pound division is full of proven talent, and
many of those fighters would love their shot at the title, as well.

So for our MMAjunkie.com/”Inside MMA” poll, we asked our readers to play
matchmaker and decide, following this weekend’s UFC 111 event, “Who is
most deserving of a UFC welterweight title shot against UFC 111’s
Georges St-Pierre/Dan Hardy winner?”

While British slugger Dan Hardy has used a mixture of punching power and
brash talking to work his way to the top of the UFC’s welterweight
title picture, many MMA observers feel he may have risen through the
ranks just a bit too quick.

After all, the UFC’s 170-pound division is full of proven talent, and
many of those fighters would love their shot at the title, as well.

So for our MMAjunkie.com/”Inside MMA” poll, we asked our readers to play
matchmaker and decide, following this weekend’s UFC 111 event, “Who is
most deserving of a UFC welterweight title shot against UFC 111’s
Georges St-Pierre/Dan Hardy winner?”

NEWARK, N.J. – MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from
tonight’s UFC 111 post-fight press conference, and you can watch a live
video stream of the proceedings here on MMAjunkie.com at approximately 1
a.m. ET (10 p.m. PT).

The post-fight press conference takes place at the Prudential Center in
Newark, N.J., which also played host to Saturday’s event with a
pay-per-view headliner of UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre
vs. Dan Hardy.

In addition to the post-fight press conference, you can also check out
our recaps of both the evening’s preliminary and main cards, which are
available on the MMAjunkie.com homepage.

The heavily-hyped and power-packed UFC 111 event was dealt sobering news on
Thursday when Thiago Alves was forced out of his scheduled rematch
against Jon Fitch due to an irregularity in a pre-fight CT scan.

One night later, “Pitbull” honored a commitment to attend a Q&A
session at the Manhattan-based Sazon Restaurant.

And while he didn’t get to discuss a fight that with a win may have
vaulted him to a rematch against Georges St-Pierre, instead of
lamenting of what could have been, he stood before a packed house and
announced he’ll be undergoing an exploratory procedure Wednesday morning
in New York.

While this weekend’s UFC 111 is an event heavy on storylines, the late scratch of
Thiago Alves from the card provided an unexpected – and unfortunate –
turn of events over the past few days.

An irregularity in a pre-fight CT scan forced Alves out of the contest,
and his fighting future has been much-discussed since the initial
reports first came to light on Thursday.

Alves’ agent, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, told MMAjunkie.com that all answers will be issued tonight at a
previously announced Q&A session with “Pitbull.”

Already one of the most recognizable athletes in the sport, UFC
welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will remain one of Gatorade
Canada’s featured athletes.

One year after St-Pierre first partnered with PepsiCo Canada, the
beverage company today announced that it has re-signed St-Pierre to a
promotional deal.

Terms of the new deal were not disclosed, though the company has
released a new ad in conjunction with the announcement.