UFC 131 Fight Card: Is Shane Carwin a Contender or Pretender?

Shane Carwin may have a multitude of believers, but he still remains an enigma in the heavyweight division.

Before his fight with Brock Lesnar, Carwin hadn't ever been to the second round.

His overwhelming power and knack for creating carnage on the feet claimed all 12 of his previous opponents in the first round.

With such an impressive résumé, fans piled onto the Carwin war wagon for a showdown with Lesnar at UFC 116. As two of the biggest heavyweights in the world collided, it didn't take Carwin long to unleash Armageddon on Lesnar, who was forced to fend from his back and eat a high volume of unanswered punches.

Still, the former WWE superstar somehow managed to survive the early onslaught and make it out of the first round. When the second round started, fans were mortified when Carwin practically passed out from heat exhaustion and gave up the easy take-down and submission.

Did people overlook the huge question mark surrounding Carwin's cardio going into that bout?

It's easy to become infatuated with devastating finishes and forget about other aspects of fighting. Fighters like Georges St-Pierre are often scrutinized for a lack of finishes, but they constantly demonstrate the ability to overcome adversity and go the distance.

This isn't to say Carwin is incapable of doing the same, it just hasn't been seen from him.

Another questionable aspect of Carwin's game is his wrestling. The background is definitely there, as Carwin was an NCAA Division II Wrestling Heavyweight Champion and a three-time All-American. He demonstrated a strong base and great take down defense in his bout with Lesnar, but is that enough to label him a world class wrestler in the heavyweight division?

The sensible answer to that question is yes, but there are definitely grounds to argue that assumption.

It is a well-known fact that collegiate wrestling doesn't always translate into MMA wrestling, and we haven't really seen much of Carwin's wrestling.

Yet, fans are convinced that Carwin is going to put Junior Dos Santos on his back at UFC 131 on Saturday.

Is this another mistaken assumption?

Training at Jackson's MMA and brandishing a collegiate wrestling title, the vast majority were quick to assume that Carwin had a much better gas tank than he displayed against Lesnar.

What about Carwin's UFC 96 bout with Gabriel Gonzaga?

Most thought Carwin had a huge wrestling advantage going into that bout, but Gonzaga sniffed out an opening and secured a take down relatively easy.

It is incredibly dangerous to make assumptions in this sport.

There simply isn't enough to go on to make a clear-cut prediction on Carwin's career. He could lose to Dos Santos at UFC 131 and fade into obscurity, or he could defeat Dos Santos and go on to take Velasquez's heavyweight title.

Is Shane Carwin a contender or pretender?

As a top five heavyweight, Carwin is definitely a contender, but his overall potential is still shrouded in mystery. The bout against Dos Santos should serve as the true unveiling of Carwin.

Is he the well-rounded fighter most claim him to be, or is he just another powerful heavyweight with decent wrestling and a suspect chin?