Author: Jeffrey McKinney

Shane Carwin: Is It Time for the Often-Injured Heavyweight to Retire?

With a 12-2 record, Shane Carwin has had a pretty decent MMA career. Although he’s lost two straight, those losses came to a former champ in Brock Lesnar and current UFC champion Junior Dos Santos. Carwin dominated Lesnar in the first round o…

With a 12-2 record, Shane Carwin has had a pretty decent MMA career. 

Although he’s lost two straight, those losses came to a former champ in Brock Lesnar and current UFC champion Junior Dos Santos. 

Carwin dominated Lesnar in the first round of their fight before gassing out and being submitted. 

After a string of injuries, Carwin returned to face Dos Santos. Dos Santos dominated the fight, but Carwin became just the second man to go a full three rounds with the champ. 

After the dos Santos bout, Carwin faced injuries and surgeries before signing on to face Roy Nelson. 

Although Carwin‘s rivalry with Nelson was set to end at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale, the injury bug has once again hit him.

While Carwin has had issues with his back and neck before, this time it was a blown knee that took him out.

Carwin was once one of the most feared fighters in the UFC.

His first 12 fights ended in the first round, with almost all of them ending in the first three minutes.

Carwin is also a former UFC interim heavyweight champion and holds wins over Frank Mir and Gabriel Gonzaga.

But while Carwin may still have the fighting spirit, his body just does not seem to be holding up.

If Carwin were a much younger fighter, it would almost be tragic how his career has been over the past couple of years.

But Carwin is 37 and will turn 38 in a little over a month’s time.

Usually athletes of any sport start considering retirement when they start pushing 40. 

It does not help when you put your body in so much stress like MMA fighters do just to train. 

Carwin may want to prove that he still has some fight left in him. But the safer thing for his body may be just to slow down and retire. 

Since 2009, Carwin has only had four fights with a 2-2 record. 

Carwin once had the knockout power to take out almost anybody. But as long as his body can’t hold up, having knockout power is pointless.  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

1 Thing Each UFC Champion Has to Be Thankful for

On Thursday, many Americans will be celebrating family, turkey, NFL football, and many other things that have become synonymous with Thanksgiving. While some are thankful for family or health, others are thankful for things like the UFC,…

On Thursday, many Americans will be celebrating family, turkey, NFL football, and many other things that have become synonymous with Thanksgiving. 

While some are thankful for family or health, others are thankful for things like the UFC, a day of football games, and an excuse to get off of weight loss diets. 

Just like their fans, each UFC champion has something to be thankful for.

Here is a look at what each should say when they get their turn at the table. 

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MMA: Should Fighters Try To Fight Through Injuries To Save a Fight Card?

When UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones refused to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice at UFC 151, Dana White canceled the entire event. While many fans and White himself came down hard on Jones, he was only half of the problem. T…

When UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones refused to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice at UFC 151, Dana White canceled the entire event. 

While many fans and White himself came down hard on Jones, he was only half of the problem. 

The reason Jones was in that situation to begin with was because his original opponent, Dan Henderson, was injured while training. 

No one really enters a fight 100 percent. And in Henderson’s case, his injury was so severe that there was no way he could fight. 

But thanks to the UFC cancelling the event, more fighters may actually fight through more injuries just to save an event. 

Although this may sound good for a fan to see fights go on, there should be other alternatives. 

Fighters put their bodies on the line just by training for fights. 

But if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that fights can be cut off at the drop of a dime. 

People came down on Jones this year for not taking a short-notice fight. But just last year he filled in for an injured Rashad Evans to fight Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to keep the championship fight going. 

UFC 130 was suppose to feature Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 3, but the fight had to be pushed back thanks to both men being hurt. 

Although it wasn’t the event of the year, the show went on. 

Then there’s the welterweight title fiasco that was originally suppose to feature Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre. 

Diaz vs. St-Pierre and Carlos Condit vs. BJ Penn turned into Condit vs. St-Pierre, Penn vs. Diaz and eventually Diaz vs. Condit for an interim title this year. 

Over the past two years, injuries have plagued more cards, especially main events, than any other time in MMA history. 

But instead of guys fighting through injuries just to save a card, perhaps the UFC should have a list of guys on call in case something happens to a fighter on a main event. 

Or perhaps their cards should be better stacked so situations like UFC 151 won’t happen where the only interesting fight is the main event. 

Not every card will hit it out of the ballpark. Just like unassuming cards like UFC 153 may turn out better than expected. 

Guys will always fight through injuries. It’s apart of the game for any athlete. 

But if it comes to risking your career just to save an event that should not solely be on your shoulders to began with, fighters should take a step back and consider what they’re really fighting for. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Nelson and 5 Fighters That March to the Beat of Their Own Drum

In MMA, there are some fighters you can always expect the same thing from, every time they fight. Georges St-Pierre is the nice guy who plays it safe. Anderson Silva is very modest, despite being the best fighter in the world. Junio…

In MMA, there are some fighters you can always expect the same thing from, every time they fight. 

Georges St-Pierre is the nice guy who plays it safe. 

Anderson Silva is very modest, despite being the best fighter in the world. 

Junior dos Santos will tell you he will knock you out in the nicest way possible. 

On the other hand, you have those few unique fighters who can be complete headaches or simply different. 

These are the guys who play by their own rules and break the mold of what the establishment thinks.

Here is a list of guys who march to the beat of their own drum. 

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UFC 153 Predictions: Who Will Win the Fight Night Bonuses?

The UFC will make its way back to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 153 Saturday night. What was originally supposed to feature a featherweight title fight, the main event will now feature Anderson Silva returning to light heavyweight to ta…

The UFC will make its way back to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 153 Saturday night. 

What was originally supposed to feature a featherweight title fight, the main event will now feature Anderson Silva returning to light heavyweight to take on Stephan Bonnar. 

Also featured on the card is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira taking on Dave Herman, Erick Silva vs. John Fitch and Glover Teixeira. 

There are many exciting fights on the card. But here are the fighters that will take home Fight Night bonuses. 

 

Submission of the Night: Antonio Nogueira

There are many great Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighters on Saturday’s cards. In fact, a few are multi-degree black belts. 

But there may not be any greater than “Big Nog.”

With 20 submission victories on his resume, it’s hard to go against him for Submission of the Night. 

As great as Nog‘s submission game is, he has actually never won a Submission of the Night bonus. 

The last time he fought in Rio, he got Knockout of the Night. Expect Nogueira to come out Saturday night and look for a submission any chance he gets. 

 

Knock Out of the Night: Anderson Silva

There aren’t many people giving Stephan Bonnar a chance Saturday. 

I am one of those people. 

Bonnar is as tough as they come. He has never lost by submission and does not have a true knockout on his record. 

But he’s taking on Anderson Silva, the greatest MMA fighter of our time and maybe the history of the sport. 

Silva has 19 wins by KO. I’ll take that over just about anybody’s chin any day. 

 

Fight of the Night: Teixeira vs. Maldonado

There are many great fights on this card. 

But I believe the one that will steal the show is Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado. 

Between the two, they have 23 wins by KO and eight by submission. 

Considering this is the only fight that features two Brazilians taking on each other, both men should be highly motivated to put on a good show for the hometown crowd. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 153: 10 Fun Facts About Anderson Silva vs Stephan Bonnar Fight Card

UFC 153 is almost here.Although the main event is not what the fans wanted, they will get to see middleweight champ Anderson Silva return to light heavyweight to take on TUF 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar. Also featured on the card are welterweights Er…

UFC 153 is almost here.

Although the main event is not what the fans wanted, they will get to see middleweight champ Anderson Silva return to light heavyweight to take on TUF 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar. 

Also featured on the card are welterweights Erick Silva and Jon Fitch, Glover Teixeira, and the return of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. 

Here are a few extra tidbits that you may or may not know about tomorrow’s fight card. 

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