Lesnar and Carwin: the next great MMA rivalry?

If you missed it, go find it and watch it.

I could be talking about the entire UFC 116 card, which was filled with back-and-forth battles and shocking comebacks. In this case, I’m referring specifically to the main event: Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin’s heavyweight championship unification bout.

As I predicted, Shane Carwin had the major striking advantage early on and he hurt Brock badly. But Lesnar somehow weathered a devastating storm; the referee did a fantastic job letting the fight continue as Lesnar was intelligently defending himself despite the pounding Carwin was giving him.

Low and behold, Carwin learned the same lesson Lesnar learned the first time he fought Frank Mir. He punched himself out. Once Carwin gassed, Lesnar used his grappling edge to secure an arm triangle choke and retain the heavyweight belt.

So Lesnar has conquered another giant and must start prepping for undefeated Cain Velasquez now. When I watched Velasquez in the crowd at the event, two thoughts came to mind: (a) as talented as Cain is, I can’t see how his smaller frame will hold up against Brock if Carwin couldn’t finish him; and (3) we haven’t seen the last of Carwin by any means.

In fact, as the dust has settled, I’ve become pretty convinced that Saturday marked the birth of the next great mixed martial arts rivalry. We had Gracie/Shamrock, Couture/Liddell…and I think we’ll one day speak of multiple Lesnar/Carwin clashes.

Since Carwin came so close to beating Lesnar, Dana White would likely love to put a rematch together as soon as possible. Velasquez gets the next shot for sure but Carwin likely has to win just one fight to secure another matchup with Brock.

Given his size – only Brock can match his strength – and punching power, I’m still convinced Carwin has a significant edge over almost every other heavyweight contender. Given what Lesnar did to Mir and Carwin, it’s safe to say he’s head and shoulders above the rest, too.

When you get two fighters seemingly in a class of their own, it seems they’re destined to battle again and again. Don’t be surprised if we see these two behemoths clash a few more times and form a legendary rivalry over the next few years.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA GYM: Located in the heart of North York, Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

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