It's been three years since UFC heavyweight contender Shane Carwin (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has competed without major pain.The pinched nerves in his neck that brought his training to a standstill this past fall are now repaired. He is a new man, or at least a newer man. There are no major problems on the horizon – only the minor ones that accompany everyone who steps inside the cage.
But he is also an incomplete man. He hasn't fought since UFC 116 this past July, and he desperately misses the thrill of competition.
"It's what I love the most, being able to step inside that octagon with all the crazy UFC fans going wild," Carwin said today during a conference call in support of UFC 131, which takes place June 11 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Carwin faces Junior Dos Santos in the main event of UFC 131, which serves as the promotion's second trip to British Columbia.
Lately, the buzz of the gym has propelled the full-time engineer since he returned to the gym five months ago. He's helped training partners get ready for upcoming bouts. But there's been a lot of waiting for his big day. A fight with Roy Nelson at UFC 125 was canceled due to the surgery. For several months, he didn't know who his opponent would be.
But at least his body was cooperating.
"It's a great feeling when you get the feeling back in your arm or your legs right after surgery and you know you're going to be better," Carwin said.
With no physical limitations, Carwin has worked on becoming a better fighter, and there couldn't be better motivator than his previous fight. He lost a chance to take the heavyweight belt when he couldn't finish then-champion Brock Lesnar in the opening frame of their fight at UFC 116. Exhausted, he fell prey to a submission in the second round.
Once a red-hot prospect with four consecutive first-round knockouts on his octagon resume, Carwin was human once again.
"I learned some things about picking my shots a little more when you've got somebody hurt or get them down," Carwin said. "I learned that I have to try to do some things with my nutrition. I don't know if it was a cardio issue. We'll see come future fights. But those are the kinds of things I worked on to try and improve myself."
Carwin hopes those lessons will come into play when he meets Dos Santos. The fight is yet another curveball in his career, though it could hardly be considered a bad one. He was originally scheduled to meet submission specialist Jon Olav Einemo before a shuffle to the pay-per-view deck. Lesnar, who served opposite Dos Santos on "The Ultimate Fighter 13" and was expected to headline the June 11 card, revealed earlier this month that he was stricken with a second case of diverticulitis and couldn't fight. Carwin was the first call to replace the former champion.
The new main event is now considered a title eliminator for a bout with current champ Cain Velasquez.
Opponents regularly change even at the upper levels of the sport, so Carwin isn't that flustered by the switch in opponents. His problem areas are the same whether he's fighting a grappler like Einemo or a big puncher like Dos Santos. If he tires in any fight, he's in trouble. So just about every gym session has been aimed at preventing that.
"I don't think the camp's changed that much," Carwin said. "Everything is the same. The practices are written out that you're going in to do. Obviously, my strategy has changed a bit, too. I was going against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champ, and was preparing for him taking me down and trying to go to the ground, to Dos Santos, who knocks people out.
"The strategy has changed, but the camp has stayed the same."
Carwin said he's slimmed to between 255 and 260 pounds after once walking around north of 280 pounds. He's now eating a mostly organic diet and will be cutting less weight on the week of the fight. The change has left him with more energy than ever, and he'll need it for Dos Santos, who's blazed a trail similar to his with a string of first-round knockouts.
The Brazilian fighter said fighting Carwin instead of Lesnar doesn't change his plans. He's still looking for another KO to add to his resume. Likewise, Carwin feels the same way about Dos Santos.
What better way to return to the octagon than with a slugfest?
"Let's face it, Dos Santos and I got to where we're at by knocking people out on our feet," Carwin said. "I think we're both explosive fighters and I think the fans are going to have a real treat come UFC 131 when it comes to that main event knowing that both guys have knockout power in their hands.
"This is a super exciting time for me. You get very opportunities like this in life, and I get to go in there and make the most of it."
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