wanted to break Lesnar's neck, so that he would become the first mixed martial artist to die in competition. Mir later made an apology for his comments after being admonished by Dana White. Interim Heavyweight Championship bout Mir faced Shane Carwin for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship on March 27, 2010, at UFC 111. After a brief standup exchange, Carwin pushed Mir against the cage, where he delivered several short uppercuts to Mir's chin. Mir lost the fight via knockout at 3:48 of the first round. Second rise back to title contention At a UFC Fan Expo, Mir said he briefly considered dropping down to the Light heavyweight division, although he later confirmed he would remain at Heavyweight. He was expected to face Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on September 25, 2010, at UFC 119 in a rematch of the Interim Championship bout which Mir won via TKO at UFC 92. Nogueira pulled out of this fight due to knee surgery and was replaced by Mirko Cro Cop. Mir defeated Mirko Cro Cop via third-round knockout, earning the win with a knee from the clinch in a largely uneventful fight in which neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense. Mir faced former IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy Nelson on May 28, 2011, at UFC 130. He won via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–26) by using superior control and constant pressure. Mir showed improved wrestling by pushing Nelson against the cage, completing a Judo hip throw and securing several takedowns in the third round. Mir landed several hard knees and elbows from the Muay Thai clinch throughout the bout but was unable to finish the durable Nelson. A rematch with Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira took place on December 10, 2011, at UFC 140. In the bout, Mir was dropped during the first round by a punch from Nogueira, and the bout was nearly stopped. Mir quickly recovered and gained superior positioning, defeating Nogueira by kimura at 3:38 of round 1, snapping Nogueira's arm in the process, as Nogueira refused to tap. Along with being the first fighter to have finished Nogueira via knockout, Mir became the first fighter to have defeated Nogueira via submission in mixed martial arts. The victory also earned Mir Submission of the Night honors. UFC President Dana White called it the "submission of the century" at the post-fight press conference. Third title shot and beyond Mir was expected