UFC 131 Preview: Shane Carwin A New Man Heading into Bout with Junior Dos Santos

Since his loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, it will have been nearly a year since Shane Carwin has competed inside the Octagon. He’ll return to face Junior dos Santos this weekend, in which the heavyweight assures fans will see a different fighter.&nbsp…

Since his loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, it will have been nearly a year since Shane Carwin has competed inside the Octagon. He’ll return to face Junior dos Santos this weekend, in which the heavyweight assures fans will see a different fighter. 

Carwin was originally scheduled to fight UFC newcomer Jon Olav Einemo at UFC 131, but was given the opportunity to face dos Santos after the Brazilian’s original opponent, Brock Lesnar, was forced to pull out due to diverticulitis.

Despite swapping opponents, Carwin said the training camp has not drastically changed. 

“The camp has stayed the same, it’s just the strategy has probably changed a little bit,” he told MMAWeekly.com.

Should the Colorado native emerge the winner, he will be slotted into the heavyweight title picture against Cain Velasquez later this fall. Carwin already holds experience in title bouts, as he previously challenged former champion, Brock Lesnar last summer at UFC 116.

The bout saw Carwin drop the 265-pound Lesnar but failed to finish him, as he fatigued prior to the end of the round. Lesnar instantly took notice of this and submitted his opponent in the second round. 

This time around, he took a different approach and changed his diet and training regiment that is expected to feature Carwin to walk into his bout slimmer than usual. The results of his new found change have left Carwin in good spirits. 

“Honestly, it was probably the best thing that’s happened to me; it’s a lifelong change too,” he said. 

Carwin added that his diet and training has kept the strength and explosiveness intact, that has him ready for dos Santos this weekend. 

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UFC 131: Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 131 boasts a main event between two heavy-handed heavyweights in Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos to see who will challenge reigning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez before the end of the year.  Both guys have shown dominance in this …

UFC 131 boasts a main event between two heavy-handed heavyweights in Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos to see who will challenge reigning UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez before the end of the year. 

Both guys have shown dominance in this division and now meet in a bout where each fighter is perfectly capable of achieving a first-round knockout.

The X-factor in this fight is likely going to be what is more effective: Carwin’s wrestling acumen, or dos Santos’ jiu-jitsu game? 

Neither aspect of the fighter’s styles has been on display much in the octagon but could easily be the key to victory.

Let’s take a look at how both guys match up against one another in this No. 1 contender bout.

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UFC 131: 6 Reaons Why Junior Dos Santos Will Finish Shane Carwin

Heading into UFC 131, the late replacement of Brock Lesnar by Shane Carwin has turned a lot of heads. While late replacements are usually disappointing, many seem to believe that Carwin actually makes for a better fight with Junior Dos Santos.Both are …

Heading into UFC 131, the late replacement of Brock Lesnar by Shane Carwin has turned a lot of heads. While late replacements are usually disappointing, many seem to believe that Carwin actually makes for a better fight with Junior Dos Santos.

Both are known for their vicious knockouts and between the two of them, they have a combined 22 first round finishes.

Still, Dos Santos, for several reasons, will finish Shane Carwin at UFC 131 and get a shot at Cain Velasquez in the process. 

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Video: Apparently Shane Carwin Hits Hard

If the fact that he has broken training partner’s facial bones with jabs, torn through expensive focus mitts with combinations and sent trainers running for icepacks after holding pads for him are any indication of Shane Carwin’s punching power, getting hit in the face by “The Engineer” might not be something Junior dos Santos should try when he heads to Vancouver next week. We’d recommend he try something less harmful to his health like a butter tart or a Moosehead lager or pale ale.

If the fact that he has broken training partner’s facial bones with jabs, torn through expensive focus mitts with combinations and sent trainers running for icepacks after holding pads for him are any indication of Shane Carwin’s punching power, getting hit in the face by “The Engineer” might not be something Junior dos Santos should try when he heads to Vancouver next week. We’d recommend he try something less harmful to his health like a butter tart or a Moosehead lager or pale ale.

In the latest instalment of Bud Light’s Camp Carwin series, the UFC heavyweight contender’s teammates and coaches recall stories that demonstrate how much force Shane hits with, including one about how they thought he had killed an opponent early on in his career.

Hopefully they keep making these videos for other fighters in the future.

Sorry Brock, you blew your shot with Bud Light.

UFC 131: Power Ranking Junior Dos Santos’ 6 UFC Fights

When UFC heavyweight contenders Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin square off in the main event of UFC 131, fans will be expecting fireworks.
With 13 fights on each of their records, only Dos Santos (12-1) has been the distance once in his career. Carw…

When UFC heavyweight contenders Junior Dos Santos and Shane Carwin square off in the main event of UFC 131, fans will be expecting fireworks.

With 13 fights on each of their records, only Dos Santos (12-1) has been the distance once in his career. Carwin (12-1) has never been the distance. They both have a combined 15 knockouts in 24 wins between them.

Carwin was a late-replacement for former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, who coached on the opposing team of the last season of the Ultimate Fighter. Santos was the other coach.

The fight card will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and it’s sure to be one exciting night of fights that should end with fireworks.

Santos is 6-0 in the UFC, and this is an overview of those fights.

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Shane Carwin: ‘I’m Going to Knock Out Dos Santos, and I Think He Knows It’

UFC 131 takes place this Saturday night, June 11 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The original main event for this summer kickoff was Brock Lesnar vs. Junior dos Santos, with the winner guaranteed a title shot against Cain Velasquez some…

UFC 131 takes place this Saturday night, June 11 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The original main event for this summer kickoff was Brock Lesnar vs. Junior dos Santos, with the winner guaranteed a title shot against Cain Velasquez sometime this fall, probably November 2011.

Velasquez tore his rotator cuff en route to defeating Lesnar for the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship of the world last October. Dos Santos, who was scheduled to face Velasquez for the title, agreed to fight Lesnar for the No. 1 contendership instead of crowning an interim champion.

But Lesnar pulled out of the fight after a recurrence of diverticulitis, and Carwin (who gave Lesnar all he could handle at UFC 116) stepped in as Dos Santos’ opponent.

UFC has now released the first video to hype Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos, and Carwin comes across like a menacing beast ready to beat the living hell out of Dos Santos. While I think Dos Santos has the skills to put away Carwin, I watched the extended preview for UFC 131 with surprise at how Carwin seemed to relish the spotlight and how hungry he seems to smash Dos Santos in the face.

“I like Junior dos Santos, but I’m going after the (UFC heavyweight) title,” Carwin stated matter-of-factly in the preview video.

Carwin, an NCAA Division II heavyweight champion, coldly stated, “These hands are meant to tear somebody apart.”

That was a cold, chilling statement, but nothing compared to the moment where Carwin said, “I respect Junior dos Santos, but I’m going to knock him out, and I’m not going to feel any remorse for it.”

Carwin also said, “I’m going to knock out Junior dos Santos, and I think he knows it.”

Dos Santos is the same as he always is, the same likable personality you saw on The Ultimate Fighter this season. Carwin seems like a man with something to prove, especially after the loss to Lesnar, and he hits the pay-per-view consumer right on the chin with the line, “People who pay to see Shane Carwin fight are really going to get their money out of this one!”

The extended preview show is available online. I highly recommend it to all MMA fans. It’s one of the better hype shows in a while. Check it out here.

Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 takes place this Saturday night, June 11, live on pay-per-view.

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