Brock Lesnar will make his first defense of the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 106 against another college wrestling standout, Shane Carwin. The event will take place at Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 21st, and will also feature the return of Tito Ortiz to UFC action after a high profile media feud with UFC President Dana White.
Lesnar defeated Randy Couture at UFC 91 to become heavyweight champion, and avenged an early defeat to Interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 100 to unify the belts. Lesnar, a former WWE pro wrestling superstar, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the UFC heavyweight ranks"his defense against Carwin will be only his sixth professional fight. Though hes relied greatly on his wrestling ability and overwhelming size and strength, the 63 265 pound Lesnar has improved as a fighter every time out.
Making this matchup very intriguing is the fact that Carwin has the size and strength to match up with Lesnar. Carwin is also 63 and has to cut to the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds. Working in Carwins favor is his relative experience (hes 11-0) and an excellent training infrastructure provided by Greg Jackson, considered by many to be the best trainer in the sport.
Much of the promotion for the fight will revolve around the personality differences of the two men. Lesnar became the biggest heel in the UFC with an unsportsmanlike display following his UFC 100 victory.
Carwin, on the other hand, is one of the more likably humble fighters in the sport. He earned a degree in engineering from the Colorado College of Mines and until recently worked fulltime as an engineer while pursuing his fighting career. Hes been highly critical of Lesnars behavior ever since UFC 100, and depending on who you ask may also have some personal animosity that goes beyond that. At any rate, its the sort of storyline that makes for box office and PPV gold.
Dana White previewed the matchup with the following statement:
Brock is ready to go now and wants to fight. Carwin makes the most sense. Gonzaga destroyed Cro Cop and he (Carwin) totally destroyed Gonzaga. Plus, he hates Brock Lesnar. Its going to be two huge guys going at it. Hes got the power to knock anybody out and hes got great wrestling, too. Hes one of the guys that has the size to match up with Brock, too.
With two fighters that are physically and tactically mirror images of the other, anything can literally happen. While Lesnars fans might not know much about the relatively low key Carwin, hes a definite threat to take the UFC heavyweight title. - 32506
Lesnar defeated Randy Couture at UFC 91 to become heavyweight champion, and avenged an early defeat to Interim heavyweight champion Frank Mir at UFC 100 to unify the belts. Lesnar, a former WWE pro wrestling superstar, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the UFC heavyweight ranks"his defense against Carwin will be only his sixth professional fight. Though hes relied greatly on his wrestling ability and overwhelming size and strength, the 63 265 pound Lesnar has improved as a fighter every time out.
Making this matchup very intriguing is the fact that Carwin has the size and strength to match up with Lesnar. Carwin is also 63 and has to cut to the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds. Working in Carwins favor is his relative experience (hes 11-0) and an excellent training infrastructure provided by Greg Jackson, considered by many to be the best trainer in the sport.
Much of the promotion for the fight will revolve around the personality differences of the two men. Lesnar became the biggest heel in the UFC with an unsportsmanlike display following his UFC 100 victory.
Carwin, on the other hand, is one of the more likably humble fighters in the sport. He earned a degree in engineering from the Colorado College of Mines and until recently worked fulltime as an engineer while pursuing his fighting career. Hes been highly critical of Lesnars behavior ever since UFC 100, and depending on who you ask may also have some personal animosity that goes beyond that. At any rate, its the sort of storyline that makes for box office and PPV gold.
Dana White previewed the matchup with the following statement:
Brock is ready to go now and wants to fight. Carwin makes the most sense. Gonzaga destroyed Cro Cop and he (Carwin) totally destroyed Gonzaga. Plus, he hates Brock Lesnar. Its going to be two huge guys going at it. Hes got the power to knock anybody out and hes got great wrestling, too. Hes one of the guys that has the size to match up with Brock, too.
With two fighters that are physically and tactically mirror images of the other, anything can literally happen. While Lesnars fans might not know much about the relatively low key Carwin, hes a definite threat to take the UFC heavyweight title. - 32506
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a consulting handicapper for Sports-1 and an authority on thoroughbred horse racing and internet sports betting . He's a published expert on handicapping theory, as well as financial investment strategy. He contributes to a number of websites providing insight on how to bet on NFL football, mixed martial arts and boxing.
