UFC 131 Will Be Shane Carwin's Big Return To The Octagon, But Has His Style Evolved Enough To Be Successful Against The Best Striker In The Heavyweight Division?
Shane Carwin will be making his much-anticipated return to the octagon in 13 days at UFC 131 against Junior dos Santos in a fight that will determine the No. 1 contender for the heavyweight championship. This will be the biggest fight in Carwin's career thus far.
Carwin was last seen tapping out to Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 in a fight that Carwin completely dominated in the first round. But he used so much energy trying to knock Lesnar out that he was unable to do anything after that round.
Now, in an attempt to get back into championship contention, Carwin will have to stand and trade with the best pure striker in the heavyweight division.
The biggest key for Carwin will be how much stamina he has in him. He has never been a guy that is going to win an endurance competition, but because he is so big and powerful he has won all of his fights in the first round.
The only time that he has gone past the first round was in the fight against Lesnar.
Having nearly a year off, which Carwin has had, can be a blessing or a curse. On the positive side, it gave him the time to really study his past performances and improve upon some things that he doesn't do particularly well. On the negative side, he underwent surgery and that completely screws up a fighter's training regimen.
His power will still be there, no one is doubting that. But, and this is the biggest question, has he been able to do enough cardio work to last in a fight with dos Santos?
Until I see it, I can't believe it. Dos Santos is the best non-title holding heavyweight fighter in the world. He is so good both offensively and defensively that there are very few people that you would favor over him right now.
The key for Carwin will be the end of the first round. If he is showing power and strength, which is his trademark, he can hang with dos Santos for a long fight. If he isn't showing anything, the fight will be over in a heartbeat.
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