Tag: Shane Carwin

UFC 116: Leben Gets a Raise, Carwin Gets (Relative) Peanuts

Filed under: UFCAfter taking the fight on extremely short notice, Chris Leben is getting more money for fighting at UFC 116 than he got for fighting two weeks ago at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. And if Shane Carwin thinks he’s getting the short end of …

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Chris LebenAfter taking the fight on extremely short notice, Chris Leben is getting more money for fighting at UFC 116 than he got for fighting two weeks ago at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. And if Shane Carwin thinks he’s getting the short end of the pay stick on Saturday night, it’s hard to blame him.

Brock Lesnar, meanwhile, is making the same base salary for UFC 116 that he got at UFC 100, while Yoshihiro Akiyama — who’s also fighting for the first time since UFC 100 — will make a little more in base salary than he got last time, but probably a lot less once bonuses are factored into the equation.

That’s the basic takeaway from the purses for the four fighters in the UFC 116 main event and co-main event, which were disclosed by Nevada State Athletic Commissioner head Keith Kizer on Friday. More details below.

Trevor Wittman Calls Shane Carwin “Gift from God”

Anytime Brock Lesnar is set to fight it’s pretty normal for the imposing heavyweight to receive a ton of pre-fight attention, after all, nothing resonates more with the mainstream media than a previous stint as a professional wrestler…This time around the story line surrounding Lesnar is even more intriguing, as it wasn’t long ago that […]

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Anytime Brock Lesnar is set to fight it’s pretty normal for the imposing heavyweight to receive a ton of pre-fight attention, after all, nothing resonates more with the mainstream media than a previous stint as a professional wrestler…This time around the story line surrounding Lesnar is even more intriguing, as it wasn’t long ago that the champion’s career was in doubt due to a nasty case of diverticulitis (and let’s not forget Lesnar’s remarks regarding healthcare, which got that spotlight scalding bright).

In addition to Lesnar’s stardom and abilities (Dana White told Ariel Helwani he believes the Minnesota Monster is the UFC’s biggest commodity), what puts tomorrow night’s UFC 116 main event at the top of the ‘must see’ list, is opponent Shane Carwin. While he may not have the high profile of Lesnar yet, the massive heavyweight has also quickly become a UFC star, in part due to his 5-XL fists which have pounded out every Octagon opponent he’s faced thus far.

So, how special is Carwin? Well in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, renowned Grudge trainer Trevor Wittman said this, when asked to recall his initial assessment of the former collegiate football / wrestling star.

“I went home that night thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, with his size and ability, I finally got my gift from God, a heavyweight champion,’” Wittman told MMA Fighting.

Gift from God? Pretty hard to top that in the compliment category. Someone up there is blessing MMA fans with a pretty huge fight that’s for damn sure; to bet on it head here.

Dana White, Fedor Emelianenko, and MMA’s Revisionist History

Filed under: UFC, StrikeforceIt must be nice to have a memory as pleasantly selective as Dana White’s. It’s always there when he needs it, and it never fails to leave him feeling like the smartest guy in the room.

Take the recent upset loss that knock…

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It must be nice to have a memory as pleasantly selective as Dana White‘s. It’s always there when he needs it, and it never fails to leave him feeling like the smartest guy in the room.

Take the recent upset loss that knocked Fedor Emelianenko from the top spot in the heavyweight division. To hear White tell it, he alone saw through the outsized fiction of Fedor, so it doesn’t surprise him to see the Russian fall.

“I’ve been saying that forever, but the media overhyped this mythological creature that they thought was the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, which is just so…it’s so asinine and ridiculous,” he told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani in this video interview.

UFC 116 Odds: Best Bets

From a betting perspective, UFC 116 is all about Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.
Pretty simple math. If you like Lesnar, Bookmaker has the best value for him at -130 here. If you like Carwin in the upset, grab him at +115 at BetUs here.
Bookmaker some of the better prop bets as well. You can bet […]

brock-lesnar-shane-carwin-side-by-sideFrom a betting perspective, UFC 116 is all about Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin.

Pretty simple math. If you like Lesnar, Bookmaker has the best value for him at -130 here. If you like Carwin in the upset, grab him at +115 at BetUs here.

Bookmaker some of the better prop bets as well. You can bet $100 and win $1,600 if Forrest Petz vs. Daniel Roberts wins fight of the night. On that note, decent value there on Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin at +350. Get the Bookmaker props here.

And BetUs has a ton of Lesnar vs. Carwin prop options. Like Carwin to win the entire fight in Round 5? You can grab him at +2000. Check out the BetUs props here.

Lesnar and Carwin Jockey for No. 1 Ranking While Gridlock Forms Behind

Filed under: UFC, NewsLAS VEGAS — The first thing that came out of Dana White’s mouth was an admission.

“Our heavyweight division used to suck,” the UFC president said. “But now, it’s stacked with incredible talent, and all these guys are lined up, …

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Brock Lesnar and Shane CarwinLAS VEGAS — The first thing that came out of Dana White‘s mouth was an admission.

“Our heavyweight division used to suck,” the UFC president said. “But now, it’s stacked with incredible talent, and all these guys are lined up, waiting to fight.”

Indeed, gridlock is forming on the road to the division’s championship. On Saturday night at UFC 116, current champion Brock Lesnar returns from illness to defend his belt against top contender and interim champ Shane Carwin with the world’s No. 1 heavyweight ranking on the line, but both guys don’t have to look too far in their rearview mirrors to see rival war wagons speeding up behind them.

Dana White: After Loss, We Have No Interest in Fedor Emelianenko

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, NewsLAS VEGAS — For a time, Russian MMA heavyweight star Fedor Emelianenko was UFC President Dana White’s obsession. Negotiations ensued, wild money figures were thrown about, and the flirtation ended short of consummati…

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Fedor EmelianenkoLAS VEGAS — For a time, Russian MMA heavyweight star Fedor Emelianenko was UFC President Dana White‘s obsession. Negotiations ensued, wild money figures were thrown about, and the flirtation ended short of consummation.

But the love story that never was will forever remain unrequited, it seems. White says that after Emelianenko lost to Fabricio Werdum last Saturday night in a Strikeforce show, any interest in him is gone for good.

“I’m not interested,” White said after a UFC 116 press conference. “Listen, how many times have you seen us sign a guy when he just loses in another promotion, you know? Oh, the guy just lost in Strikeforce, let’s sign him!”