Shane Carwin: ‘One of Us Will Need Help Leaving the Octagon’ at UFC 116

Filed under: UFCShane Carwin may not be doing an all-out media blitz in advance of his heavyweight title fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still available to his fans. He communicates with them regularly on his websi…

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Shane Carwin may not be doing an all-out media blitz in advance of his heavyweight title fight against Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still available to his fans. He communicates with them regularly on his website, Shane-Carwin.com, and even recently posted his salary information for the upcoming title fight. Judging by their reactions online and on Twitter, they reward this accessibility with a fierce loyalty.

But to find out what’s going through his head as he prepares to take on Lesnar in what may now be a bout to determine not only the UFC champ, but also MMA’s No. 1 overall heavyweight. MMA Fighting reached out to Carwin over e-mail and got a few interesting responses about where he sees himself in the UFC hierarchy, and what he thinks of Lesnar’s take on MMA greats like Fedor Emelianenko.

The full interview is below.

Brock Lesnar Comments on Fedor’s Future, Dave Batista’s MMA Hopes

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, NewsEarlier this week during a Strikeforce conference call, Fedor Emelianenko was asked about the upcoming UFC 116 fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, and on Tuesday, the roles were reversed, as the UFC heavyweig…

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Brock LesnarEarlier this week during a Strikeforce conference call, Fedor Emelianenko was asked about the upcoming UFC 116 fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, and on Tuesday, the roles were reversed, as the UFC heavyweight title fight combatants were asked about the Russian MMA star.

Because rumblings of Emelianenko’s possible retirement have circulated in the last few days, Lesnar and Carwin were asked their opinions on never having the opportunity to face Fedor before he calls it a career.

“Good for Fedor. I hope he does retire. He’s the greatest champion of all-time,” he said with a laugh. Before anyone could ask him if he was being sarcastic, he made his feelings clear.

Carwin Overshadowed by Lesnar in UFC 116 Leadup, but Ready to Rumble

Filed under: UFC, NewsBrock Lesnar’s illness and one-year layoff are the dominant storylines heading into his UFC 116 heavyweight title matchup, but his opponent Shane Carwin’s life story is equally as compelling.

A former collegiate football All-Amer…

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Brock Lesnar‘s illness and one-year layoff are the dominant storylines heading into his UFC 116 heavyweight title matchup, but his opponent Shane Carwin‘s life story is equally as compelling.

A former collegiate football All-American and Division II wrestling national champion, Carwin seemed on the way to a career in the NFL before an injury derailed those plans. Years later, he picked up MMA and proved a natural. To date, he’s won all 12 of his fights, never going past the first round. Still, he remains story B for the media and the underdog by the oddsmakers. Yet despite his soft-spoken nature and willingness to cede the pre-fight spotlight to his opponent, with a single sentence, Carwin summed up his ability to capture it back.

“If I touch anyone with my hands,” he said, “I can knock them out.”

Wednesday Morning MMA Link Club

(Rule #17 of the Fighter Fist Pose: Never rest your head on the shoulder of a chubby man in a floral-print shirt, as it will completely negate the fist-pose’s power. / Photo courtesy of the TUF 11 Finale: Afterparty pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com…

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(Rule #17 of the Fighter Fist Pose: Never rest your head on the shoulder of a chubby man in a floral-print shirt, as it will completely negate the fist-pose’s power. / Photo courtesy of the TUF 11 Finale: Afterparty pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com.)

Want your highly entertaining and incredibly popular MMA site to be part of the Wednesday morning link club? E-mail [email protected] for details…

– Fabricio Werdum: ‘I will choke Fedor in the first round’ (Five Ounces of Pain)

– Jan Finney Isn’t Going to “Cuddle” Cris Cyborg (FightMagazine)

– Ten Things We Learned From WEC 49 (Heavy.com/MMA)

– Biggest Story Heading Into UFC 116 Is Not Brock Lesnar, It’s Shane Carwin (WatchKalibRun)

– ‘Strikeforce: Los Angeles’ Fighter Salaries (MMA Fighting)

– Kendall Grove Says Spike TV Controls ‘The Ultimate Fighter’, Not the UFC (MiddleEasy)

– MMAScraps Radio: Cain Velasquez, Ben Rothwell and Chris Barnett (MMA Scraps)

Shane Carwin to Make $40,000 to Show, $80,000 to Win at UFC 116

Filed under: UFC, NewsAlthough Shane Carwin is only making $40,000/$40,000 his upcoming UFC 116 fight — far less compared to what opponent Brock Lesnar will be earning — and would have preferred a percentage of the pay-per-view buys that typically be…

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Although Shane Carwin is only making $40,000/$40,000 his upcoming UFC 116 fight — far less compared to what opponent Brock Lesnar will be earning — and would have preferred a percentage of the pay-per-view buys that typically benefits UFC superstars, Carwin says he loves to compete and “would have done it for less.”

“I won’t lie and say I wish I was getting a piece of this PPV,” Carwin wrote Monday on his latest blog. “Of course I want that, so does every other fighter on the card that is not. I love to fight but I would love to fight for millions of dollars. Who wouldn’t want to be paid millions of dollars for doing what they love (aside from that girl in Twilight)? But, I am not fighting for the money. If I was I would have checked out of this sport LONG ago.”

Brock Lesnar Announces Himself Lighter, Retooled and Ready for Shane Carwin

Filed under: Fighting, UFCBy his mere presence, Brock Lesnar found a way to change the game in the UFC’s heavyweight division. A weight class that had previously been big on quickness and/or power striking (think Randy Couture, Andrei Arlovski and Tim …

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By his mere presence, Brock Lesnar found a way to change the game in the UFC’s heavyweight division. A weight class that had previously been big on quickness and/or power striking (think Randy Couture, Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia), suddenly became the domain of mega-heavyweights who cut to make the 265-pound limit and mauled their opponents with strength and wrestling.

But just when you think you know exactly what you’re in for with Lesnar, the UFC heavyweight champion has gone and if not reinvented, at least retooled his attack.

Speaking today about his upcoming UFC 116 championship title defense against Shane Carwin following a year away, Lesnar told reporters on a conference call that he’d dropped weight, added a new striking coach and focused heavily on his strength and conditioning.