5 UFC Fighters Who Struggle to Stay Healthy

In the world of mixed martial arts, injuries are a common occurrence.2011 was a rough year for the UFC as several of their main events were cancelled or altered because of injuries.The third fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, the title fight…

In the world of mixed martial arts, injuries are a common occurrence.

2011 was a rough year for the UFC as several of their main events were cancelled or altered because of injuries.

The third fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, the title fight between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Rashad Evans, and Jon Fitch and BJ Penn‘s rematch are just a few examples of fights that were cancelled due to injuries this year.

The latest fighters to be hit with the injury bug are heavyweight contender Shane Carwin and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Carwin is now faced with his second surgery in as many years and will be sidelined until the middle of next year, while GSP suffered an apparent leg injury just a couple weeks before his title fight with Carlos Condit.

Carwin joins a select few fighters who have had to deal with injury setbacks on more than one occasion.

Some of these fighters have been out of the octagon for years and it remains unclear on whether fight fans will ever see them again.

Here are just a few examples of fighters who have the most trouble when it comes to remaining healthy.

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UFC on Fox: 5 Things New Fans Should Expect to See

On Nov. 12, the UFC will be hosting their first UFC on FOX event.The show will be an hour-long special with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defending his title against Junior dos Santos in the only main card fight of the night. The UFC com…

On Nov. 12, the UFC will be hosting their first UFC on FOX event.

The show will be an hour-long special with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez defending his title against Junior dos Santos in the only main card fight of the night. 

The UFC coming to FOX is huge for the sport of MMA, as it is a major step in making the sport more mainstream. 

For many current MMA fans, they already know what to expect from Dana White and the UFC. 

For the newer fans of the sport, here are some things you may see at UFC on Fox. 

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Shane Carwin To Undergo Back Surgery, Return to Action Postponed

“It’s the weirdest thing, Doc. It feels just fine when I stand like this.” (Photo: Francis Specker)

In a post to his blog titled “Unfinished Business”, top UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin revealed yesterday that for the second time in a year he will be going under the knife.

I have spent my entire fighting career dealing with injuries from my football career. I have done my best to get through my training and I have been blessed to get through my fights with relatively little to no damage.

As I ramped up my training for UFC 141 my body locked up during training. It wasn’t like the Lesnar fight but my back just tightened up and I froze. I scheduled an MRI and the results showed that my disc in my lower back is into the nerves . My doctor gave me two options; retire and I could probably go on for a few years without surgery or I could undergo surgery and continue my career.

The decision was easy. I have unfinished business. The UFC had me lined up to face one of the best in the world and I am confident I have everything I need to be a Champion. I am scheduling surgery and I hope to return to the Octagon by spring or summer 2012.”

“It’s the weirdest thing, Doc. It feels just fine when I stand like this.” (Photo: Francis Specker)

In a post to his blog titled “Unfinished Business”, top UFC heavyweight Shane Carwin revealed yesterday that for the second time in a year he will be going under the knife.

I have spent my entire fighting career dealing with injuries from my football career. I have done my best to get through my training and I have been blessed to get through my fights with relatively little to no damage.

As I ramped up my training for UFC 141 my body locked up during training. It wasn’t like the Lesnar fight but my back just tightened up and I froze. I scheduled an MRI and the results showed that my disc in my lower back is into the nerves . My doctor gave me two options; retire and I could probably go on for a few years without surgery or I could undergo surgery and continue my career.

The decision was easy. I have unfinished business. The UFC had me lined up to face one of the best in the world and I am confident I have everything I need to be a Champion. I am scheduling surgery and I hope to return to the Octagon by spring or summer 2012.”

Tough times for Carwin. Following his second round submission loss to Brock Lesnar in July of last year, “The Engineer” pulled out of a scheduled bout against Roy Nelson to undergo surgery repairing neck, back, and nerve damage. He returned from that procedure to face Junior Dos Santos on short notice, but fell short in the effort. The 36 year old had planned a return to action at UFC 141, but will now go back on the injured reserve list.

Time will tell how how Carwin will bounce back from this operation. Multiple spine surgeries in a short time span don’t sound promising for a fighter’s career, particularly for a fighter getting up there in years.

Shane Carwin to Undergo Back Surgery, Vows to Keep Fighting

2011 has been a rough year for Shane Carwin.He spent the first half of the year inactive because of an injury, then he returned at UFC 131 in a losing effort against Junior dos Santos, and now it looks like Carwin is back on the injured list.Carwin pos…

2011 has been a rough year for Shane Carwin.

He spent the first half of the year inactive because of an injury, then he returned at UFC 131 in a losing effort against Junior dos Santos, and now it looks like Carwin is back on the injured list.

Carwin posted a blog today, informing his fans that he had recently suffered an injury during training.

After having the injury checked out by a doctor, Carwin received unfortunate news. “I scheduled an MRI and the results showed that my disc in my lower back is into the nerves,” Carwin wrote.

The doctor informed Carwin that he had two options. One was that he could wait a couple years before the surgery became absolutely necessary, but that would mean retirement. The other was to have the surgery as soon as possible, which would enable Carwin to continue fighting.

“The decision was easy. I have unfinished business. The UFC had me lined up to face one of the best in the world and I am confident I have everything I need to be a champion. I am scheduling surgery and I hope to return to the Octagon by spring or summer 2012.”

Carwin’s outlook is optimistic and it seems as if he plans to continue fighting for some time still.

At 36 years old, Carwin has Father Time working against him, so hopefully he has a speedy recovery and is able to return to action soon.

 

Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AndrewBarr8.

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Brock Lesnar, Alistair Overeem and the 9 Hardest-Hitting Heavyweights in the UFC

Ever since the UFC Heavy Division came to be, it’s been criticized for not living up to par with the rest of the organization’s weight classes.Now, more than ever, the 265-pound weight class has been proclaimed as the worst division in the UFC today.Wh…

Ever since the UFC Heavy Division came to be, it’s been criticized for not living up to par with the rest of the organization’s weight classes.

Now, more than ever, the 265-pound weight class has been proclaimed as the worst division in the UFC today.

While the Heavyweight division doesn’t consist of the fastest, or the most well-rounded fighters, they do have some of the hardest hitters in the UFC today.

The following slides display the nine heaviest hitters in the Heavyweight division today.

Lets take a look.

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Frank Mir: A Life Spent Overcoming Adversity

Smug arrogance is often the first thing fans associate with Frank Mir.  A quick survey of his attitude towards Brock Lesnar reveals why. In an interview with Maxim, he described how Lesnar was “whimpering and wincing” from his kneebar.  …

Smug arrogance is often the first thing fans associate with Frank Mir.  A quick survey of his attitude towards Brock Lesnar reveals why. 

In an interview with Maxim, he described how Lesnar was “whimpering and wincing” from his kneebar.  On another occasion, Mir expressed a desire to kill Lesnar and thereby cause the UFC’s first fatality.

While the former WWE star may be his top rival, Mir extends blunt criticisms to other opponents as well.  For instance, he managed to enrage Cheick Kongo by commenting on how his takedown abilities “sucked.”

But athletes often have more to them than meets the eye.  In Mir’s case, a cocky exterior hides one of sports’ greatest comeback stories.     

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