Shane Carwin Talks About Brock Lesnar Mocking Him, UFC 106 Postponement & More

The following is part one of an exclusive interview I did with Shane Carwin earlier this week for FightLine.com. In part one of the interview below, Carwin talks about his feelings about the fight being postponed, how he got his start, Lesnar's comments about his collegiate career and more. For part two of Carwin's interview, where he talks about the bad blood between he and Lesnar, their similarities, his comments and feelings towards Fedor Emelianenko, who he feels would win a bout between Fedor and Lesnar and more, check out FightLine.com by clicking here.

Raj Giri: It's been a crazy day for you with Brock Lesnar having to withdraw from UFC 106. What were your thoughts when you heard that your bout with him was going to be postponed?

Shane Carwin: I was pretty disappointed. We have a lot of work put into this fight and it is a huge let down.

Raj Giri: The UFC noted that Lesnar had not been able to train for over a month due to his illness. Had you heard anything about that?

Shane Carwin: Nope, this was news to me. I have been dealing with the flu, a bad leg and started my camp with a broken nose. I hope he heals up and we can give the fans the fight they want to see.

Raj Giri: It's rumored that your bout with Lesnar has been moved to UFC 108 on January 2, 2010. Can you confirm that?

Shane Carwin: I have not heard anything official yet, and until we get a new bout agreement, I just do not have any idea as to what is next. I'm going to help my team get ready for their fights and see what happens.

Raj Giri: I never thought I'd be interviewing a fellow Colorado School of Mines alum who is getting ready to challenge for the UFC heavyweight championship. Are you still working as an engineer? And if so, will that change if you defeat Lesnar?

Shane Carwin: Right now I have no plans to quit my job. I will need to adjust some things due to the media demands of being a champion, that just seems like it is a million years away. I am really just focusing on my training, staying mentally and physically ready for this fight.

Raj Giri: You made your pro debut when you were 30. What made you, as a full-time engineer, decide to try MMA? And if you could go back, would you do anything different?

Shane Carwin: I have always been a competitor and one of the hardest things to do is to be an inactive competitor. I was helping Ron Waterman prepare for fights, so I was in shape and learning MMA, but it was a support role and not a competitor role. I was offered an opportunity to compete at the WEC (before Zuffa owned them), and I guess the rest is history.

Raj Giri: Your fight with Lesnar was only weeks away, before it was postponed. How was your training camp going? What had you changed in preparing for Lesnar?

Shane Carwin: We brought in some big strong heavyweights to emulate Brock's style and other then that we are working on timing, speed and being able to get up from any position. Brock is a super athlete so it is not an easy task to find people who can replicate his size, speed and athleticism. My coach wants to bring in a Lion and have me try to submit it but we could not find a lion.

Raj Giri: You have won many fights via submission, how would you rate your ground game?

Shane Carwin: Needs Improving! It is where I feel the most comfortable, and yet the same area in which I know I need the most work. BJJ [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu] is like chess and it is very difficult to master. That is really one of my personal goals is to excel at BJJ, in both traditional and MMA versions. I recently started back at white belt (gi) at Easton's BJJ. My trainer is Nick Kline and we are working on a lot of fundamentals. Previous to that I had been a purple belt under Nate, and I think both instructors are amazing but they both have different teaching qualities. I am pretty much a just into learning more and more about the various arts that make up MMA.

Raj Giri: Both you and Lesnar are accomplished collegiate wrestlers, but Brock recently mocked your wrestling pedigree. Do you think when you do fight, that you might take the fight to the ground just to show him up, or keep it standing where many feel you have the advantage?

Shane Carwin: You know, if talk was an olympic sport, he would have a gold medal. He started his career in junior college. so obviously being a great wrestler doesn't equal D1 [Division 1]. Wrestlers have a lot of obstacles to make it to that D1 status, and unlike most NCAA sports we do not have a ton of options, scholarships or fan support. Brock disrespecting ANY college wrestler just shows the lack of character he has for this sport. Guys like GSP are showing that you can learn wrestling just like you can learn BJJ or boxing. I know for a fact that some of the best wrestlers may have never got their shot at D1 due to grades, money, time, etc.

Put NFL where MMA is and ask yourself, 'Is Randy Moss less of a wide receiver because he went to Marshall [Division 2 Football]', or is he a elite wide receiver who doesn't let where he comes from dictate where he may go in life. Brock can create whatever virtual advantage he wants, the truth will be clear soon.

Raj Giri: Speaking of Lesnar's recent comments, he recently also said that he considers you 1-0 because he feels that Gabriel Gonzaga is the only real fighter you've faced. Yet Lesnar was really only 1-1 (not counting his win over Min-Soo Kim) when he received a UFC title shot. What do you think about Lesnar's comments?

Shane Carwin: I totally agree that Gabe is an elite fighter. I, however, do not have the ability to dictate who I fight or when. I am not a WWE superstar who sells millions of pay-per-views. I am just a fighter who trains hard and is finally getting his shot at the title. I do not feel as if I have been handed anything. I consider Brock a tough fight and I look forward to having my hand raised that night.

For part two of Carwin's interview, where he talks about the bad blood between he and Lesnar, their similarities, his comments and feelings towards Fedor Emelianenko, who he feels would win a bout between Fedor and Lesnar and more, check out FightLine.com by clicking here.