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He stands 6-foot-4 inches tall and weighs a ripped 260 pounds. He was a division II collegiate wrestling champion, and an All-American in both football and wrestling. His record in MMA stands at 8-0, with wins over a UFC veteran, a Strike Force veteran, a WEC veteran and an American Gladiator. The average length of those eight fights was 67 seconds, and no opponent lasted more than 2 minutes and 11 seconds against him.
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Think this guy might have a future in the sport? UFC has a new heavyweight, and his name is Shane Carwin.
Carwin was an athletic standout at Western State College (Colo.), where he was a two time All-American in football and a three time All-American in wrestling. He participated in the 1998 Senior Bowl and might have been drafted by an NFL team were it not for an injury he suffered in that game. He returned to school for another year, and won the division II national wrestling championship.
Athletic competition was always a strong interest for Carwin.
"I've been in athletics since I was six-years-old," Carwin says. "It's a passion I've had since I was a little kid. I still have that passion to compete."
While MMA would have seemed a natural fit following college, that wasn't a path Carwin pursued.
"MMA never really entered my mind," he notes.
Instead, he pursued his engineering degree. He wouldn't get into MMA until a few years later.
Carwin's entry into MMA came somewhat by accident. He was helping to train MMA fighter Ron Waterman, and became interested in mixed martial arts. With limited training, Carwin was offered a fight. He accepted, and just like that he was in the MMA game. He is trained by Trevor Wittman, and Nate Marquardt is one of his sparring partners.
Carwin's wrestling ability has been the key to many of his early wins. He takes his opponents down and overwhelms them with his punching power. However, he recognizes that in order to make it to the top of the sport, he will need to diversify his MMA skill set. Carwin feels his standup and submissions can both still use some work.
"I think there's a lot of room for me to grow in those areas, and I look at that as a good thing," Carwin says. "Even in my wrestling, I have room to grow. I will continue to try to improve my game and take my abilities to the next level."
One potential problem Carwin might face is the cardiovascular challenge of a 15 minute fight. Carwin's large, muscular frame may not be built to go that long in an MMA competition. It is a test that Carwin will face sooner or later, but it's not one that he is concerned about.
"I come from wrestling and have the football background so I know what it takes to perform on that level," Carwin says. "Right now, I feel I'm probably in the best shape of my life. My cardio will hopefully be a strong point for me."
