Illness forces Lesnar out of fight with Carwin

[keithlewis]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=k ... &type=lgns

Brock Lesnar, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s massive heavyweight titleholder, was forced to withdraw Monday from his highly anticipated Nov. 21 title defense in Las Vegas against Shane Carwin.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the news to Yahoo! Sports. White said Lesnar has been ill for more than three-and-a-half weeks and unable to train. With the bout at UFC 106 less than a month away, Lesnar was forced to postpone the title defense.

“He said he’s never been this sick in his life,” White said. “He said it’s been going on for a long time and he just hasn’t been able to shake it.”

White said he does not believe Lesnar had the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.

The fight matched two of the biggest and most powerful heavyweights in the UFC. Lesnar (4-1), a former World Wrestling Entertainment star, was a junior college and NCAA Division I wrestling champion. Carwin is a former Division II national wrestling champion.

Both men weigh around 295 pounds and cut weight to make the heavyweight division’s 265-pound limit.

White said he is not sure when the fight will be rescheduled or if Carwin will still fight on the card.

“We’re still working everything out,” he said.

Carwin (11-0), who made several appearances in Los Angeles on Saturday to promote the fight, was clearly disappointed at getting the news.

“My heart just sank, as you can imagine,” Carwin said. “Hopefully, we’ll get it rescheduled soon.”

The co-feature at UFC 106 is set to be a light heavyweight bout between Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin, both among the company’s most popular fighters. That bout could be moved to main event status if White does not land a suitable opponent for Carwin for that date.

[ArmyofDarkness]

THIS SUCKS BUT THIS WIKI PAGE EDIT IS FUNNY

[NWOWolfpack]

Wikipedia is BS.............I was looking forward to this fight and so this news SUCKS!

[broncofan]

From ShaneCarwin.com

“Last week was the first week that I actually started feeling better from a strain of the swine flu. I had lost over 15 pounds (something I could not afford to loose) and had just pulled some muscles in my leg during training. As 104 approached my manager said, ‘we should be thankful we are not fighting, from your re-broken nose to the leg, this wasn’t our time’. As I prepared to go to 104, I began slowly realizing what was ahead of me; I needed to be home training and rehabbing, not traveling and missing days of necessary time with my Team. I was due to be fighting for the UFC Heavyweight title. I called Jason back and said you are right, but I can’t go to LA I need to train. I was reminded about my commitments to the fans at Kmart and the Q&A, and I knew I had to go. In LA I was reminded exactly why we do this sport. Fans were all over the place and every interaction was a positive one. While at Kmart I meet a young man who competes in the Special Olympics and he said he looked up to us fighters. I was so taken back by the fact that he put us fighters on a pedestal. Here was this young man who defied incredible odds in life to reach the Olympics and he pushes himself every day to do things you and I take for granted. I was bitching about a flu, my leg (that would heal), and taking time away from training and this young man looks up to me? He gave me his Octagon necklace and I do not think he realized what an impact he made on me. I knew right then that I was going to suck it up and drive on. Edward and the rest of Team Carwin would be the fuel to carry me through the rough times and make sure that come fight night I will be the champion … Fighting for the UFC belt is my path and honestly Brock coming down with his illness only gives me more time to be in that much better shape. It is a blessing if you want to know the truth. I would have never pulled out of the fight. I would wheel myself to the cage if it was my choice. I know this is my destiny and I don’t need everything to be perfect I just need my opportunity to show the world what I can do and who I am.”