Tag: Shane Carwin

UFC 131: Shane Carwin Sees Himself as a Modern Day Warrior

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 las…

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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The Top Five Biggest Moments in UFC History — According to Google

By CagePotato contributor Jason Moles

During the illustrious eighteen-year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, we’ve witnessed countless brutal beatings, killer knockouts, and spectacular submissions. Simply put, we’ve witnessed a ton of holy $&*% moments!

I’m sure you have your favorites that you’ll share with your grandkids when you’re sitting in the old man’s chair. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself which moments in the past two decades were the biggest on a large scale? Well I did and I went to the largest scale imaginable: the almighty Google and here’s what I found. Remember, Google doesn’t have emotional or monetary interest at stake here. These moments are the ones that have generated the most web traffic via searches, not which ones impacted the sport the most.

5.) St. Pierre Beats Shields at UFC 129 – 04/30/2011

Why it’s ranked: Jake Shields left Strikeforce as champion so essentially casual fans and mainstream media alike viewed this as the first major inter-promotional, champion vs. champion fight. Georges St. Pierre, reigning UFC Welterweight champion and winner of nine straight came out on top of Shields who was riding a fifteen-fight win streak over the past five years.

The UFC went all in on this one hyping this event with the normal Countdown shows in addition to a pretty sweet commercial, the Primetime series, and a flyer in my mailbox reminding me to order the PPV. It was a huge moment in both men’s career primarily because it was the first tough competition either had faced in quite some time up to that point.  The underlying reason this mattered so much is that we all wanted to see the GSP vs. Silva super fight.

By CagePotato contributor Jason Moles

During the illustrious eighteen-year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, we’ve witnessed countless brutal beatings, killer knockouts, and spectacular submissions. Simply put, we’ve witnessed a ton of holy $&*% moments!

I’m sure you have your favorites that you’ll share with your grandkids when you’re sitting in the old man’s chair. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself which moments in the past two decades were the biggest on a large scale? Well I did and I went to the largest scale imaginable: the almighty Google and here’s what I found. Remember, Google doesn’t have emotional or monetary interest at stake here. These moments are the ones that have generated the most web traffic via searches, not which ones impacted the sport the most.

5.) St. Pierre Beats Shields at UFC 129 – 04/30/2011

Why it’s ranked: Jake Shields left Strikeforce as champion so essentially casual fans and mainstream media alike viewed this as the first major inter-promotional, champion vs. champion fight. Georges St. Pierre, reigning UFC Welterweight champion and winner of nine straight came out on top of Shields who was riding a fifteen-fight win streak over the past five years.

The UFC went all in on this one hyping this event with the normal Countdown shows in addition to a pretty sweet commercial, the Primetime series, and a flyer in my mailbox reminding me to order the PPV. It was a huge moment in both men’s career primarily because it was the first tough competition either had faced in quite some time up to that point.  The underlying reason this mattered so much is that we all wanted to see the GSP vs. Silva super fight.

4.) Lesnar Submits Carwin at UFC 116 – 07-03-10

Why it’s ranked: This was Brock Lesnar‘s first fight since giving Diverticulitis the F5. (Too bad it was only a two count.) No one knew what to expect. How much cage corrosion would Lesnar have? What about his cardio? Would Shane Carwin win another fight in the first round? That was all answered in the first five minutes as ‘The Engineer’ laid out the blue print for not only how to beat the UFC heavyweight champion, but also what a 10-8 round looks like.

Looking back, it was such a noteworthy night because it capped off, or so we thought, the trials and tribulations of the biggest draw in MMA and left us all with a warm fuzzy feeling. Not Shane, though, he was still sucking wind worse that Roy Nelson a few weeks ago. Regardless, the first round and the shocking result raised a lot of eyebrows, hence it’s spot on the list.

3.) UFC – WEC Merger Announced – 10/28/10

Why it’s ranked: Finally! Something that actually deserves to be on this list, right? I know, I know, settle down scooter.  Remember, Google analyzes what EVERYONE is searching for, not just the hardcore fans that spend their free time commenting on a niche website trying to provoke a flame war. Now where was I? Oh yeah, this is the first moment that actually has long-term significance to most of us.

The WEC was home to some of the best fighters in the game today and sadly, they were gobbled up by the UFC like the last piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Usually when one promotion is consumed by another, much larger and well known promotion, heads turn and people seek out any little nuggets of truth they can. It marked the beginning of a new chapter for the mma world as a whole. Little did we know at the time that the WEC was just the appetizer.

2.) Anderson Silva Stops Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 – 02/05/11

Why it’s ranked: Honestly, I think it’s high on the list merely because some crackpot former pseudo badass named Steven Seagal claimed to have taught UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva the single most lethal front kick in all of combat sports. Seriously, WTH? It was a joke. No, no it wasn’t. It was just a media stunt to get more attention. For real now, I most definitely taught him that kick and to prove it I trained my dragon to do the same thing.

This is a classic example of what a holy $&*% moment is because when you first see it your instinct is to yell out “Holy $&*%!!!” and then look at the guy next to you and repeat. Unforgettable moment + delusional B-list Hollywood celeb = mass hysteria.

The single biggest moment in UFC history according to Google is (drum roll please)…………..

1.) UFC 100 – 07-11-09

Why it’s ranked: UFC 100 was the biggest, baddest, most heavily promoted fight card up to that point and it smashed records left and right including gross revenue, tickets sold, and PPV buys. Two title fights including transcendent fighters Brock Lesnar and GSP plus the culmination of Michael Bisping writing a check his chin couldn’t cash after an entire season of trash talking Dan Henderson on The Ultimate Fighter. Everyone and their mother heard something about the epic event thanks to ESPN and others mentioning it leading up to fight night. Oh yeah, there was that little incident after the main event that got a little attention too.

It seemed like the mma community was stricken with an ailment that prevented the poor soul from acknowledging anything outside of UFC 100 the week of and after the event. We just couldn’t help ourselves. It was our Super Bowl, granted it didn’t kick0ff an annual pop-cultural mega event, but it was significantly larger than anything else we had seen. There’s just something magical about the number 100. We did it, err, they did it. They fought the politicians, PPV blackouts, and the economy while nearly going bankrupt in the process. MMA soared out of the shadows and boldly announced its presence that night putting everyone on notice; in case you weren’t aware, MMA is here to stay.

I know. You know. I know you know. I know you know I know. Don’t get all pissy at me, I didn’t make the list.  All I did was try to make sense of what the data said and make you laugh in the process. Double fail, right? But go ahead; tell me what should have been on this list in the comments. Do you want a follow up with what CagePotato thinks are the biggest moments in UFC history? How about the biggest moments in PRIDE FC’s history? Strikeforce? Ah, who am I kidding? You stopped reading after you saw Steven Segal mentioned.

Clay Guida and Ed Herman Lead Payroll Following the Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale

TUF 13 Finale: Clay Guida and Ed Herman Top Payroll ListBleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:After earning huge victories to their name, Clay Guida and Ed Herman were also the highest earners following The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale.Guida recieved $74,000 fo…

TUF 13 Finale: Clay Guida and Ed Herman Top Payroll List

Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:

After earning huge victories to their name, Clay Guida and Ed Herman were also the highest earners following The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale.

Guida recieved $74,000 following his unanimous decision win over Anthony Pettis and Herman earned $48,000 after his knockout win over veteran Tim Credeur. 

According to MMAJunkie.com, the website received the entire payroll for all fighters who competed at the event this past weekend. The event featured Guida and Pettis in the co-main event, while TUF contestants, Tony Ferguson and Ramsay Nijem, battled for a UFC contract in the main event. Ferguson came on top as the winner after dismantling Nijem in the first round via knockout. 

Here is the entire Ultimate Fighter Finale 13 salaries, courtesy of MMAJunkie.com:

MMA News 6/6: ‘Mayhem’ Miller, Shane Carwin, TUF 13 Finale, MMA in NY and More

Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Monday June 6, 2011:Donald Brashear: Former NHL enforcer wins his MMA debut.Shane Carwin prepares for his fight with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131.Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller calls Michael Bisping “The most hated man in Am…

Bleacher Report’s MMA news recap for Monday June 6, 2011:

Donald Brashear: Former NHL enforcer wins his MMA debut.

Shane Carwin prepares for his fight with Junior dos Santos at UFC 131.

Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller calls Michael Bisping “The most hated man in America.

MMA Gets one step closer to legalization in New York.

Jacare Souza to face Luke Rockhold in September.

The Ultimate Fighter season 13 finale payroll released.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 131: 5 Reasons Junior Dos Santos Should Easily Defeat Shane Carwin

With The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale now in the books, fans can salivate for a week in anticipation of the upcoming heavyweight duel between Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin. The bout will not only decide who is next to challenge champion Cain Velasqu…

With The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale now in the books, fans can salivate for a week in anticipation of the upcoming heavyweight duel between Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin.

The bout will not only decide who is next to challenge champion Cain Velasquez, it will outline the clear number two heavyweight under contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Interestingly enough, both dos Santos and Carwin possess strikingly (pun intended) similar skill-sets. That however, will not change the fact that Junior dos Santos is poised to turn Shane Carwin into another piece of an already lengthy highlight reel.

To argue my point, I bring you five reasons Junior dos Santos not only defeats, but likely stops Shane Carwin within fifteen minutes.

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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. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com