The year 2011 in sports saw a number of significant events, some of which are listed below.
Calendar by month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
- Super Bowl XLV â the Green Bay Packers (NFC) won 31âÂÂ25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
- Location: AT&T Stadium
- Attendance: 103,219
- MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB (Green Bay)
- January 8 â Peyton Manning plays his final game in an Indianapolis Colts uniform, a 16âÂÂ17 loss to the New York Jets in the wild-card round. The next season Manning would sit out the entire 2011 season to undergo neck surgeries and in that offseason, was released by the Colts and subsequently signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency, where he led them to 5 straight playoff appearances, Super Bowl XLVIII, and to their 3rd championship title in Super Bowl 50.
- January 10 â 2011 BCS National Championship Game, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona: The Auburn Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks 22âÂÂ19 claiming the 2010 college football season national championship.
- April 28âÂÂ30 â 2011 NFL draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The Carolina Panthers selected quarterback Cam Newton of Auburn as the first overall pick.
- July 8âÂÂ16 â The 2011 IFAF World Championship was held in Austria. The USA defeated Canada 50âÂÂ7 in the gold medal match to win their second straight title.
- December 10 â 2011 Heisman Trophy was awarded to Robert Griffin III
Association football
Athletics
Bandy
Baseball
Basketball
- January 29 â Timothy Bradley defeats Devon Alexander by a tenth round technical decision. The fight was stopped due to a cut Alexander had received from an accidental headbutt in the third round, which was made worse by two more headbutts in the eighth round and a final fourth headbutt in the tenth round. Both fighters came in with undefeated records and the fight was initially praised as one of the few good match-ups between two top-ranked Americans in recent years. With the win, Bradley unified the light welterweight titles by defending his WBO title and winning Alexander's WBC title.
- February 19 â Nonito Donaire defeats Fernando Montiel by technical knockout in the second round to unify the WBO and WBC bantamweight titles. Donaire started the fight strong by controlling most of the first round, landing a left hook that briefly stunned Montiel. In the second round Donaire started landing a few combinations before finishing Montiel with a solid hook that knocked out his opponent.
- March 12 â Sergio Gabriel MartÃÂnez knocks out undefeated Sergiy Dzindziruk in the eighth round to win the vacant WBC diamond belt middleweight championship.
- March 12 â Miguel Cotto knocks out Ricardo Mayorga in the twelfth round to retain his WBA world light middleweight title.
- March 19 â Vitali Klitschko knocks out Odlanier SolÃÂs in the first round to retain his WBC heavyweight title for the sixth time. The knockout came as a surprise after SolÃÂs appeared to have sustained serious knee injury. Initially following the stoppage, Vitali Klitschko was angry at SolÃÂs and felt he took a dive. However following the fight SolÃÂs was taken to a hospital, where a scan revealed tears to his anterior cruciate ligament and external meniscus, as well as cartilage damage in his right knee.
- April 2 â Giovanni Segura knocks out Iván Calderón in the third round in a repeat of 2010's fight of the year.
- May 7 â Manny Pacquiao easily defeats Shane Mosley, retaining his WBO welterweight title by unanimous decision.
- July 2 â Wladimir Klitschko defeats David Haye by unanimous decision, adding Haye's WBA heavyweight title to the four he already held.
Cheerleading
Cheerleading Worlds
April 28, â May 2, â The Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA
- February 19 â April 2 â 2011 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh
- The tournament was won by India who defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets. India became the first host-nation to win the world cup with final played in the host country itself. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a captain's knock of unbeaten 91 in the final and was adjudged man of the match.
- Dates TBA â ICC Champions Trophy will take place.
- April 8 â May 28 â 2011 IPL in India. Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs in the final to win for the second consecutive year.
2010âÂÂ11 curling season
World Championships
2011âÂÂ12 curling season
Season of Champions
Gymnastics
Golf
Steeplechases
Flat races
:* Luis Contreras becomes the first jockey to win the Canadian Triple Crown aboard two different horses in the same year.
The following is a list of major noteworthy kickboxing events during 2011 in chronological order.
|- |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Event |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Alternate Name/s |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Attendance |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center |December 31 | |Fight for Japan. How are you! New Year! 2011 | Saitama, Japan |24,606 | |-align=center
The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 2011 in chronological order.
|- |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Event |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Alternate Name/s |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Attendance |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|PPV Buyrate |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center |January 1 |UFC 125: Resolution | | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |12,874 |270,000 | |-align=center |January 22 | |UFC Fight Night 23 | Killeen, Texas, USA |3,200 | | |-align=center |January 29 | | | San Jose, California, USA |9,059 | | |-align=center |February 5 |UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort | | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |10,893 |725,000 | |-align=center |February 12 | |Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva | East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA |11,287 | | |-align=center |February 25 |MFC 28: Supremacy | | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | | | |-align=center |February 26 |UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch | | Sydney, Australia |18,186 |260,000 | |-align=center |February 26 |BAMMA 5: Daley vs. Shirai | | Manchester, England | | | |-align=center |March 3 | | | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |8,319 | | |-align=center |March 5 | |Strikeforce: Columbus | Columbus, Ohio, USA |7,123 | | |-align=center |March 5 |Bellator XXXV | | Lemoore, California, USA | | | |-align=center |March 12 |Bellator XXXVI | | Shreveport, Louisiana, USA | | | |-align=center |March 19 |Bellator XXXVII | | Concho, Oklahoma, USA | | | |-align=center |March 19 |UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones | | Newark, New Jersey, USA |12,619 |445,000 | |-align=center |March 26 |Bellator XXXVIII | | Tunica, Mississippi, USA | | | |-align=center |March 26 | |UFC Fight Night 24 UFC Fight Night: Seattle | Seattle, USA |13,741 | | |-align=center |April 2 |Bellator XXXIX | | Uncasville, Connecticut, USA | | | |-align=center |April 8 |MFC 29: Conquer | | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | | | |-align=center |April 9 |Bellator XL | | Newkirk, Oklahoma, USA | | | |-align=center |April 9 | | | San Diego, California, USA | | | |-align=center |April 16 |Bellator XLI | | Yuma, Arizona, USA | | | |-align=center |April 23 |Bellator XLII | | Concho, Oklahoma, USA | | | |-align=center |April 30 |UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields | | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |55,724 |800,000 (Min.) <br> 900,000 (Max.) | |-align=center |May 6 |Tachi Palace Fights 9 | | Lemoore, California, USA | | | |-align=center |May 7 |Bellator XLIII | | Newkirk, Oklahoma, USA | | | |-align=center |May 14 |Bellator XLIV | | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | | | |-align=center |May 21 |Bellator XLV | | Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA | | | |-align=center |May 21 |BAMMA 6: Watson vs. Ninja | | London, England | | | |-align=center |May 29 | | | Saitama, Japan |6,522 | | |-align=center |June 4 |The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale | | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | | | |-align=center |June 10 |MFC 30: Up Close and Personal | | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | | | |-align=center |June 11 |UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin | | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |14,685 |325,000 (Min.)<br>335,000 (Max.) | |-align=center |June 18 | |Strikeforce: Dallas | Dallas, Texas, USA | | | |-align=center |June 25 |Bellator XLVI | | Hollywood, Florida, USA | | | |-align=center |June 26 | | | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |7,792 | | |-align=center |July 2 |UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 | | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |13,109 |350,000 (Min.)<br>375,000 (Max.) | |-align=center |July 16 | | | Tokyo, Japan |8,142 | | |-align=center |July 23 |Bellator XLVII | | Rama, Ontario, Canada | | | |-align=center |July 30 | | | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA | | | |-align=center |August 6 |UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2 | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |11,583 | | |-align=center |August 14 | | | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA |6,751 | | |-align=center |August 20 |Bellator XLVIII | | Uncasville, Connecticut, USA | | | |-align=center |August 27 |UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami |UFC: Rio | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | | | |-align=center |September 3 | | | Kallang, Singapore | | | |-align=center |September 10 | | | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | | | |-align=center |September 10 |Bellator XLIX | | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | | | |-align=center |September 10 |BAMMA 7 | | Birmingham, England | | | |-align=center |September 17 |UFC Fight Night: Battle on the Bayou |UFC Fight Night 25 | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA | | | |-align=center |September 17 |Bellator L | | Hollywood, Florida, USA | | | |-align=center |September 24 |Dream 17 | | Saitama, Japan | | | |-align=center |September 24 |Bellator LI | | Canton, Ohio, USA | | | |-align=center |September 24 |UFC 135 | | Denver, Colorado, USA | | | |-align=center |October 1 |UFC on Versus 6 | | Washington, D.C., USA | | | |-align=center |October 1 |Bellator LII | | Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA | | | |-align=center |October 8 |UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III | | Houston, Texas, USA | | | |-align=center |October 8 |Bellator LIII | | | | | |-align=center |October 15 |Bellator LIV | | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | | | |-align=center |October 29 |UFC 137: St-Pierre vs. Diaz | | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | | | |-align=center |November 5 |UFC 138: Leben vs. Muñoz | | Birmingham, England | | | |-align=center |November 12 | | | Anaheim, California, USA | | | |-align=center |November 19 |Bellator Event | | Hollywood, Florida, USA | | | |-align=center |December 3 |The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale | | Las Vegas, Nevada USA | | | |-align=center |December 10 |UFC 140 | | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | | | |-align=center |December 31 | |Fight for Japan. How are you! New Year! 2011 | Saitama, Japan |24,606 | | |-align=center
International tournaments
Major leagues
- February 4 â 19 March: Six Nations Championship
- Winner: , 26th title.
- May 20: Amlin Challenge Cup final at Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
- Harlequins claimed the title with a 19âÂÂ18 win over Stade Français, becoming the first team to win the Challenge Cup three times.
- May 21: Heineken Cup final at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
- Leinster won its second European title with a 33âÂÂ22 win over Northampton Saints.
- IRB Sevens World Series â clinched the series title at the London Sevens on May 22, with the Edinburgh Sevens remaining to be played.
- May 24 â 5 June: 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Georgia
- , and . This was the first title for Samoa.
- June 10âÂÂ26: 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Italy
- , and . This was the fourth title for New Zealand.
- July 9: Super Rugby final at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- The Reds claimed their first title in the competition's professional era with an 18âÂÂ13 win over the Crusaders.
- July 23 â 27 August: Tri Nations Series
- won its third title.
- This was also the final edition of the Tri Nations under that name. With the entry of in 2012, the competition was renamed The Rugby Championship.
- September 9 â 23 October: 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand
- The tournament was won by New Zealand's All Blacks defeating France in the final by a score of 8âÂÂ7. , and .
Domestic competitions
Other major events
Ski mountaineering
Tennis
- 2011 Australian Open (January 17âÂÂ30)
- Men's final: Novak Djokovic defeats Andy Murray 6âÂÂ4, 6âÂÂ2, 6âÂÂ3
- Women's final: Kim Clijsters defeats Li Na 3âÂÂ6, 6âÂÂ3, 6âÂÂ3
- 2011 French Open (May 17 â June 5)
- Men's final: Rafael Nadal defeats Roger Federer 7âÂÂ5, 7âÂÂ6, 5âÂÂ7, 6âÂÂ1
- Women's final: Li Na defeats Francesca Schiavone 6âÂÂ4, 7âÂÂ6<sup>(7âÂÂ0)</sup>
- 2011 Wimbledon Championships (June 20 â July 3)
- Men's final: Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal 6âÂÂ4, 6âÂÂ1, 1âÂÂ6, 6âÂÂ3
- Women's final: Petra Kvitová defeats Maria Sharapova 6âÂÂ3, 6âÂÂ4
- 2011 US Open (August 29 â September 12)
- Men's final: Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal 6âÂÂ2, 6âÂÂ4, 6âÂÂ7, 6âÂÂ1
- Women's final: Samantha Stosur defeats Serena Williams 6âÂÂ2, 6âÂÂ3
- 2011 WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. (October 24âÂÂ30)
- Petra Kvitová defeats Victoria Azarenka 7âÂÂ5 4âÂÂ6 6âÂÂ3. 1st title
- 2011 Fed Cup (February â November)
- won the Fed Cup for the sixth time beating in Moscow 3âÂÂ2.
- 2011 ATP World Tour Finals in London, United Kingdom. (November 20âÂÂ27)
- Roger Federer defeats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6âÂÂ3, 6âÂÂ7, 6âÂÂ3. Sixth title.
- 2011 Davis Cup (March â December)
- defeats in Seville. 5th title.
Volleyball
- Women's CEV Champions League 2010âÂÂ11 November 23, 2010 â March 20, 2011. Final Four in Istanbul, Turkey
- Champions VakñfBank GüneÃ
 TTelekom, Rabita Baku, Fenerbahçe Acñbadem . MVP:
- Men's CEV Champions League 2010âÂÂ11 November 17, 2010 â March 27, 2011. Final Four in Bolzano, Italy.
- Champions Trentino BetClic, Zenit Kazan, Dynamo Moscow. MVP:
- 2011 Montreux Volley Masters June 7âÂÂ12 in Montreux, Switzerland
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 FIVB World League, May 27 â July 10, 2011, with the Final Eight in GdaÃ
Âsk / Sopot, Poland
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 FIVB Women's Junior World Championship July 22âÂÂ31 in Lima and Trujillo, Peru
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 FIVB Men's Junior World Championship August 1âÂÂ10 in Rio de Janeiro and Niteròi, Brazil
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix August 5âÂÂ28, with the Final Eight in Macau, China
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 Men's European Volleyball Championship September 10âÂÂ18 in Austria and Czech Republic
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 Women's European Volleyball Championship September 22 â October 2 in Italy and Serbia
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 FIVB Women's World Cup November 4âÂÂ18 in Japan
- , and . MVP:
- 2011 FIVB Men's World Cup November 20 â December 4 in Japan
- , and . MVP:
See also
References
External links