• UFC 116

Lesnar adamant he won't do a Rampage against Carwin

ESPN staff
June 24, 2010
Brock Lesnar will be expected to take the fight to the ground against the heavy hands of Shane Carwin © UFC
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Brock Lesnar has laughed off the chances of ring-rust playing a part in his UFC heavyweight title defence against Shane Carwin at UFC 116.

Lesnar has not fought since July 11, 2009, when he defeated Frank Mir at UFC 100. Since then, a life-threatening intestinal disorder has kept him out of the Octagon, leaving question marks over his powers of recovery ahead of his second title defence.

Carwin will be expected to come out quickly against Lesnar in order to take advantage of the reigning champion's year-long break from the Octagon. But Lesnar is adamant ring-rust will not play a part like it did in Rampage Jackson's recent clash with Rashad Evans, claiming his team-mates just will not let it happen.

"I'll run through the guys that I've had in my gym this training camp. And if I have any ring rust left on me by the time July 3 rolls around it's a crying shame," said Lesnar.

"I've had about 40 tune-up fights in the last eight weeks in training camp."

Carwin has other ideas though, delivering a chilling warning to Lesnar, telling the champion that nobody can handle the power he possesses in his hands. Carwin enters the July 3 showdown as the interim heavyweight champion, having beaten Mir during Lesnar's lengthy recovery period. Mir was the 12th victim of Carwin's undefeated career, and he was also the fourth of four men in the UFC to get knocked out in round one.

Carwin's hands are known to be the most devastating in the sport, and by training at Greg Jackson's gym alongside the likes of Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, he is only getting better.

"If I touch anybody with my hands, I knock them out," warned Carwin.

"When you go with the smaller guys, the 205s and even a couple of middleweights, they bring speed and footwork and you try to match that as a heavyweight. It's good just to look at aspects from all different fighters and give different looks."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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