Shane Carwin

 

Shane Carwin Interview

Hi Shane,

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions.

Shane - Thank you for your time.  I get a lot of fan mail from the UK.  I really appreciate their and your support of the sport.

MMABay - Firstly, when we did an interview with you last year, you were preparing for a fight with Brock Lesnar. Now 6 months later you’re set to compete against Frank Mir – has it been frustrating sitting on the sidelines for so long? 

Shane - It has been a little frustrating.  Essentially when you do everything you are supposed to do and for no reasons related to you the fight is cancelled not once but twice.  That is how this sport goes and I am just thankful to still be considered the top contender in the division and I am honored to fight Frank Mir.

The upside of the delay has been my entire team has been preparing for important fights and thus keeping me from resting and waiting.  I have been very busy and kept my 3 a day schedule even during the off time so I know I have gotten better, now it is time to see how better.

MMABay - Aside from training, how have you been filling the last 10 months since you fought Gabriel Gonzaga? 

Shane - Gabe shattered my nose so I had to heal from that fight and the surgery that followed.  My wife and I are scheduled to have our first baby inn a few hours from now.  I have been signed by Beaver Buzz Energy Drink and Max Muscle so I have been doing some photo shoots and appearances for them.  I also still have my job so I have been catching up on my work and making sure I stay ahead of the timeline.

MMABay - Next up for you is Frank Mir – how’s your current camp going? It was reported that you had some knee problems late last year – has that affected your training in any way in the run up to UFC 111?

Shane - I was ready to go for Brock but the time off allowed me to heal my knee.  I have been 100% for the whole “official” camp.  I have been training with the guys at Grudge Training Center and Eastons BJJ and I feel like I am getting pushed.  I used to train mostly in the late afternoon and evening but I changed that up recently so I am training throughout the day getting the best of my coaches and time.

A little over a year ago I started training more of a traditional BJJ and obviously facing Mir that wont end up being a waste of time.  I really love BJJ like I do Wrestling, it is so physically and mentally challenging and you can spend a lifetime trying to master the art.

MMABay - Frank Mir is a true superstar of MMA, a multiple-time UFC champion with recent wins over the likes of Brock Lesnar, ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira and Cheick Kongo. Would it be fair to say that this is the biggest fight of your career so far? 

Shane - I think so, I feel like Gonzaga is a lot tougher then people give him credit for but certainly Mir presents many challenges.  Mir has also dealt with all the pressure and increased media attention that comes with title fights.  For me if I get past Mir it will be a great walk through for getting ready for Brock.

I think Mir will be a Hall of Fame inductee for the reasons you mention and I am really honored to be fighting him.  I fight because I love it not because I have too and fighting legends is what it is all about.  I want to test myself against the best fighters in the World and the UFC is currently stacked with world class fighters.  I am excited to be a a part of it all and I look forward hopefully earning my place at the top.

MMABay - Do you feel that you are the underdog in this fight? Does that make it any easier/harder for you in terms of the pressure to win?

Shane - I think I might be, he has fought bigger names and held the belt so it is possible.  I am not betting on the fight so thankfully that won’t matter to me.  He can come in last as long as he is willing to leave first.

MMABay - As one of the biggest fighters in the heavyweight division, you’re used to having a size advantage over your opponents. Frank Mir has recently gone to great lengths to put on extra muscle mass in a bid to compete with the likes of yourself and Lesnar; how do you plan to deal with the added weight? 

Shane - Let’s see how he carries it for 25 minutes.  Brock and I have been big since college.  This is not an experience it is genetics and I know I can go 25 minutes full speed without fatigue from the extra weight.  Also guys like Brock and I have been using our weight as a weapon and it takes a few years to master using your weight correctly.  

I think Frank is making a good decision by putting on the weight as I see the division getting bigger not smaller.  I just don't see it as being the great equalizer that he does.  If I was paying several hundred dollars a month to be my size I'd probably have to convince myself it is worth it.  Only way we will know is when we meet up and see who is pushing who.

MMABay - Mir has said recently that he feels that he has the edge over you as he’s already fought three different fighters in championship bouts; is that a fair comment? 

Shane - Absolutely fair but I am not a 23 year old young gun.  I have fought and participated in my share of "Title Event" even laying in front of millions during the Senior Bowl in College.  This wont be a huge factor in my opinion but I will give him the edge in MMA title experience.

MMABay - Frank has made some controversial statements in the press in recent weeks about wanting to break Lesnar’s neck and hoping that he is the first person to die from injuries sustained in the Octagon. How do you feel about those comments, and do you feel that by talking about Lesnar so much in the build up to your fight, that Mir is looking past you? 

Shane - I did not see the interview so I can't comment on what he might have said.  I can tell you that ANY athlete wishing death upon a competitor is either a terrible human being or mentally unfit to fight.  That type of talk and if it ever happened will take this sport backwards.  Frank has been a part of the stone ages of MMA and it makes no sense why he would want or make comments that might damage a lot of the good HE has participated in adding to this sport over the years.

Brock is a heel in the ring but at home he is a human, husband, father and friend to many.  Wishing death or harm upon him doesn't serve any purpose.  I will do my best to make Frank's dream of fighting Brock come true, unfortunately for them it will be a three round fight as I plan on winning both of those belts.

MMABay - Obviously you won’t be looking past Frank Mir, but the fight a lot of fans are talking about is the potential heavyweight unification bout between you and Brock Lesnar. Why do you think fans are so pumped to see you two go at it? 

Shane - I can't overlook Frank, he has a lot of tools and experience so I am very focused on him and this fight.  For the Brock match up I think it is easy to see the fun in that fight.  Two giants of the sport who match up pretty equally.  There won't be a decision as a matter of fact they can send the judges home early when Brock and I fight.  Someone is getting knocked out.

MMABay - Depending on who you talk to, Brock is rumoured to be back sometime around June/July…would you be happy fighting him so soon if that were the case? 

Shane - Or tomorrow, whenever he is ready.  I was in the audience when he flipped US fans off.  I am ready to punch him in the face whenever he is up to it.

MMABay - On the subject of Brock, despite a seemingly frosty atmosphere between the two of you, you spoke out in defence of him after he came under fire from fans late last year. What prompted you to do that? 

Shane - I think Brock the showman is a heel but at the end of the day when all the personas are put away we had a MMA Fighter fighting for his career and possibly his life.  You have to allow the human side of the tragedy overtake your feelings on how he sells and markets himself and or represents the sport.  I hate the way he acts but I do not wish him any ill will or the inability to fight.

The fans get caught up in the marketing (its effective) and I can't say I dd not fuel the anti-Brock fire post his Mir antics but that was about fighting, the sport of MMA and not life.

MMABay - There have been some very interesting developments in the UFC heavyweight division of late, most significantly Cain Velasquez’s recent KO victory over MMA legend ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira. Can you give us your thoughts on that fight? 

Shane - Who is this Cain guy?  As you likely know I was scheduled to fight Cain at UFC 104.  Cain is a good wrestler who looked like he is evolving in the striking department.  He throws punches in bunches and likes to bring the fight to his opponent.  I would love to fight him as I know it would be really exciting.  Cain, Dos Santos, Todd Duffe, Gonzaga, Brendan Schaub and yes I said it Roy Nelson all have bright futures ahead of them.  I look forward to the challenges they bring and am excited to be amongst such a great group of potentially legendary fighters.

MMABay - Do you think Velasquez’s victory, coupled with the likes of yourself and Junior Dos Santos coming to prominence marks a changing of the guard in the heavyweight division? 

Shane - I think it marks that Joe Silva noticed a potential weakness in his heavyweight division and addressed the issue.  No organization can put on as many compelling match ups as the UFC Heavyweight Division can.  Imagine if Fedor and Rogers were in the UFC...

MMABay - Last time you were on the same card as Dan Hardy, you both fought on the undercard of UFC 85 in Birmingham, England – now you’re both challenging for world titles in your respective weight classes. Has being in the spotlight changed things for you? Was being “Shane Carwin, MMA fighter” any different to being “Shane Carwin, UFC Superstar”?

Shane - I hope not, I still put my pants on like everyone else.  I work to put food on my table and for me fighting is like living a dream.  I won't forget how blessed I am for the fans and the opportunity I get to fight but I also won’t forget where my roots are.  

The title is just the reward for the hard work and of course a reason to find a way to work harder so you can stay on top.

MMABay - We recently did an interview with Brendan Schaub, who had a lot of good things to say about you; specifically how he credits his training with you as a big factor in his development and success in the MMA world. How well do you think Brendan has adapted to the MMA world, and do you see him playing a big part in the UFC heavyweight division going forward? 

Shane - Brendan should credit himself for helping me.  It is hard to find people to let me beat on them and even harder to find those that have the heart to fight me back.  Brendan has been a great friend and training partner and I really cannot thank him enough for all he has done to help me get where I am at.  Most if us at Grudge are like brothers but I'd like to think Brendan and I go beyond that with our earlier days when it was just he and I looking for somewhere to train.

Brendan looked great against Roy.  A lot of people do not know Roy but he is a very talented MMA veteran and has a great grappling pedigree and Brendan looked like he belonged.  Brendan is young and his heart currently is his biggest asset but the more he trains and the more experience he gains he is going to be a force for any one in our division.  I already think he will make an impact and he is only getting better, scary, I know.

MMABay - Thanks for your time, and the best of luck for March 27th!

(An exclusive interview for MMABay.co.uk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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