UFC Interim Heavyweight Champ Shane Carwin appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter today. A glowering, menacing presence, he wore a black base ball cap that hid his eyes in shadow and grumbled quietly but confidently as he answered the host's questions.
When host Josh Elliott asked if the bout would be decided based on who was the better grappler, Carwin answered that he has prided himself on his focus on the stand up game and that he expected to win the fight with his striking.
Elliott pointed out that Carwin played linebacker for Western State and was actually rated as one of the top 15 NFL prospects at linebacker by at least one talent scout at the time. When asked why he had not pursued football rather than MMA, Carwin answered that the same qualities that make a great linebacker -- the pleasure in hitting other people -- are what make him a driven martial artist.
Elliott then explained that Carwin had won the interim belt while Lesnar was out with an illness and Carwin responded, "Brock has the real belt. I'm going to take it from him Saturday."
He closed the segment by predicting, "You're going to see Brock Lesnar knocked out on the canvas."
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