Shane Carwin – Here I AM – The UFC 84 Aftermath
By Dave Carpinello
Fresh off his 44 second knockout of Christian Wellisch, UFC newcomer Shane Carwin took some time to talk with PDG about his victory, working for the UFC and mainstream mixed martial arts.
PDG: How are things going?
Carwin: Great, I’m just packing up to head out to the fights tonight.
PDG: The Ring of Fire event in Denver?
Carwin: Yes, I am cornering one of the fighters there tonight; Brendan Schaub. He’s a former college and pro football ballplayer that has been doing MMA now for about a year. There should be some good fights tonight.
PDG: Cool, I won’t keep you too long to then; so what was your first fight in the UFC like?
Carwin: It was a great experience, the UFC as an organization is really top-notch. They are everything that they are hyped up to be and I was just really excited to be there, and have the opportunity to fight for them.
PDG: 44 seconds; I thought you said in our previous interview that you wanted to see how good your cardio was?
Carwin: [laughs] I worked like hell on my cardio but I’m not going to complain, I’ll take a victory like that any day.
PDG: Were there any surprises in the fight?
Carwin: I figured he might want to stand and fight but I wasn’t really sure what his game plan was going into the fight. He probably didn’t have a lot of film on me fighting or who I train with so my game plan was about the same….stand and throw.
PDG: Even though the fight lasted less than one minute; did you notice anything that needs work in your training?
Carwin: I can definitely work on everything, I am just scratching the surface, technique wise. I need more work on my stand up, jui-jitsu and even my standard wrestling, because mat wrestling is a lot different than cage wrestling.
PDG: I am pretty sure that you had the ‘Knockout of the Night’ award until Wanderlei Silva knocked out Keith Jardine in 36 seconds. Dana White was reported as saying he was going to take care of you anyways; so did they treat you pretty well?
Carwin: Like I said, the UFC is a first-class organization. I don’t feel like I got robbed by any means, Wanderlei was definitely deserving of the award. Jardine and Silva was a big time – hyped fight, two top 10 light heavyweights going at it.
PDG: What was the whole experience like for you; the crowd, the media, the organization?
Carwin: My fight was pretty much treated as just another fight on the card. There was definitely a lot more media than I was used to. Overall it was a great experience. My fight was the first one of the night and so you know, of course, the fans are still rolling in to the arena. Once you step inside that cage though, you don’t really notice how many people are in their seats.
PDG: That might have been one of the best UFC cards so far this year; did you get a chance to see any of the fights after yours?
Carwin: After my fight, I was so damn hyped, I sat in the back with my teammates and was just enjoying the whole experience and having a great time. I did watch the Silva – Jardine fight because I consider Keith a teammate. He comes up to Colorado to train every now and then and Coach [Nate] Marquardt often trains with those guys down at Greg Jackson’s camp. Also, the [BJ] Penn – [Sean] Sherk fight was a good one, overall I thought there was a lot a good fights on that card that night. There were some great submissions and also some great knockouts, overall a great display of the many disciplines in MMA.
PDG: Did you take some time off after your fight before you went back into the gym?
Carwin: Not really, I was back in the gym that week for a couple of days reviewing film of the fight. I saw a lot of things that I need to work on, so I have been back in the gym working on techniques and trying to fix some areas of need for me.
PDG: Do you have a timetable on when your next fight will be?
Carwin: I have not been told of anything upcoming as of yet. I’m just going to continue training as hard as I can until I get that phone call.
PDG: Do you feel like you need some time before another fight or are you ready to get back in there?
Carwin: I am so passionate about fighting and training that I will be ready to get back in there at any time.
PDG: Are you still working full-time as an engineer?
Carwin: Yes, I am. I will continue doing that until I make it in fighting.
PDG: Well, your off to a good start at 9 – 0.
Carwin: Yes it’s been good so far, I’m enjoying the ride and having fun with it. I feel extremely blessed and I thank God for all my gifts.
PDG: You brought up your coach, Marquardt; what did you think of his split decision loss to Thales Leites?
Carwin: I think he did great in that fight and he would’ve won if not for the point deductions. I know he didn’t do anything intentional and when you’re in the cage like that, you’re on reaction. I talked to Nate and in his mind, he thought Thales was back up on his feet….unfortunately, he was about a split second to early with the knee. You live and you learn I guess. Nate performed well, he was aggressive and his technique was good, it was just unfortunate that he got those two points deducted for the knee and then for the elbows.
PDG: As far as I could see, those elbows were to the side of the head and it shouldn’t have been a penalty.
Carwin: The elbow penalty was not a good call. But the referees are trying to do the best that they can and you have to take all of that into account. Just like any other sport.
PDG: The weekend after your fight was the debut of the EliteXC-CBS Saturday Night Fights; did you get a chance to watch it?
Carwin: I was able to watch some of it.
PDG: What were your thoughts on the main event between Kimbo Slice and James Thompson?
Carwin: I think that both fighters were probably riding a lot of hype and that may have worn each one of them down during the fight. I don’t know what I would say about my thoughts on the fight.
PDG: Have you ever seen a fighter go into the ring or cage with cauliflower ear like that?
Carwin: My fiancé asked me the same question. Maybe they did try to drain it before the fight; when I was in wrestling, there were guys that had their ears drained and they would immediately fill back up. So I don’t know if that was part of the problem or if they just didn’t drain it.
PDG: I wrestled for about 12 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before.
Carwin: Yeah, it was flopping around pretty good out there.
PDG: Do you think that Kimbo is a legitimate heavyweight right now?
Carwin: I think Kimbo is putting in the time and the effort to become a legitimate heavyweight. When he talks, he doesn’t sound overly confident and admits that he has a lot to work on.
PDG: Ron Waterman, who you have also worked with quite a bit; is fighting Dave Herman tomorrow night in Hawaii for EliteXC. What are your thoughts on his fight?
Carwin: Ron is very talented and anybody that goes into a fight under estimating him, is going to be in trouble. From the times I’ve worked out with him, I will tell you that he is freakishly strong. Some people bring up his age but I don’t think that is going to be a factor.
PDG: Thanks again for your time; is there anything else you’d like to add?
Carwin: Anytime, I want to thank Max Muscle for all of their supplements and Grudge Fightwear. Thanks again and tell my fans I will be back in the cage soon.
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