Some are calling this version of Carwin, Shane Carwin 2.0. This Carwin may be new and improved both physically and mentally due everything he has gone through since suffering his first loss to former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 last July.
He underwent surgery to repair a neck injury which forced him to pull out of a bout with Roy Nelson at UFC 125. Now that he is healed physically it is time to see how he reacts after suffering his first career loss. It was an especially damaging loss considering how close Carwin came to finishing Lesnar off in the first round.
They say a fighter learns more from his losses than he does from his wins and if that philosophy rings true then we can expect an even more dangerous Carwin than we have seen in the past. A powerful puncher, an outstanding wrestler and one of the more intelligent fighters in the business, Carwin will give Junior Dos Santos all he can handle and may find himself opposite current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez sometime this year.
I have had the opportunity to speak with Carwin on a few different occasions and he is a humble, down to earth gentleman who puts his family first. He still works a full time job as an engineer at a local water authority. Carwin takes great pride in the relationship he has with his fans whom call themselves the “Carwin Army”
Bryan Levick: How are you feeling physically and mentally going into your bout with Junior Dos Santos? How has your body held up to the surgery you had?
Shane Carwin: I am doing fine, I had lost a lot of weight after the surgery. Since then I have been trying to redefine how I fuel my body. I feel great and thankful I haven’t had any complications or setbacks.
BL: When you prepare for a fight do you train specifically for that particular fighter or do you train to improve your all-around skills?
SC: We do gameplan, but the focus for a guy that has less than 20 minutes in the Octagon competing is to make me a complete fighter. I have power and I need to blend that power with skill and adapt to the fighter I am facing.
BL: Do you feel as though you will fully be able to prepare for Dos Santos with just a month’s notice?
SC: I am a modern day warrior and I have never questioned who I was going to fight or when I was going to fight them. I am training full time and training to fight, whoever the UFC throws at me I will be more than happy to face.
BL: I recently read that you were weighing in a little less than usual, is that due to a specific diet and do you feel as though that will allow you to compete at a higher level overall?
SC: Yeah I had lost some weight after the surgery, but I was able to put it back on pretty quickly due to my addiction to Slurpees! I started training and I was weighing in around 280lbs. and the weight just kind of fell off. I am totally eating organic and limiting my intake of sugars and such, but I am still working as hard as I ever have.
BL: You have had so much success with your stand-up and your power, do you go with what brought you to the dance or will their come a time when you will test how good of a ground game JDS really has?
SC: For the answer to that you will have to tune in on June 11 to find out.
BL: You’ve proven before that ring rust doesn’t hinder your performance, will that be harder to maintain as you get older and because you are coming off a major surgery?
SC: Not at all because of the way we train at Grudge. The training we put each other through is actually harder than we fight. While I may not be in the Octagon I am still fighting guys like Nate Marquardt, Elliot Marshall, Brendan Schaub and Todd Duffee.
BL: Obviously losing to Lesnar was tough, but did you get to know him a little bit better after your fight and did you gain a new found respect for him?
SC: I have always respected his abilities, but I really do not know him well enough to make a personal call. He is a family guy that likes to hunt and spend time with his family. I am exactly the same way. I am sure he is a great guy and will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest heavyweights.
BL: I know you have done a lot of charitable work in the past, are you doing anything specific now that we can share with the public and try and help whatever cause you are working on?
SC: I am working with Max Muscle Ft Collins to raise money for a young man. Matt Hughes is coming to the event. I am also an avid supporter of the US Armed Forces.
BL: As long as you come out of this fight relatively injury free, how much time would you need to prepare for Cain Velasquez should you emerge victorious?
SC: If I am injury free I would need 60 days to be ready for Cain. My goal would be to fight three times in 2011. Whenever Cain is ready I will be sure to be ready as well.
BL: Is there anything you have learned to appreciate more since being injured and after suffering your first career loss?
SC: I try not to worry about the things in life I can’t control. I am focused on winning and advancing to the next level. I want to secure my legacy in this sport.
For those of you interested in learning more about Carwin, the Carwin Army and all of the great charitable work he does visit his website.
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