Shane Carwin hopes Brock is able to recover but excited to be back in the title mix

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin was quick to accept the opportunity of getting back into title mix, when the former champion Brock Lesnar was forced to withdraw from his contention match with Junior Dos Santos, due to his ongoing battle with diverticulitis.

Carwin admitted via his website blog that it was a fight he wouldn’t normally take on such short notice, but that it was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse, to follow his dream.

“Junior is a serious fight and not the type of fight that you would normally take on a 30 day notice, but I have a dream to chase and I do not have a lot of time to chase it,” he wrote. “This is an opportunity to put myself in contention for the title.  I know my coaches will have me ready so I have everything to gain.”

“My manager said, ‘This is where you belong,’” he continued, “and I am going to make sure I do everything I can to prove him right.”

“I hope Brock is able to recover,” he added. “I look forward to facing him again one day.”

Carwin has been battling some health issues himself, not as threatening as Lesnar’s but issues just the same. According to a report on MMA Weekly Carwin suffered with lactic acidosis, a condition that caused his body to start shutting down in his fight against Lesnar at UFC 116 back in July last year. Carwin also underwent back surgery back in November. He is said to have both situations under control now and be 100% ready to compete again.

With his age (36), and lengthy time out against him though, he will still enter the fight against Dos Santos a huge underdog. But as we all know in this sport “anything can happen”. And this matchup should make for an exciting slugfest.