# 2011 in sports

The year 2011 in sports saw a number of significant events, some of which are listed below.

## Calendar by month
### January

| Date | Sport | Venue/Event | Status | Winner/s |
| 10 | American football | 2011 BCS National Championship Game | Domestic | Auburn University |
| 26 Dec 2010–5 | Ice hockey | 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | International | Russia |
| 21 | Marathon | Dubai Marathon | International | David Barmasai / Aselefech Mergia |

### February

| Date | Sport | Venue/Event | Status | Winner/s |
| 6 | American Football | Super Bowl XLV | Domestic | Green Bay Packers |

### March

* 31 March – 28 October: Baseball, / 2011 Major League Baseball season. 2011 World Series: St. Louis Cardinals.

### April

* 17: Marathon, London Marathon. Winners: Emmanuel Mutai, Mary Keitany.
* 18: Marathon, Boston Marathon. Winners: Geoffrey Mutai, Caroline Kilel.

### May

* 18: Association football, 2011 UEFA Europa League final. Winner: Porto.
* 21: Rugby union, 2011 Heineken Cup final. Winner: Leinster Rugby.
* 28: Association football, 2011 UEFA Champions League final. Winner: FC Barcelona.
* 31 May — 12 June: Basketball, / 2011 NBA Finals. Winner: Dallas Mavericks.

### June

* 12: Formula One, 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. Winner: Jenson Button.
* 18 — July 3: Basketball, EuroBasket Women 2011. Winner: Russia
* 25: MotoGP, 2011 Dutch TT. Winner: Ben Spies.
* 26: Formula One, 2011 European Grand Prix. Winner: Sebastian Vettel.
* 26 — 17 July: Association football, 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Winner: Japan

### July

* 24: Formula One, 2011 German Grand Prix. Winner: Lewis Hamilton.

### August

* 29 — September 12: Tennis, 2011 US Open. Winners in singles Novak Djokovic, Samantha Stosur.
* 30 — September 11: Basketball, 2011 FIBA Americas Championship. Winner: Argentina
* 31 — September 18: Basketball, EuroBasket 2011. Winner: Spain

### September

* 7 — 11: Basketball, 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship. Winner: Australia
* 7 — 11: Basketball, 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship for Women. Winner: Australia
* 24 — October 1: Basketball, 2011 FIBA Americas Championship for Women. Winner: Brazil
* 25: Formula One, 2011 Singapore Grand Prix. Winner: Sebastian Vettel
* 25: Marathon, Berlin Marathon. Winners: Patrick Makau Musyoki, Florence Kiplagat.

### October

* 9: Marathon, Chicago Marathon. Winners: Moses Mosop, Liliya Shobukhova.
* 16: Formula One, 2011 Korean Grand Prix. Winner: Sebastian Vettel.

### November

* 7: Marathon, New York City Marathon. Winners: Geoffrey Mutai, Firehiwot Dado.
* 13: Formula One, 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Winner: Lewis Hamilton.

### December

* 25 – April 2012: Basketball, / 2011–12 NBA season.

## American football

* Super Bowl XLV – the Green Bay Packers (NFC) won 31–25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC)
** Location: AT&T Stadium
** Attendance: 103,219
** MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB (Green Bay)
* January 8 – Peyton Manning plays his final game in an Indianapolis Colts uniform, a 16–17 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 – 2011 BCS National Championship Game, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona: The Auburn Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks 22–19 claiming the 2010 college football season national championship.
* April 28–30 – 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 8–16 – The 2011 IFAF World Championship was held in Austria. The USA defeated Canada 50–7 in the gold medal match to win their second straight title.
* December 10 – 2011 Heisman Trophy was awarded to Robert Griffin III

## Aquatics

* 2011 FINA Men's Water Polo World League
* 2011 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships
* March 8–13, 2011: 2011 European Diving Championships in Turin, Italy
* July 16–31, 2011: 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, China
* December 8–11, 2011: 2011 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Szczecin, Poland

## Association football

* January 7–29 – 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar
** Fourth title for Japan. Runner up Australia. Third place South Korea. MVP Keisuke Honda
* April 2 and 17 – OFC Champions League final won by Auckland City FC
* April 20 and 27 – CONCACAF Champions League finals:
** C.F. Monterrey defeat Real Salt Lake 3–2 on aggregate.
* May 28 – UEFA Champions League final in London:
** FC Barcelona defeat Manchester United 3–1.
* June 5–25 – 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States
** Winner: Mexico. Runner-up: United States. Semifinalists: Honduras, Panama. MVP Javier Hernández.
* June 15 and 22 – Copa Libertadores finals
** Santos defeat Peñarol 2–1 on aggregate.
* June 17 – July 1 – 2011 CPISRA Football 7-a-side World Championships in the Netherlands
* June 18 – July 10 – 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico
** Mexico won the cup as host being the first team to achieve that, defeating Uruguay 2–0 and achieving their second title in the category.
* June 26 – July 17 – 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany
** First title for Japan. Runner up United States. Third place Sweden. Best Player Homare Sawa
* July 1–24 – 2011 Copa América in Argentina
** 15th title for Uruguay. Runner-up Paraguay. Third place Peru. Best Player Luis Suárez.
* July 29 – August 20 – 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia
** Fifth title for Brazil. Runner up Portugal. Third place Mexico. Best Player Henrique
* November 5 – AFC Champions League final
** Al-Sadd defeat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2–2 (4–2 in penalties).
* November 6 and 12 – CAF Champions League finals
** Espérance ST defeat Wydad Casablanca 1–0 on aggregate.
* December 8–18 – 2011 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan
** Final FC Barcelona defeat Santos 4–0.

## Athletics

* January 21–30 – 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand
* August 27 – September 4 – 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea

## Bandy

* January 30, Russia becomes world champion

## Basketball

* February 20: 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center, Los Angeles.
** West 148 beat 143 East
* May 8: Euroleague
** Panathinaikos beats Maccabi Tel Aviv 78–70 and wins its sixth title in Barcelona. Dimitris Diamantidis was named MVP.
* May 31 – June 12: 2011 NBA Finals
** The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 4–2, to win their first NBA title. German player Dirk Nowitzki was named Finals MVP.
* August 30 – September 11 – FIBA Americas Championship 2011 in Mar del Plata, Argentina
** Second title for Argentina. Brazil and Dominican Republic. MVP: Luis Scola (ARG)
* September 3–18 – EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania
** Second title for Spain. France and Russia. MVP: Juan Carlos Navarro (ESP)
* October 2–7: 2011 WNBA Finals
** The Western Conference champion Minnesota Lynx defeated the Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream, 3–0, to win their first WNBA title. Seimone Augustus was named Finals MVP.

## Beach Soccer

* September 1–11 – The 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Ravenna, Italy.
** Russia puts an end to Brazil's dominance, defeating them in the final by the score of 12–8. Portugal claimed third place.
* June 7-9, 2011 — Florida Beach Soccer FC wins the North American Sand Soccer Championship (NASSC)Virginia Beach, Virginia
* November, 2011 — Florida Beach Soccer FC also claims victory at BagoSports Beach Football Championship in Trinidad and Tobago securing the Caribbean Championshiptitle, going undefeated in the tournament winning 5-3.

## Beach volleyball

* June 13–19 – The 2011 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Rome
** Men's Event: Emanuel Rego, Alison Cerutti (BRA)
** Women's Event: Larissa França, Juliana Felisberta (BRA)

## Boxing

* January 29 – 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 – 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 – Sergio Gabriel Martínez knocks out undefeated Sergiy Dzindziruk in the eighth round to win the vacant WBC diamond belt middleweight championship.
* March 12 – Miguel Cotto knocks out Ricardo Mayorga in the twelfth round to retain his WBA world light middleweight title.
* March 19 – Vitali Klitschko knocks out Odlanier Solís in the first round to retain his WBC heavyweight title for the sixth time. The knockout came as a surprise after Solís appeared to have sustained serious knee injury. Initially following the stoppage, Vitali Klitschko was angry at Solís and felt he took a dive. However following the fight Solís 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 – Giovanni Segura knocks out Iván Calderón in the third round in a repeat of 2010's fight of the year.
* May 7 – Manny Pacquiao easily defeats Shane Mosley, retaining his WBO welterweight title by unanimous decision.
* July 2 – Wladimir Klitschko defeats David Haye by unanimous decision, adding Haye's WBA heavyweight title to the four he already held.

## Canadian football

* November 25 – 47th Vanier Cup game at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver – McMaster Marauders defeat Laval Rouge et Or 41–38
* November 27 – 99th Grey Cup game at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver – BC Lions defeat Winnipeg Blue Bombers 34–23

## Canoeing

* August 17– 21, 2011: 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary
* September 7–11, 2011: 2011 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia

## Cheerleading
### Cheerleading Worlds

April 28, – May 2, – The Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA

## Cricket

* February 19 – April 2 – 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 – ICC Champions Trophy will take place.
* April 8 – May 28 – 2011 IPL in India. Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs in the final to win for the second consecutive year.

## Curling
### 2010–11 curling season
#### World Championships

* Capital One World Women's Curling Championship (Esbjerg, Denmark, Mar. 19–27)
** Women's winner: Sweden (Anette Norberg) def. Canada (Amber Holland)
* Ford World Men's Curling Championship (Regina, Saskatchewan, Apr. 2–10)
** Men's winner: Canada (Jeff Stoughton) def. Scotland (Tom Brewster)
* World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship (St. Paul, Minnesota, Apr. 15–24)
** Winner: Switzerland def. Russia

### 2011–12 curling season
#### Season of Champions

* Canada Cup of Curling (Cranbrook, British Columbia, Nov. 30 – Dec. 4)
** Men's winner: Kevin Martin def. Glenn Howard
** Women's winner: Jennifer Jones def. Chelsea Carey

## Fencing

* October 8–16: 2011 World Fencing Championships in Catania, Italy

## Figure skating

* January 24–30 – 2011 European Figure Skating Championships in Bern, Switzerland
* February 15–20 – 2011 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei, Taiwan
* February 28 – March 6 – 2011 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Gangneung, South Korea
* April 24 – May 1 – 2011 World Figure Skating Championships in Moscow, Russia

## Floorball

* Women's World Floorball Championships
** Champion: Sweden
* Men's under-19 World Floorball Championships
** Champion: Finland
* Champions Cup
** Men's champion: SSV Helsinki
** Women's champion: IF Djurgårdens IBF

## Gymnastics

* 2011 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships
* 2011 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships
* 2011 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
* 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

## Handball

* January 13–30 – 2011 World Men's Handball Championship in Sweden
** France, Denmark and Spain. Fourth Title for France. MVP = Nikola Karabatić (FRA)
* December 3–16 – 2011 World Women's Handball Championship in Brazil
** Norway, France and Spain.

## Horse racing
### Steeplechases

* Cheltenham Gold Cup – Long Run
* Grand National – Ballabriggs
* Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris – Mid Dancer
* Nakayama Grand Jump – Meiner Neos

### Flat races

* Australia:
** Cox Plate – Pinker Pinker
** Melbourne Cup – Dunaden
* Canadian Triple Crown:
** Queen's Plate – Inglorious
** Prince of Wales Stakes – Pender Harbour
** Breeders' Stakes –Pender Harbour
      * Luis Contreras becomes the first jockey to win the Canadian Triple Crown aboard two different horses in the same year.
* Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai World Cup – Victoire Pisa
* France: Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Danedream
* Hong Kong: Hong Kong International Races
** Hong Kong Vase – Dunaden
** Hong Kong Sprint – Lucky Nine
** Hong Kong Mile – Able One
** Hong Kong Cup – California Memory
* Ireland: Irish Derby – Treasure Beach
* Japan: Japan Cup – Buena Vista
* English Triple Crown:
** 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Frankel
** Epsom Derby – Pour Moi
** St. Leger Stakes – Masked Marvel
* United States Triple Crown:
** Kentucky Derby – Animal Kingdom
** Preakness Stakes – Shackleford
** Belmont Stakes – Ruler on Ice
* Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky (both days arranged in race card order):
** Day 1:
*** Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint – Secret Circle
*** Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf – Stephanie's Kitten
*** Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint – Musical Romance
*** Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies – My Miss Aurelia
*** Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf – Perfect Shirl
*** Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic – Royal Delta
** Day 2:
*** Breeders' Cup Marathon – Afleet Again
*** Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf – Wrote
*** Breeders' Cup Sprint – Amazombie
*** Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint – Regally Ready
*** Breeders' Cup Turf – St Nicholas Abbey
*** Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile – Caleb's Posse
*** Breeders' Cup Juvenile – Hansen
*** Breeders' Cup Mile – Court Vision
*** Breeders' Cup Classic – Drosselmeyer

## Ice hockey

* December 26 (2010)–January 5: 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Buffalo, United States.
** Russia Canada United States
* April 29, – May 15, 2011: 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia, with games being played in Bratislava and Košice.
** Finland Sweden Czech Republic
* June 15: The Boston Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4–0 in game seven to win the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.
* September 7: The entire active roster of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team is killed in the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash.
* October 6: Start of the 2011–12 NHL regular season.

## Ice sledge hockey

* February 12–20 – 2011 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey European Championships in Sollefteå

## Kickboxing

The following is a list of major noteworthy kickboxing events during 2011 in chronological order.
| Date | Event | Alternate Name/s | Location | Attendance | Notes |
| December 31 | Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 | Fight for Japan. How are you! New Year! 2011 | Saitama, Japan | 24,606 | — |

## Korfball

* October 27 – 5 November: 2011 Korfball World Championship in Shaoxing, China
** Netherlands Belgium Chinese Taipei

## Mixed martial arts

The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 2011 in chronological order.
| Date | Event | Alternate Name/s | Location | Attendance | PPV Buyrate | Notes |
| January 1 | UFC 125: Resolution | — | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | 12,874 | 270,000 | — |
| January 22 | UFC: Fight For The Troops 2 | UFC Fight Night 23 | Killeen, Texas, USA | 3,200 | — | — |
| January 29 | Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg | — | San Jose, California, USA | 9,059 | — | — |
| February 5 | UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort | — | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | 10,893 | 725,000 | — |
| February 12 | Strikeforce / M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva | East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA | 11,287 | — | Quarterfinals to 2011 Strikeforce Heavyweight GP tournament. |
| February 25 | MFC 28: Supremacy | — | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | — | — | — |
| February 26 | UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch | — | Sydney, Australia | 18,186 | 260,000 | — |
| February 26 | BAMMA 5: Daley vs. Shirai | — | Manchester, England | — | — | — |
| March 3 | UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann | — | Louisville, Kentucky, USA | 8,319 | — | — |
| March 5 | Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson | Strikeforce: Columbus | Columbus, Ohio, USA | 7,123 | — | — |
| March 5 | Bellator XXXV | — | Lemoore, California, USA | — | — | Start of Bellator Season 4. |
| March 12 | Bellator XXXVI | — | Shreveport, Louisiana, USA | — | — | — |
| March 19 | Bellator XXXVII | — | Concho, Oklahoma, USA | — | — | — |
| March 19 | UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones | — | Newark, New Jersey, USA | 12,619 | 445,000 | — |
| March 26 | Bellator XXXVIII | — | Tunica, Mississippi, USA | — | — | — |
| March 26 | UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis | UFC Fight Night 24 UFC Fight Night: Seattle | Seattle, USA | 13,741 | — | — |
| April 2 | Bellator XXXIX | — | Uncasville, Connecticut, USA | — | — | — |
| April 8 | MFC 29: Conquer | — | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | — | — | — |
| April 9 | Bellator XL | — | Newkirk, Oklahoma, USA | — | — | — |
| April 9 | Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley | — | San Diego, California, USA | — | — | — |
| April 16 | Bellator XLI | — | Yuma, Arizona, USA | — | — | — |
| April 23 | Bellator XLII | — | Concho, Oklahoma, USA | — | — | — |
| April 30 | UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields | — | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 55,724 | 800,000 (Min.) 900,000 (Max.) | Randy Couture announces his retirement after nearly 14 years of competition. |
| May 6 | Tachi Palace Fights 9 | — | Lemoore, California, USA | — | — | — |
| May 7 | Bellator XLIII | — | Newkirk, Oklahoma, USA | — | — | — |
| May 14 | Bellator XLIV | — | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | — | — | — |
| May 21 | Bellator XLV | — | Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA | — | — | End of Bellator season 4. |
| May 21 | BAMMA 6: Watson vs. Ninja | — | London, England | — | — | Murilo Rua announces his retirement after 11 years of competition. |
| May 29 | Dream: Fight for Japan! | Dream Japan GP – 2011 Bantamweight Japan Tournament | Saitama, Japan | 6,522 | — | — |
| June 4 | The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale | — | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | — | — | — |
| June 10 | MFC 30: Up Close and Personal | — | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | — | — | — |
| June 11 | UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin | — | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | 14,685 | 325,000 (Min.) 335,000 (Max.) | — |
| June 18 | Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum | Strikeforce: Dallas | Dallas, Texas, USA | — | — | The event will feature the first women's bouts ever held by Zuffa. |
| June 25 | Bellator XLVI | — | Hollywood, Florida, USA | — | — | Start of Bellator 2011 Summer Series. |
| June 26 | UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry | — | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA | 7,792 | — | — |
| July 2 | UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 | — | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | 13,109 | 350,000 (Min.) 375,000 (Max.) | — |
| July 16 | Dream: Japan GP Final | — | Tokyo, Japan | 8,142 | — | — |
| July 23 | Bellator XLVII | — | Rama, Ontario, Canada | — | — | — |
| July 30 | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson | — | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA | — | — | — |
| August 6 | UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2 | — | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | 11,583 | — | — |
| August 14 | UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle | — | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA | 6,751 | — | — |
| August 20 | Bellator XLVIII | — | Uncasville, Connecticut, USA | — | — | End of Bellator 2011 Summer Series. |
| August 27 | UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami | UFC: Rio | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | — | — | — |
| September 3 | ONE FC: Champion vs. Champion | — | Kallang, Singapore | — | — | — |
| September 10 | Strikeforce: Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinals | — | Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | — | — | — |
| September 10 | Bellator XLIX | — | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | — | — | Start of Bellator Season 5 |
| September 10 | BAMMA 7 | — | Birmingham, England | — | — | — |
| September 17 | UFC Fight Night: Battle on the Bayou | UFC Fight Night 25 | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA | — | — | — |
| September 17 | Bellator L | — | Hollywood, Florida, USA | — | — | — |
| September 24 | Dream 17 | — | Saitama, Japan | — | — | — |
| September 24 | Bellator LI | — | Canton, Ohio, USA | — | — | — |
| September 24 | UFC 135 | — | Denver, Colorado, USA | — | — | — |
| October 1 | UFC on Versus 6 | — | Washington, D.C., USA | — | — | — |
| October 1 | Bellator LII | — | Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA | — | — | — |
| October 8 | UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III | — | Houston, Texas, USA | — | — | — |
| October 8 | Bellator LIII | — | USA | — | — | — |
| October 15 | Bellator LIV | — | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | — | — | — |
| October 29 | UFC 137: St-Pierre vs. Diaz | — | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA | — | — | — |
| November 5 | UFC 138: Leben vs. Muñoz | — | Birmingham, England | — | — | The main event was the first five-round non-title fight in the history of the UFC. |
| November 12 | UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos | — | Anaheim, California, USA | — | — | The UFC's debut on the Fox Network. |
| November 19 | Bellator Event | — | Hollywood, Florida, USA | — | — | End of Bellator Season 5. |
| December 3 | The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale | — | Las Vegas, Nevada USA | — | — | — |
| December 10 | UFC 140 | — | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | — | — | — |
| December 31 | Fight For Japan: Genki Desu Ka Omisoka 2011 | Fight for Japan. How are you! New Year! 2011 | Saitama, Japan | 24,606 | — | — |

## Multi-sport events

* 2011 Winter Universiade
* 2011 Summer Universiade
* 2011 All-Africa Games
* 2011 Pan American Games
* 2011 Asian Winter Games
* 2011 South Asian Winter Games
* 2011 Pacific Games
* 2011 South East Asian Games
* 2011 Military World Games
* 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games
* 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games
* 2011 Island Games
* 2011 ALBA Games
* 2011 European Youth Winter Olympic Festival
* 2011 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival

## Netball
### International tournaments

| Date | Tournament | Winners | Runners Up |
| 7–9 June | 2011 Pacific Netball Series | Fiji | Cook Islands |
| 9 Jun–30 Oct | 2011 Constellation Cup | Australia | New Zealand |
| 3–10 July | 2011 World Netball Championships | Australia | New Zealand |
| 6–15 September | 2011 All-Africa Games | Uganda | Tanzania |
| 3–6 October | 2011 Taini Jamison Trophy Series | New Zealand | England |
| 25–27 November | 2011 World Netball Series | England | New Zealand |

### Major leagues

| Host | League | Winners | Runners Up |
| Australia/New Zealand | ANZ Championship | Queensland Firebirds | Northern Mystics |
| United Kingdom | Netball Superleague | Hertfordshire Mavericks | Surrey Storm |

## Rink Hockey

* 2011 Rink Hockey Asian Championship
* 2011 Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship
* 2011 Rink Hockey World Championship San Juan, Argentina
* 2011 Rink Hockey World Championship U-20, in Barcelos, Portugal
** won by Spain
* 2011 Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship

## Road bicycle racing

* May 7–29: 2011 Giro d'Italia
** Alberto Contador sealed overall victory in the Giro d'Italia for the second time in his career. The win was later awarded to second-place finisher Michele Scarponi after Contador was given a retroactive ban following his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour de France.
* July 2–24: 2011 Tour de France
** Australian Cadel Evans won the race, having gained the lead in a time-trial on the penultimate day. He became the first Australian to win the race, and at 34, the oldest post-war winner.
* August 20 – September 11: 2011 Vuelta a España
** Spanish Juan José Cobo claimed his first major title. British Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins on the podium.
* September 19–25: 2011 UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark
** Mark Cavendish became the first British male since Tom Simpson to win the road race title

## Rowing

* August 28 to September 4 – 2011 World Rowing Championships will be held at Lake Bled, Bled, Slovenia.

## Rugby league

* 2011's Golden Boot for world's best player was awarded to Australian half back Johnathan Thurston.
* February 13; NRL All Stars Game
* February 23; World Club Challenge
* May; City vs Country Origin
* May; Australia vs New Zealand ANZAC Test
* May 25 – 6 July: State of Origin
** Queensland defeat New South Wales 2–1 for their sixth consecutive series win.
* June 10: International Origin Match at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds
** In the first of what is planned to be an annual affair, the Exiles, a team consisting of non-English Super League players, defeated England 16–12.
* August; Challenge Cup final
* March 11 to October 2; National Rugby League season
** Champions: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
** Minor premiers: Melbourne Storm
* February 12 to October 2; 2011 Super League season
** Champions: Leeds Rhinos
** League Leaders: Warrington Wolves
* November; Rugby League Four Nations

## Rugby union

* February 4 – 19 March: Six Nations Championship
** Winner: England, 26th title.
* May 20: Amlin Challenge Cup final at Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
** Harlequins claimed the title with a 19–18 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 33–22 win over Northampton Saints.
* IRB Sevens World Series – New Zealand clinched the series title at the London Sevens on May 22, with the Edinburgh Sevens remaining to be played.
* May 24 – 5 June: 2011 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Georgia
** Samoa, Japan and Georgia. This was the first title for Samoa.
* June 10–26: 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Italy
** New Zealand, England and Australia. 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 18–13 win over the Crusaders.
* July 23 – 27 August: Tri Nations Series
** Australia won its third title.
** This was also the final edition of the Tri Nations under that name. With the entry of Argentina in 2012, the competition was renamed The Rugby Championship.
* September 9 – 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 8–7. New Zealand, France and Australia.

### Domestic competitions

* English Premiership – Final, May 28 at Twickenham: Leicester Tigers vs. Saracens
** Saracens defeated Leicester Tigers 22–18 for their first-ever Premiership title.
* RFU Championship – Worcester Warriors. As the only side among the semifinalists that met the requirements for promotion, they replaced Leeds Carnegie in the 2011–12 Premiership.
* Top 14 – Final, June 4 at Stade de France: Toulouse vs. Montpellier
** Toulouse won 15–10 and lifted the Bouclier de Brennus for the 18th time.
* Rugby Pro D2 – Lyon won the championship and automatic promotion to the Top 14. Bordeaux Bègles won the promotion playoffs. The two clubs will replace La Rochelle and Bourgoin.
* Celtic League – Grand Final, May 28 in Limerick:
** In an all-Irish affair, Munster won their third title against Leinster 19–9.
* LV Cup (Anglo-Welsh Cup) – Gloucester
* ITM Cup:
** Premiership – Final, September 3 in Hamilton: Waikato vs. Canterbury
*** Canterbury won 12–3 for their fourth consecutive title in the Air New Zealand/ITM Cup and ninth in the history of New Zealand provincial rugby.
** Championship: Final, September 4 in Palmerston North: Manawatu vs. Hawke's Bay
*** Hawke's Bay won 35–30 and will replace Southland in the 2012 ITM Cup Premiership.
* Currie Cup: Final, October 29 in Johannesburg: Golden Lions vs. Sharks
** The Lions won 42–16 in the most one-sided Currie Cup final since 1980.

### Other major events

* February 26: During the England–France match in the Six Nations, England's Jonny Wilkinson retakes the all-time lead for career Test points from New Zealand's Dan Carter.
* February 27: During the Scotland–Ireland match in the Six Nations, Ireland's Ronan O'Gara retakes the all-time lead for career points in the Championship from Wilkinson.
* March 19: During the Ireland–England Six Nations match, two Irish players reach major career milestones in the Championship:
** Brian O'Driscoll takes over the all-time lead for career tries in the Championship with his 25th try, breaking the record of Scotland's Ian Smith that had lasted since 1933.
** Ronan O'Gara makes his 56th appearance in the Championship, drawing level with countryman Mike Gibson for the Championship record.
* July 30: During New Zealand's Tri Nations opener at home to South Africa, Carter reclaims the all-time lead for career Test points from Wilkinson.

## Tennis

* 2011 Australian Open (January 17–30)
** Men's final: Novak Djokovic defeats Andy Murray 6–4, 6–2, 6–3
** Women's final: Kim Clijsters defeats Li Na 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
* 2011 French Open (May 17 – June 5)
** Men's final: Rafael Nadal defeats Roger Federer 7–5, 7–6, 5–7, 6–1
** Women's final: Li Na defeats Francesca Schiavone 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–0)}$
* 2011 Wimbledon Championships (June 20 – July 3)
** Men's final: Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal 6–4, 6–1, 1–6, 6–3
** Women's final: Petra Kvitová defeats Maria Sharapova 6–3, 6–4
* 2011 US Open (August 29 – September 12)
** Men's final: Novak Djokovic defeats Rafael Nadal 6–2, 6–4, 6–7, 6–1
** Women's final: Samantha Stosur defeats Serena Williams 6–2, 6–3
* 2011 WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. (October 24–30)
** Petra Kvitová defeats Victoria Azarenka 7–5 4–6 6–3. 1st title
* 2011 Fed Cup (February – November)
** Czech Republic won the Fed Cup for the sixth time beating Russia in Moscow 3–2.
* 2011 ATP World Tour Finals in London, United Kingdom. (November 20–27)
** Roger Federer defeats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6–3, 6–7, 6–3. Sixth title.
* 2011 Davis Cup (March – December)
** Spain defeats Argentina in Seville. 5th title.

## Volleyball

* Women's CEV Champions League 2010–11 November 23, 2010 – March 20, 2011. Final Four in Istanbul, Turkey
** Champions VakıfBank Güneş TTelekom, Rabita Baku, Fenerbahçe Acıbadem . MVP: Małgorzata Glinka (POL)
* Men's CEV Champions League 2010–11 November 17, 2010 – March 27, 2011. Final Four in Bolzano, Italy.
** Champions Trentino BetClic, Zenit Kazan, Dynamo Moscow. MVP: Osmany Juantorena (CUB)
* 2011 Montreux Volley Masters June 7–12 in Montreux, Switzerland
** Japan, Cuba and China. MVP: Hitomi Nakamichi (JPN)
* 2011 FIVB World League, May 27 – July 10, 2011, with the Final Eight in Gdańsk / Sopot, Poland
** Russia, Brazil and Poland. MVP: Maxim Mikhaylov (RUS)
* 2011 FIVB Women's Junior World Championship July 22–31 in Lima and Trujillo, Peru
** Italy, Brazil and China. MVP: Caterina Bosetti (ITA)
* 2011 FIVB Men's Junior World Championship August 1–10 in Rio de Janeiro and Niteròi, Brazil
** Russia, Argentina and Serbia. MVP: Leonid Shchadilov (RUS)
* 2011 FIVB World Grand Prix August 5–28, with the Final Eight in Macau, China
** United States, Brazil and Serbia. MVP: Destinee Hooker (USA)
* 2011 Men's European Volleyball Championship September 10–18 in Austria and Czech Republic
** Serbia, Italy and Poland. MVP: Ivan Miljkovic (SRB)
* 2011 Women's European Volleyball Championship September 22 – October 2 in Italy and Serbia
** Serbia, Germany and Turkey. MVP: Jovana Brakocevic (SRB)
* 2011 FIVB Women's World Cup November 4–18 in Japan
** Italy, United States and China. MVP: Carolina Costagrande (ITA)
* 2011 FIVB Men's World Cup November 20 – December 4 in Japan
** Russia, Poland and Brazil. MVP: Maxim Mikhaylov (RUS)