UFC 116: Shane Carwin vs. Brock Lesnar...May the Best Monster Win!

On Saturday, July 3, 2010, we will see a clash of titans unprecedented in UFC history as UFC Champion Brock Lesnar defends his title against Shane Carwin.  

The last and only time we saw a UFC title fight between two men that were well over 265 lbs. was in 2003 when Tim Sylvia defended his title against Gan "The Giant" McGee .  Sylvia vs. McGee was a fight between two striking specialists with very limited grappling credentials. 

This fight will feature bigger, better monster fighters.  Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin brings two of the most powerful men the UFC has ever seen.  Both of them hit very hard, each of them possessing greater raw punching power than McGee or Sylvia or any other UFC champion ever did.  Both them have world class wrestling skills.  Both of them have a very effective overall ground games.

Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin are two guys that are in habit of running over anyone and everyone, and making it look easy.  Brock has never lost a round on the judges scorecards.  Shane has never given any judge a chance to fill out a scorecard.

Brock Lesnar hits very, very hard.  Before Brock Lesnar fought Heath Herring, we all thought that it was only in cartoons and Hollywood movies that one punch could send a guy back-flipping and rolling across the room and into the wall.  Well, across the octagon in this case.

Brock was a champion wrestler back in college, and he’s shown that his skills are as sharp as ever.  His take downs are nearly unstoppable.  His submissions defense is excellent—good enough to thwart Frank Mir, one of the best submissions fighters in UFC history.  He’s got a good chin and an incredible work ethic.

Shane Carwin hits even harder than Brock, and probably harder than anyone we’ve seen in the UFC to date.  When his fists connect, his opponents go to sleep, a fact that he has demonstrated time and time again.

While his focus has been on his boxing and striking in his recent fights, he too is a collegiate national champion wrestler.  He’s also got some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills— enough to end four of his twelve fights by submission moves.  Shane’s fastest finish was actually a submission win by guillotine choke that ended the fight in just 22 seconds.  Submitting a trained fighter that quickly is insane no matter how you look at it.

There's been some number fudging going on.  No Shane Carwin is not 6'5".  No Brock Lesnar doesn't have an 84" reach.  To set the record straight:

Brock Lesnar:
Four wins (3 by knockout or strikes, 1 by decision).  1 loss (submission)
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 265 (currently walks around at 265 lbs.)
Reach: 81"
Style: Wrestling

Shane Carwin:
12 wins (8 by knockout or strikes, 4 by submission)  0 losses.
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 265 (walks around at 285 - 290 lbs.)
Reach: 80"
Style: Wrestling, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

This fight is extremely even.  Brock has the advantage in some areas and Shane has the advantage in others.  Both fighters are very difficult to gage because they just end fights too quickly or overwhelm their opponents too thoroughly.  Each has never been tested in certain aspects of MMA.

My prediction is Carwin by 4th round knockout, but either man can easily win this fight.

After Fedor Emelianenko's loss to Fabricio Werdum last week, this fight is for more than just the UFC belt.  Whoever wins this fight will be crowned, "Best Heavyweight on the planet."

These two men are the bigger, badder monsters of MMA today.  They're not 7' tall behemoths.  They're a lot scarier than that,  trading in height for overwhelming strength and power. Both of them have to cut a lot of weight to make the 265 lbs. weight limit, but neither man is exactly flabby at their natural weight.

Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin have one thing in common: Beyond all doubt, each man is facing the biggest challenge and toughest fight of their career.  May the best monster win!