Alves off UFC 111, Fitch gets Saunders

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board on Thursday called off an anticipated rematch between welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves after a CAT scan revealed irregularities on Alves' brain. The fight, a rematch of a 2006 Fitch stoppage victory, was set for UFC 111 this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Alves (16-6) last fought at UFC 100 in Las Vegas where he lost on points to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. The 26-year-old Brazilian has 12 bouts with the UFC since joining the company in 2005.

Alves posted on Twitter that he plans to meet with doctors Thursday to discuss his options. His camp, American Top Team out of Coconut Creek, Fla., had originally hoped the bout with Fitch (21-3) would be moved to UFC 112, which takes place April 10 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The 32-year-old Fitch, however, will remain on UFC 111 and face prospect Ben Saunders (8-1-2), who was originally scheduled to fight Jake Ellenberger at the same event. Ellenberger, according to reports, will receive his full purse from the UFC.

UFC 111 is headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and challenger Dan Hardy (23-6), as well as an interim UFC heavyweight title fight featuring Frank Mir (13-4) and Shane Carwin (11-0).