LESNAR FACING BIG GUY THAT’S NOT AFRAID!
Las Vegas, NV– With the unexpected dethroning of Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 8 KOs, 16 SUBs) last week by UFC reject Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1, 4 KOs, 8 SUBs), Saturday’s main event will now not only be for the unified UFC heavyweight title, but also for the “official unofficial” title of #1 heavyweight in the world.
SLAYER OF FEDOR WAS “CUT” FROM UFC
Fedor’s conqueror, Fabricio Werdum went 2-2 in the UFC before being cut from the roster after a knockout loss to Junior dos Santos (11-1, 8 KOs, 3 SUBs) back in October of 2008. The fight between heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1, 2 KOs, 1 SUB) and interim champion Shane Carwin (12-0, 7 KOs, 5 SUBs) was already a huge match, now it has been made even bigger. It is a good thing too, since there isn’t much of an undercard to get overly excited about for UFC 116. That being said, many questions will be answered about both men come Saturday and we will see just how well Lesnar can deal with someone just as big and just as strong as himself.
BROCK HAS THE “MORE” IMPRESSIVE CREDS
Although both men have solid wrestling backgrounds, Lesnar is without question the more accomplished. With a NCAA National wrestling championship along with a college record of 106-5 under his belt, Lesnar knows his way around the mat as well as anybody in MMA today. Lesnar also holds an age advantage at 32; three years the junior of Carwin come Saturday night. However, the most notable things Carwin has the upper hand in is his fight intellect, and this very well may be the determining outcome in this fight. When Carwin isn’t smashing people’s faces in, he spends his time working as an engineer and holds two degrees, one in Mechanical Engineering and the other in Environmental Technology.
SHANE’S NEVER SEEN A SECOND ROUND
We do not know much about Carwin’s gas tank as he has never left an opponent standing to see the second round. Lesnar has been three rounds once so both men may be pushed to the championship rounds for the first time in their respective careers-just don’t count on it. In a combined 17 bouts, they have only gone the distance once, that being Lesnar in a unanimous decision win over Heath Herring (28-14, 7 KOs, 16 SUBs). Another concern that has to be in the back of Lesnar’s mind is if he is physically and mentally100% since his illness that has since sidelined his career for the past 12 months.
WHICH MONSTER DO YOU LIKE?
To sum it all up, this is a real pick’em fight; both guys are big, strong, talented and more than capable of stopping one another. I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting a wager down on any man, but if my hand was forced, I would have to go with the cerebral assassin, Shane “Touch of Sleep” Carwin in what is sure to be a stellar match for as long as it lasts.
UNDERCARD BOUTS:
Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, 5 KOs, 7 SUBs) vs. Chris Leben (20-6, 11 KOs, 4 SUBs) Leben replaces injured Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1, 23 KOs, 3 SUBs)
Chris Lytle (28-17-5, 4 KOs, 18 SUBs) vs. Matt Brown (11-8, 6 KOS, 5 SUBs)
Stephan Bonnar (11-7, 2 KOs, 7 SUBs) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (21-9-1, 8 KOs, 10 SUBs)
George Sotiropoulos (12-2, 1 KOs, 7 SUBs) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (16-4, 2 KOs, 10 SUBs)
PRELIMS ON SPIKE TV
Ricardo Romero (10-1, 4 KOs, 5 SUBs) vs. Seth Petruzelli (12-4, 10 Kos, 1 SUB)
Brendan Schaub (5-1, 5 KOs) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (18-2, 7 KOs, 6 SUBs)
Matt “All Meat” Grizzle