GUNNISON, Colo. – Shane Carwin, a 1999 Western State alumnus who entered the RMAC Hall of Fame last Saturday, will look to drop the interim tag when he faces Brock Lesnar for the Ultimate Fighting Championship Heavyweight Title Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be the headliner for UFC 116.
Carwin, who was a 1999 Division II wrestling heavyweight champion and a two-time runner-up for the Mountaineers, will be facing the 2000 Division I wrestling champion in Lesnar. Multiple mixed martial arts experts and sources consider Carwin to be the best match for Lesnar in the octagon.
Carwin is 12-0 in his MMA career with no match lasting longer than the first round. He won the interim heavyweight title March 27 by knockout against Frank Mir in 3 minutes and 48 seconds. His average match time is 1:20.
Saturday will end a long-anticipated matchup between the two after the previous meeting was postponed and later canceled. Lesnar came down with diverticulitis, which prompted the UFC to award an interim belt.
The fight will be carried live on pay-per-view through most satellite and cable providers in the United States and in 26 other countries. Online video coverage will be provided by Yahoo! Sports, UFC.com and the UFC iPhone app.
Sherdog.com will provide a live blog and quick results during the match in Las Vegas.
Carwin holds Mountaineer wrestling records for season falls, career falls and fastest fall. He was also a two-time football American and holds the program record for season tackles. Carwin is a 2004 Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame inductee and a member of the RMAC All-Century football team.