Carwin: Cardio Was Fine but Body Was Not

Shane Carwin punished Brock Lesnar in the first round of their heavyweight title fight Saturday at UFC 116, but the onslaught may have also cost him the bout as he grew fatigued without finishing Lesnar.

“The game plan last night was to be patient and let the fight come to you,” Carwin wrote Sunday on his blog at http://www.shane-carwin.com. “When I had him in trouble, the ref (kept) saying he was going to stop it and then towards the end of the (first round), my body began to seize up. In between rounds I could not move my legs and had what felt like a whole body cramp. My cardio was fine, but my body was not. What can you do? You have to stand up and face your opponent.”

The second round was a much different story. Lesnar scored a takedown early, moved to mount briefly and then jumped to the side to submit Carwin with an arm-triangle choke at 2:19.

“Heading into the second, I knew I (needed) to finish the fight or I was going to be in trouble,” Carwin wrote. “Much like the champion he is, I am sure Brock was thinking the same thing. I had zero takedown defense, as my legs were dead to me and the rest is, as they say, history.”

The loss was Carwin’s first in 13 professional fights. He said on his blog that losing is what happens on the way to winning and promised to be back better than ever.

“Brock was a good guy through this entire fight,” Carwin wrote. “He did not talk a bunch of smack and he fought like a warrior. He did what he needed to do to keep his belt, and that is what being a champion is all about. I am going to have to claw my way back to the top, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I know I belong with the very best; all I need to do is prove it again.”