UFC 116: Shane Carwin - “Climbing the Mountain”

Shane Carwin faces Brock Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight title at UFC 116 on July 3rd

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Shane Carwin has a huge task ahead of him. Although he claimed the UFC’s Interim Heavyweight Champion tag by knocking out Frank Mir in their UFC 111 fight, he is not finished the task just yet. Keep in mind; we are talking about a 6’2” – 265 lb. giant who has twelve finishes in as many career bouts. Now push all that aside, because in reality it means very little to be the Interim Champion to Shane Carwin. The fight that will really mean something is almost upon him, as he will headline UFC 116 along with his opponent, Brock Lesnar, for the right to call himself the Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.

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He has stomped right through his competition so far inside the octagon. A May 2008 drubbing of Hungarian Christian Wellisch was followed by KO victories over Brit Neil Wain and Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga. It was his March UFC 110 (3:48) KO of Mir that opened everyone’s eyes to his strength and power. Mir was a former champion and the only person to have defeated Lesnar, and Carwin demolished him too.

When comparing Carwin’s stand-up skills to Lesnar’s, they can look very similar on the surface. Both have a ton of power, but its Carwin’s technical striking that he may want to utilize. I wouldn’t recommend anybody trade strikes with either of these guys, but I think Lesnar would come out on top of an old-fashioned slugfest. Instead, to have any type of a chance, he will need to strike efficiently by using a cerebral approach. His best chance may be to put together some combinations and hope that the mammoth Lesnar wears down. Other than that, Lesnar would be the favorite, due in large to his speed and athleticism.

If either one of these fighters decide to take it to the ground, whoever scrambles and gets top position will be at an advantage. The former NCAA wrestling champion, Lesnar, most definitely has the speed advantage, but this is MMA and not collegiate wrestling. If Carwin can manage to work Lesnar to his back, he again must try and wear him down with some ground and pound. In my opinion, one powerful punch is not going to be enough for Carwin. He has to try and mix in some elbows and punches to the body if he wants to wear on him. It’s a tough task, but if anyone is able to get the job done, it may just be Carwin.

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This is a huge fight for both fighters, for fans, and for the UFC organization. A bout like this really has no losers. If Carwin wins, he takes the place of Lesnar in welcoming the long list of Heavyweight prospects. If he loses, he really doesn’t fall that far down the divisional ranks. He has begun the steep climb up the mountain, but in order to get to the top of this one, he must take down the Champ. That is easier said than done.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer