As crazy as it sounds I think the time off just helped me get better as a fighter. I am still young in the MMA game and having a year to spend on working on game plans for the elite guys in the division helped me get better.

I understand you almost had to pull out of the fight just two days before UFC 111 due to an abnormality with a blood vessel in your brain? How much did this affect you in the build up, both mentally and physically?

Well I do not pull out of fights but I was almost not cleared to fight due to some of the stringent guidelines the UFC has in place. They brought in the best of the best medical personnel and made sure I understood everything that was being done to me. I get into the procedure on my blog at shane-carwin.com but I was pretty sick for 24 hours after the test were completed. I was thankful they were so through but it was a stressful situation. I do not know if the dye was the cause or if I had just planned wrong but my last pound and a half were tough to cut.

The fight was won through your domination of the clinch which set up the finish – was the clinch game something you were looking to use before the fight, or is that just how the fight materialised?

That was the strategy. Coach Wittman felt that my dirty boxing and power were enough to win this fight. I just executed a perfect game plan.

After the extensive bodybuilding programme that Mir has been undertaking in recent months, he had made a lot of how much bigger and stronger he had become. You didn’t have any problems at all however controlling him against the fence, allowing you to unleash those powerful, short shots. Were you surprised at all by the ease at which you managed him physically?

Not really, when he landed his big power shot I knew we were on different levels and I just relaxed and went to work. I have been big since I was 15 and I walk around close to 300 pounds but I am in great shape for being such a fatty. I am training with elite guys and I have to keep pace so when it comes fight night I am lighter than normal but i have the same strength. I feel more agile and even a little stronger then my opponents. Brock will be a true test for me, while Mir has more talent than Brock, Brock is an elite wrestler with similar size and power. It should make for a great fight.

You talked a lot about testing Mir’s ‘mental toughness’ in the build up to the fight. After the first clinch was separated and he had taken some damage, he seemed to throw some almost ‘hail Mary’ style shots as if going for broke. Do you feel that after taking a few early short rights, Mir realised it wasn’t a place he wanted to be any more?

Not sure what he was thinking but those shots boosted my confidence. I actually enjoy getting hit, it makes me mean and I am not a mean guy. There are times that we will be sparring and I will remove my headgear out of anger (stupidity too) and tell my partner lets go. I love the competition aspect of two people testing each others will.

Next up comes Brock Lesnar for the undisputed title, are you conscious of focussing on this as a title fight as opposed to a grudge match? Do you feel you need to separate the two in your preparation?

I hold no Grudges towards Brock. He is the guy with the belt and that is what I am doing this for. I want to be the best and I have to beat the best to get to that place. Brock is a real threat to any man. He has elite wrestling, he is a super athletic and fast big guy and his power is impressive. That is my focus make sure I give myself the opportunity to win this fight. I am not worried about the belt or what he said in an interview I am just going to focus on imposing my will, executing my game plan.

With Mir now hoping that you defeat Lesnar later this year in order to get his rematch with him, is he someone you might look to work with in your preparation for the fight?

I have a ton of respect for Mir but I doubt I will work with him. I will let my coaches continue to build the ideal training camps and partners to win fights. That formula has worked so far and I will let them take the point on this.

Psychologically, Lesnar seems to need to almost tell himself how much better he is than his opponent, for example talking about both your wrestling careers and past opponents last year; and with his war of words with Mir. Do you look at this as an indicator that at some point in the fight if things aren’t going his way, he’s the kind of guy that can break if he starts to doubt himself?

I have not seen him break yet, that is what I intend to do July 3rd. I want to push him farther than he has ever been pushed. I want to test his heart and see if he is just a big tough guy or a true MMA Warrior. I hope he stays healthy and I can face the best Brock Lesnar ever.

You’ve always been seen as a man with the physical attributes to trouble Lesnar, and apart from it obviously being dangerous to stand with you, he shouldn’t be able to control you on the ground like some of the smaller fighters he’s faced. How do you think he’ll approach the fight?

I feel like I work on being a complete MMA fighter. I do BJJ, I do my Muay Thai, I do Wrestling and Striking. I am a student of the game and have a tremendous amount of respect for the sport and the athletes that participate in it. I want to defeat him with my skills and break him with my will to win.

Going back to UFC 111, being a Brit I was obviously disappointed to see Dan Hardy beaten convincingly by GSP on the night. The fight showed just how important wrestling is to the sport of MMA, and we see a number of wresters at the top of the heap in your Division. With no college wrestling per say in the UK are our fighters always going to be at a disadvantage and playing catch up?

No I think the UK fighters will view Hardy’s sudden rise to stardom as reason to embrace all aspects of the sport of MMA. This is not boxing and you have to respect that. If you are an up and coming fighter how could you not want to cheer Hardy on, ad seeing his success at such a young age means he can come back better and more equipped to deal with a GSP. Think back to when Tito was a Wrestler/Striker, he took time off from MMA to learn submissions. Not because he wanted to win Abu Dhabi but because he wanted to be the best in his division. I expect the UK to have their Champion sooner than later.

Thank you for your time, is there anyone you’d like to thank?

My family, Team Carwin, My management company, and my sponsors. I know they know this but none of this would be possible without them. Join my website and connect with me at www.shane-carwin.com

The first ever UFC fight card in Australia, and a big win on home soil – does it get any better?

Yes, it does get better than that. Let’s see what the future holds, but look, it was a great experience against a very experienced opponent who’s well respected in the division, and I’m glad I just got to showcase myself against a fighter of that calibre. It moves me along in the Lightweight Division to greater prospects.

We’ve seen here in the UK how MMA can take off, with big gates and sales leading to yearly events and bigger fights heading here. With record breaking figures achieved over that weekend what can this do for MMA in Australia?

It’ll definitely follow the same course as the USA and the UK. Australia is very similar to the UK in that it’s far away from the USA but also in the martial arts; the patterns and the styles of the fighters have many similarities. The blueprint that the UFC has left here in the USA and in the UK is the same as that in Australia in terms of the Ultimate Fighter reality show, PPV events, large venues, the large media campaigns – all that is going to contribute to the growth of the sport.

Of course in the UK Michael Bisping was our flagship fighter – it looks like that mantle in Australia belongs to you now?

I would say so. I only had one fight, you know, it was one fight so I don’t want to rest on my laurels and speak too soon but I would have to say I was definitely a fan favourite because the crowd was very vocal when I fought and I don’t think anybody received the reception I did. Not that I expected it but it came as a bit of a surprise that they were as supportive as they were. I loved every minute of it and I appreciated it, and I think more fighters will come out of Australia and anything’s possible – who knows what the future holds?

Joe Silva matched you up with a big name in Lightweight challenger Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson, you were obviously thought of very highly by the organisation’s hierarchy before the fight – have you had any indication as to where you stand in the division or whets next for you?

No, the only thing that I know is what Dana White said in the press conference after the fight, and he was pleased with the performance and thought it was a great fight – It got Fight of the Night – so that’s the only indicator I’ve got for where I stand in the division. Obviously I was in there fighting Joe Stevenson and taking on a fighter of as high a calibre as himself means there’s a bunch of names out there that can be thrown around, but I really don’t know what’s next. I’m hoping to fight as soon as possible – anywhere in June or July – that’s when I’m thinking will be next for me but no opponent has been named as yet.

With both Nate Diaz and Diego Sanchez moving back up a division this also gives a clearer run to those on the fringes of the title picture…

That’s possible, I think as long as my performances remain consistent and I continue to do well, I don’t see why that wouldn’t happen.

I think a lot of those in the know had you down as a dark horse for this fight. Were you surprised at all by how seemingly easily you dominated a top fighter of Stevenson’s stature?

Yes and no. Look, I know what my capabilities are and what I’m capable of so I knew I could beat him. I don’t want to sound conceited but I was confident in what I was capable of and like you said I was seen as a dark horse. I think I was overlooked and underestimated by a lot of people and that gave me a lot of motivation to train hard and fight to my abilities; but at the same time I was surprised in that first round at how much I dominated him. So I guess it’s a yes and no to your question.

Stevenson’s last performance was very impressive against a fighter in Spencer Fisher who was supposed to cause him problems with his stand up. Spending the majority of your training time in Vancouver with boxing trainer Leonard Gabriel, I assumed this would be the area you’d mainly look to initially attack – but you pretty much dominated everywhere the fight went. What was the gameplan heading in?

My gameplan was to fight wherever the fight was. I didn’t have a strategy to keep it standing, fight on the ground – the way I train, I train for everything and that’s the way I fight.

How did you find the preparation with such a big time difference between the US and Australia for the fight? Was it that much more difficult to get physically up to speed?

Well, when I flew out there for the Press Conference it really burnt me out. I flew straight to Australia and then straight into meetings and so on and I didn’t really get the time to rest so after a day or two in Australia I felt burnt out and when I flew back to the States I felt equally as exhausted as I didn’t have a chance to recover from the jetlag. But that was a good gauge and helped me prepare for when I returned for the fight. Before the fight I prepared well, I rested the day I travelled, and when I got to the hotel I just went straight to my room and rested all day and woke up the next day feeling great. I didn’t have any problems, I was able to recover and get up and train and I didn’t really show any of the effects of jetlag. I think I really prepared well and did everything right.

Were you able to catch any of the other fights that night or were you still caught up in the elation of your own victory?

A bit of both, I was watching the fights before my fight back in the training room and then wasn’t paying much attention when I was warming up for my fight. After my fight I was trying to watch the other fights but there was a lot of media back there so I couldn’t give it a hundred percent of my focus, but I was in and out of paying attention to the screen. Since then I’ve caught up with all the other fights.

Many saw that event as a ‘changing of the guard’ where Cain Velasquez dominated Nogueira, likewise yourself with Joe Stevenson, and Ryan Bader defeating Keith Jardine. I’m sure you see many of those fighters as still relevant, but are you of the opinion that a new breed of fighter is coming through due to the sports increasing popularity, that is a more accomplished and more well rounded athlete?

I understand what you’re saying – I don’t think it’s a new breed of fighters I just think that there’s a lot of talent around, and it just proves that you don’t have to have a big name to succeed in this sport or any sport. Y’now I just think hard work pays off and anyone can get in there and give anybody a run for their money. Just because, like myself, I was the underdog in this fight, I was the dark horse; I think people give experience too much credit. I think he had a little too much confidence, and he underestimated me a little too much. I think people favoured Stevenson a lot because it was like a popularity contest. They based their decision on his popularity because he had more UFC fights than me and basically more UFC fights means more coverage from the press. The UFC is a marketing machine, so y’now just because they’re a marketing machine doesn’t mean that other fighters in the UFC aren’t dangerous. I know there are a lot of dangerous guys out there that aren’t fighting in the UFC, and there’s a lot of guys out there who could be fighting in the UFC. There are a lot of dangerous guys out there and I’ve come across them in the gym, in training and so on; but that’s basically how people make their decisions – based on what they see on TV.

So what have you been doing since the Australian event? I’m sure there was plenty of PR over there, then back to the U.S to return to training?

Yeah there has been a lot of PR, and y’now I got a bit of a break to see my family, I’m back in the States now and I’m back in training.

There’s already talk of yourself being the type of fighter who can threaten BJ Penn, how do you see the fight against Frankie Edgar going? Any chance of an upset?

I think an upset is very possible. Frankie Edgar has the speed, he has the agility and the athleticism to give BJ Penn a lot of problems; but I really think that BJ Penn is fundamentally strong on the ground, with his wrestling, and his boxing, and he has the experience to handle Frankie Edgar.

We’ve also recently seen the arrival of James Toney in the UFC. As someone with a strong boxing background yourself, how do you feel he will adapt to the sport and do you see him threatening the fighters at the top level?

It all depends on how good his ground game and his wrestling is, without those aspects and elements I really can’t tell you. If we’re basing it just on his boxing, he won’t do well at all because you need – it’s mixed martial arts – you need to handle yourself on the ground with your wrestling so I don’t know if he’s prepared for those areas but if he has, he could be very dangerous. Boxing is very important – but then every aspect of mixed martial arts is very important.

The new series of TUF is due to hit our screens soon and as a former cast member will you be watching? Apparently with a former opponent of yours will be on the show this time around?

That’s right. I try to watch it when I can but I’m usually training, I train a lot, I train every day, so if I get home in time and if I don’t have any work to take care of then I’ll definitely watch it.

Should we expect big things from Kyle Noke?

I think Noke will do well; he’s got a lot of heart. I don’t see why he wouldn’t do well.

Thanks again for the interview. Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

I’d really like to thank Leonard Gabriel my boxing trainer at Fisticuffs Boxing Gym, Vancouver, Washington. I’d also like to thank Eddie Bravo at Tenth Planet Jiu Jitsu in Los Angeles and I’d like to thank the guys at Impact Jiu Jitsu in Beaverton, Oregon. I’d also like to thank Team Quest in Portland, Oregon for the sparring.

You recently presented the ‘Knuckleup:Origin’ show for Sky Sports here in the UK, will we be seeing more of you in this capacity for future events?

Yes, I am a director in the company so will be involved with all of the events from now on…I’m presenting them at the moment aswell and would love to keep that as part of the show

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The ‘Knuckleup’ show was a really successful event and it seems like the British promotions are now receiving some interest and also backing from UK TV Broadcasters which is great for the sport here…

It’s fantastic for UK MMA. Its still a very niche sport in the UK and we want it to become a huge sporting presence as the UFC is for the US market. I think having the fights on SKY SPORTS really helps us with that, and our shows are going to get bigger and better

You’ve attended a number of events for the UK promotions, have you ever been to any events from the larger organisations such as the UFC?

I’m yet to go to a UFC fight to be honest which I’m gutted about! Obviously its always great to go to a show with such a huge atmosphere and following…and the UFC is the biggest and best. We want KnuckleUp to be a huge force in the UK too so that we can start getting some of those huge fights for our show.

You’re obviously a big fan of the sport, have you ever trained in any of the disciplines?

I used to be very into Karate when I was young. I got my Black belt when I was 13 and trained with the England team so it was a massive part of my life…perhaps thats why I like MMA so much

Who are your favourite fighters in MMA?

I tend to like the UK stars as I feel it’s good to support our home grown talent. Obviously Bisping is flying the flag for us at the moment and I love to see him fight, but I’m a big fan of some of the fighters that we had at KnuckleUp like John Philips and Denzil Thomas too.

In a few weeks time we’ve got the biggest fight in UK MMA history so far as Nottingham’s Dan Hardy looks to dethrone Georges St Pierre as the UFC Welterweight Champion – how do you see this fight going?

Well Dan has done amazing well getting so far in the UFC in such a short space of time. GSP is pretty much one of the best fighters the UFC has to offer so it’s a big match. I think form what I hear, its going to be a very close fight but I’m routing for our British lad!!

We also recently saw Michael Bisping narrowly defeated by Wanderlei Silva in Australia, how did you see this fight?

It’s always good to see Michael fight, and even better when he wins! He is doing great things for MMA and for the UK in particular…he has his critics but when he keeps churning out results its hard to doubt him. I think he has a long way to go to become a great but if he keep beating the big names, he will get there I’m sure.

Having watched a number of events now in the UK have you noticed any UK based fighters you expect to break through to the larger promotions in the next few years?

I think I’m a bit too new to the sport to really know who will and won’t make it, but there have been some great fighters to grace the KnuckleUp ring already, that have caught my eye. Ashton Kehoe had a great fight and is definitely one to watch.

Obviously you spend a lot of time in the Big Brother house recently with Alex Reid, will you be going to the BAMMA 3 event where he fights Tom Watson in May?

I’m hoping to go and watch Alex fight but it all depends on diaries and scheldules. I’ve spoken to him recently and he training really hard so I’ll wish him the best no matter what. I hope I can get down there to support him!

What other projects should we expect from you in the near future?

I’ve got a few things on with regards to hopefully putting a single out etc, but KnuckleUp is a big priority for me at the moment…The problem we have at the moment is trying to find good venues big enough for our fights!! We will be letting people know about upcoming events through our website www.knuckleup.co.uk so watch this space!

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