Shane Carwin looking to return to Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 1
Former Ultimate Fighting Championships interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin is looking to return to the octagon at UFC 125, which will take place on January 1 in Las Vegas.
Carwin posted the following on his Twitter page: “I expect to be on the January 1st card. I do not have an opponent yet. Any takers? @UFC. I do not care who the opponent is.”
Carwin has not fought since his loss to UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar on 3 July of this year. Prior to his loss to Lesnar by submission in the second round, Carwin had gone on
a tear in the UFC heavyweight division, racking up a record of 12-0 (4-0 in the UFC). Each of Carwin’s 12 victories had been secured before the end of the first round by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
Earlier this week it was rumoured that Carwin would be pitted against Roy “Big Country” Nelson. On Wednesday, Nelson, who is recovering from knee surgery, seemed to put those fight rumours
to rest when he told the Las Vegas Sun, “my knee is not 100 percent yet. I’m still in physical therapy. Right now, (January) probably seems a little too soon.”
Nelson and Carwin had engaged in a previous war of words over Twitter, after Nelson made a comment about ongoing steroid allegations against Carwin.
Carwin’s time off from the octagon has not been without controversy, in August had his name linked to a federal steroid investigation. J. Michael Bennett, supervising pharmacist for Applied
Pharmacy Services was sentenced to four years in prison for the illegal sale of steroids. During Bennett’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins named Carwin as one of several athletes whose orders from the pharmacy had been signed by Bennett.
Carwin has never failed a pre or post fight steroid test in his MMA career and neither he nor his manager has had a comment on the allegations.
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