Gabriel Gonzaga vs Shane Carwin at UFC 96

by BJJDenver on Dec 20, 2008 12:03 PM EST Comment 41 comments

20081017103846_cariwn_medium This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.

Sam Caplan has the report up over at 5 ounces. In my opinion, this is a HUGE jump up in competition for Carwin and could very well set up the next challenger for the belt. It looks to me as though Shane has jumped ahead of Cain Velasquez in the UFC pecking order. Could it have anything to do with the AKA/likeness rights fiasco? It always appeared to me that the UFC had more plans for Cain, but this clearly is the biggest opportunity for either rising star, so far in the UFC.

As for Gonzaga, a win over one of the UFC's up and coming heavyweights, would certainly cement his place as one of the top contenders for the championship. This would be a big fight between two huge fighters. Very compelling match up to say the least. Let's hope it comes to fruition:

Even though the event has yet to be officially announced, the UFC is poised to return to the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the third consecutive year with UFC 96 on Saturday, March 7.

And while no matchups have yet to formally be released to the public, FiveOuncesOfPain.com can exclusively report that a heavyweight clash between former heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and former NCAA Division II wrestling champion Shane Carwin is now set to take place.

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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now we can see what this guy can really do!
Its about time they gave this guy good competition. everyone has been raving about him, and this is the perfect chance to show us if he indeed is that good..sink or swim, carwin.

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Dec 20, 2008 11:47 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely

How can a guy go 10-0, all dominant performances, and not get to prove himself yet?

About damn time.

by mythbuster on Dec 20, 2008 3:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

plus, if they indeed have Chuck vs Jardine 2, and they add more quality fights, then it has the potential to be a great card..

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Dec 20, 2008 11:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Plus, being at the Arnold Classic in Ohio, you know they are going at have somebody along the lines of Franklin or Hughes for regional appeal.

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Dec 20, 2008 11:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I am pretty sure Hughes v. Serra is going to be on this show, which would cover that regional appeal.

by Brett Jones on Dec 20, 2008 12:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nice! I think this show gives the UFC a ton of exposure and press, so I fully expect a big card. Should be great!

Eliot Marshall: Bader won. Like I said in the episode, I'm not going to make any excuses. It's my job to be able to deal with when somebody's doing that. It's not his job to change up his tactics.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Dec 20, 2008 12:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Woo! I really hope this is true!

by Carl P on Dec 20, 2008 12:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Awesome. This will be a huge test for Gonzaga and Carwin, and let the winner emerge as the Heavyweight Challenger.

by "Mr. NC-17" on Dec 20, 2008 12:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

YES! Finally! I’m usually very lukewarm when it comes to Heavyweight matchups but THIS is going to be great.

by cauliflower_ears on Dec 20, 2008 12:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Total No. 1 contender match

Good to see UFC is thinking ahead to keep the HW belt top of mind after the awesome mini-tourney we’re halfway through.

"It's like a flying knuckle sandwich." --Rogan
"And many men have eaten it." -- Goldy

by thetakeover on Dec 20, 2008 1:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is absolutely AWESOME. While I think Gonzaga is outstanding, I’m really pulling for Carwin to inflict some serious damage. Guys a beast.

by dropkick101 on Dec 20, 2008 1:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yes Yes Yes

Gonzaga wins, he’s earned his way back to a title shot. Carwin wins, and we either get Nog fighting another amazing wrestler (with better standup than Brock) or we get Lesnar-Carwin. !!!

by subo on Dec 20, 2008 1:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I like Carwin’s chances in this fight. It’ll be huge for him if he wins. I think if he can bring it early and aggressive, he can overwhelm Gonzaga. Gonzaga tends to buckle under pressure and kind of turtles when he gets hit. Chances are Carwin can hit him pretty hard.

by pud333 on Dec 20, 2008 1:35 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

great! now they just need to start stepping it up for cain velasquez. velasquez vs herring?

by bdw on Dec 20, 2008 4:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe once Cain beats the Bosnian..

you might get to see Cain vs Herring.

As much of a joke as people may think it is, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Couture vs Herring if Liddell vs Couture IV doesn’t happen. Couture needs to fight a quality heavyweight who better than Heath Herring. Plus, it’ll be a battle of the last two guys to lose to Lesnar.

Maybe Velasquez vs Mir if Cain wins his next fight. Its probably wrong to write off Frank Mir already against Nog… but lets be honest here, he doesn’t stand a chance.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 21, 2008 1:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Zero chance. Couture is only fighting big names at this point.

by Michael Rome on Dec 21, 2008 6:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

If Nog beats Frank Mir. I could see a Mir/Couture matchup come March/April.

Then it sets up Couture/Nog. Either for the belt, or for who gets the next shot at the belt.
Depending on how Lesnar/Nog goes.

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Dec 21, 2008 2:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And Carwin just landed on the map. If he wins this one he’s def for real. Gonzaga has looked really strong lately.

UFC 96 is looking pretty sweet. Here’s hoping they get Serra/Hughes to co-main event a Anderson Silva/Chuckm Liddell main event.

by lbk on Dec 20, 2008 5:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Man.. I'm beginning to not like Chuck Liddell

I won’t go as far to say “Fuck Chuck” or “Chuck’s a big puss and is ducking Anderson Silva”….. even though I’m close to it.

I have no desire to see Chuck Liddell and a rematch w/ Keith Jardine.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 21, 2008 1:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

WOW this is just a great match-up. Can’t wait for it!

And just a note if anybody didnt catch this but Carwin wears 5xl gloves 1 above Brock Lesnar’s 4xl gloves. Just saying how big his hands are lol.

by bigislandboi808 on Dec 20, 2008 5:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think Carwin is in serious trouble in this fight. Honestly, he has never looked great to me, and if he takes unnecessary shots this time like he did in this last fight he is taking a nap.

by Michael Rome on Dec 20, 2008 7:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’ll admit Carwin let Wain hit him more than he should, but with Wain’s punching power I think a lot of guys would’ve gone down. I’ll bet that Shane can mount and pound out Napao.

by subo on Dec 21, 2008 12:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Carwin is like ten years older than Cain, they don’t have the same amount of time so they’re throwing him into the deep end; Trial by fire.

by godzillad on Dec 20, 2008 8:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I love this fight – but not as a no.1 contenders bout. I would like to see both guys have at least two more fights before challenging for the title – Gonzaga still has a little way to go since the back-to-back losses (and looking dreadful against Werdum), and I don’t yet fully buy the Carwin hype (but will do if he wins this one).

Great meaningful fight though.

by tomh on Dec 20, 2008 8:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I would like to see both guys have at least two more fights before challenging for the title

Yeah, cuz the current champ had to go through a hell of a lot of fights to get his chance…

by mythbuster on Dec 20, 2008 11:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And if you think that it was wrong, wouldn’t you push for the practice to stop?

Bolts from the Blue // "It is what it is." - A.J. Smith
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

by Richard Wade on Dec 20, 2008 11:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah.. But I think he’s a one time deal.. we don’t get to see very many fighters with that much appeal and is such a monster of a draw at PPV’s that it somehow justifies them being given an immediate title shot..

by Johann on Dec 21, 2008 12:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Fact is...

Lesnar won…. who needs justification really if Brock won convincingly? It didn’t go to the judges…. Brock knocked him out so Joe Silva and Dana White look like geniuses here. They made millions of bucks and have a much more marketable champion…

If Couture had won, well…. they took a gamble and it didn’t work. They are based out of Vegas after all.

Would you rather have WAMMA dictate who gets title shots? I’m personally fine w/ Dana Whie and Joe Silva making the decisions.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 21, 2008 1:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed..

but no one’s trying to justify Brock’s win over Couture or him being the Champ.. It was a clear cut KO/TKO.. no arguing there.. What I meant with my comment, in regards to the notion that there shouldn’t be another Brock like situation where a 2-1 guy gets an immediate title shot, was that there might not be another fighter out there that will have that kind of situation (Like how Brock became a champ)..

And about the WAMMA thing, it shouldn’t even be a question (I think everyone here agrees that they’re silly and worthless) that I’d think its a shot against my character or to anyone at that, if asked with that question..

by Johann on Dec 21, 2008 3:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dude...

I wasn’t attacking you or your character so settle down…

I’ve been hearing the arguments since they announced Couture vs Lesnar that Lesnar didn’t deserve the shot after 3 fights and all I was saying was that the UFC took a gamble doing that and it worked in their favor. Its their right to take that gamble again whenever they please, its their business. If Carwin or Velasquez were up next for whoever wins this lil tournament, I’d be excited and would watch the fight. My point is that records shouldn’t matter, it should be on the caliber of the fighter.

Due to the fact that the UFC refuses to recognize WAMMA, they can make their fights however they see fit and rankings don’t mean a damn thing. I trust that the UFC will not be placing an undeserving fighter in a title match. I prefer the UFC dyamic over the supposed “WAMMA dynamic”

I was speaking in general… if I’m going to take a shot against someone’s character, I’m not afraid to use the person’s name in question. I, however, was not attacking you for your post… I was adding my thoughts to it.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 21, 2008 4:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No worries..

I didn’t say that it was a shot nor did I take it as an attack or anything.. it may sound/read as such but you know the internet goes..

That line should have read "… that I WOULD think its.. " or "I would have thought it was a shot if given the question.. "

And I agree to everything else you said..

by Johann on Dec 21, 2008 4:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you know HOW the internet goes..

by Johann on Dec 21, 2008 4:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Its all good...

I won’t make you sleep on the couch tonight…

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 21, 2008 7:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Aww..

How nice of you..

by Johann on Dec 21, 2008 10:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One would think.

by subo on Dec 21, 2008 12:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Carwin by first round ground-n-pound stoppage. He’ll take Gonzaga down and overwhelm him. Guaranteed. Carwin cannot keep this fight standing, that much is sure. He’ll have to take Gonzaga down and pound him out, which he’ll do. Considering Gonzaga’s track record of having poor cardio, Carwin might want to drag this fight into the second round but he’s an unfinished product (as far as going past the first round) as well. So this is an intriguing fight. Carwin should win. He really should. If the odds are favorable, I’ll drop some moola on him.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill

by FlyByKnight on Dec 21, 2008 8:44 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know if he’s going to want to take this fight to the ground with Gonzaga’s pedigree in Jits. i think his best chance is to KO him.

by lbk on Dec 21, 2008 10:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Gonzaga has a good jits pedigree but Carwin’s striking is not to that of Gonzaga’s. Carwin’s best shot is to take Gonzaga down and just work him from there. Gonzaga will wilt under the pressure, guaranteed.

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill

by FlyByKnight on Dec 21, 2008 2:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One mouthpiece-ejecting punch from Carwin and Gonzaga will quit mentally. Granted, he needs to land the punch before it happens, but I’m confident he will.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Dec 21, 2008 8:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Gonzaga is a one-trick pony on his feet. He’s got that vicious head kick and that’s really it. If Carwin can keep this on the feet and push the pace Gonzaga should break by the second round.

by Zack Gobie on Dec 21, 2008 11:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

100% in agreement with you

I’m also not too impressed w/ Gonazaga. The knockout of Josh Hendricks looked great, as did Cro Cop… but I’m just not sold on this guy. Its gonna serve the purpose of showing the MMA world that Shane Carwin is for real.

by Gunslinger20 on Dec 21, 2008 11:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs