Oh no he didn't!  Oh yes he did.

Shane Carwin is training hard for his fight with Frank Mir for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 111 in Newark, NJ on March 27.  Shane hasn't fought since last March and last night I asked him about the long layoff and about Mir's penchant for trash talk.  He didn't seem phased by either.  In fact he believes the layoff is helfpul in some ways, saying, "For a guy like me who is limited on ring time and experience it has been a good thing.  Anytime I can train and spar at a high level and advance my skills while taking little to no long term damage I feel I get better. Don't get me wrong I go home with black eyes, sore jaw, but I do feel like I am getting better."

Since Shane's style is similiar in some ways  to Brock Lesnar's, both men being masters of the "ground and pound," I asked him if there was anything he learned about Mir from watching Frank's last fight with Lesnar.  Shane  replied that there were "a few things that we will look for but Frank is a smart guy and I suspect he will have transitioned some since that fight.  I think I have what it takes to win the fight standing or through ground and pound.  He is going to be looking for mistakes and openings for his submissions. It will be a true honor to test myself against Frank."

Antonio Big Nog Nogueira is ready for his fight this weekend at UFC 110 against Cain Velasquez.  A win here could put him in line for a title shot against Brock Lesnar. Check out the video interviews after the jump.

The Junkie reports that Bellator FC champion and top Dream lightweight Eddie Alvarez will be matched with feisty scrappy Josh Neer in a Bellator event that will take place sometime in May.  The bout is set for a catchweight of 160 pounds.

As the Bellator FC promotion gears up for another year of events featuring the tournament format, they plan to pit their current champions against worthy, name opponents both under and outside the Bellator banner.  After tearing through the organization's lightweight tournament last year with three consecutive submission victories, Alvarez was shipped back across the pond with the blessing of Bellator to fight soaring DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM 12, which was the Japanese stronghold's first trial application of a cage instead of a ring.

Jose Conseco is desperately seeking a fight with Herschal Walker and he's training with Nick Diaz to prepare should it happen. Here's Nick teaching Jose some tricks of the trade.

Lots of interesting questions about this fight:  Will Bisping make the same mistakes he made against Hendo?  Does Wanderlei Silva have enough left to put on the pressure and take Bisping out?  Will Bisping outbox and/or take Wand down?  We're going to find out in just a few days at UFC 110.  Here's a preview clip:

Kurt Pellegrino, who has a fight coming up on March 27th at UFC 111, shows Miguel Cotto how to wrestle in this brief YouTube clip.  Hopefully Cotto returned the favor with some boxing tips.

Lots of talent right here, folks: