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The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale is an upcoming mixed martial arts event to be held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 15, 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Official fight card

Main Card (FX)

Heavyweight United States Roy Nelson vs. United States Matt Mitrione
Welterweight United States Colton Smith vs. Canada Mike Ricci The Ultimate Fighter: Team Carwin vs. Team Nelson Welterweight Finals
Heavyweight United States Pat Barry vs. United States Shane del Rosario
Lightweight United States Melvin Guillard vs. United States Jamie Varner CANCELLED *
Featherweight United States Dustin Poirier vs. United States Jonathan Brookins


Preliminary Card (Fuel TV)

Welterweight United States Mike Pyle vs. United States James Head
Bantamweight United States Johnny Bedford vs. Brazil Marcos Vinicius
Lightweight United States Vinc Pichel vs. Russia Rustam Khabilov
Welterweight United States TJ Waldburger vs. United States Nick Catone

Preliminary Card (Facebook)

Bantamweight United States Reuben Duran vs. Brazil Hugo Viana
Lightweight United States Mike Rio vs. United States John Cofer
Flyweight United States Jared Papazian vs. United States Tim Elliott


Background

Shane Carwin was expected to face Roy Nelson in the event's headliner. However, Carwin suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Matt Mitrione.

* UPDATE: According to a tweet from Ariel Helwani, the bout has in fact been moved to UFC 155:

"(Dana White) just told me that the plan is to move Varner vs. Guillard to UFC 155, which is in two weeks in Las Vegas."

updated poster DEC 16
updated poster nov 20
updated fight card nov 15
nov 19 - added some flags and changed fighters corners
dec 2 - updated fightcard & background
dec 10 - updated fightcard

Carwins injured knee is worrying me a little...

Yeah I like Nelson hes cool, but I hear what your saying. Loosing this fight would not be good for either of them but specially not so for Carwin as that would be three losses on a row. Im sure he takes it seriously and wants to get back in the mix with a win.

This could be the end of the line for Shane Carwin. The oft-injured heavyweight was hoping to return from an extended layoff with a TUF coaching gig and eventual matchup with fellow coach Roy Nelson in December. According to UFC president Dana White though, that's not happening anymore:

Dana White
✔
@danawhite
WOW!! It never ends Carwin blew his knee out. Looking for a new opponent for Roy on the TUF Finale on FX.
14 Nov 12
The 37-year-old Carwin (12-2) hasn't competed since UFC 131 in June 2011 when he was brutalized by Junior dos Santos and lost a unanimous decision. He underwent back surgery after that bout, and suffered a setback that has kept him out until now. He also underwent neck surgery before the bout with JDS.

With a lot of heavyweights already booked, it might be tough to find an opponent for Nelson on less than a month's notice. Maybe a rematch with Stefan Struve?


Source Shane Carwin out of The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale with injured knee

Struve vs Nelson 2 would be great but maybe its too soon for Struve.

Former season ten TUF heavyweight Matt Mitrione (5-1) is set to replace The Ultimate Fighter 16 coach Shane Carwin (12-2) in the shows finale, stepping in against fellow TUF 10 castmate, and Carwin’s opposing coach, Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson (17-7).
The two will meet at the TUF 16: Finale expected to take place on December 15, 2012 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Carwin’s injury was announced yesterday, with the promotion providing this update Thursday afternoon.

Mitrione had been scheduled to face Philip De Fries (9-1) later in the month in December at the end-year UFC 155 event. No new opponent has been named for De Fries at this time.

Mittrione has been linked to a couple of other bouts earlier in the year both against Rob Broughton, first in August at UFC on FOX 4, which was cancelled after Broughton withdrew for personal reasons, and as part of UFC on FX 5 which was scrapped altogether.

Mitrione lost his last bout, the first of his career, suffering a decision defeat at the hands of Cheick Kongo at UFC 137 in October 2011. His last win took place in June of last year, a second round knockout finish of Christian Morecraft at the UFC on Versus 4 event.

Nelson is 2-1 in his last three with a 51-second knockout finish over Dave Herman in May at UFC 146. ‘Big Country’ earned the “Knockout of the Night” bonus for the KO. Nelson also earned the “Fight of the Night” bonus in a loss to Fabricio Werdum in February as part of the UFC 154 event. The other win came in October of last year, a TKO finish against Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipović at UFC 137.

Source Matt Mitrione To Face Roy Nelson At TUF 16 Finale Following Shane Carwin Injury

nov 19 - added some flags and changed fighters corners

dec 2 - updated fightcard & background

dec 10 - updated fightcard