Homecoming. Packed house screaming your name. A big knockout victory in a must-win situation. If it sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster, it’s not, but it might as well have been for Brendan Schaub, whose 47 second knockout ofChase Gormley in March was only missing the popcorn.

“That’s a moment I will never forget,” said Denver’s Schaub. “I felt like I was in ‘Rocky’ or ‘Rudy’. I knew the crowd was going to be loud, and being at home I’d have that advantage, but I had no idea. Once I walked out there and the whole crowd went nuts, it was an indescribable feeling. It really didn’t matter who they put in there against me, I was ready to go to war in front of all my supporters and fans here in Denver. And after I won, the place was just going nuts. I lost my voice yelling going back to the locker room and jumping around. It was crazy.”

A finalist on season ten of The Ultimate Fighter, Schaub suffered his first pro loss in that final bout, getting knocked out by Roy Nelson last December. In many ways, the bout in Broomfield, Colorado’s 1st Bank Center was going to answer questions while dictating where his career was going to go. A lot of pressure for a 27-year old with just six pro fights, but he didn’t show any cracks in his foundation as he blitzed and finished Gormley in less than a minute. He admits that wasn’t exactly the plan though.

“Chase is a tough wrestler with some boxing in his background, so I expected him to come out there, wait for me to commit, and try to take me down, but he just came straightforward like a banshee, and I don’t think that’s ever a good gameplan against me,” said Schaub. “He ran into a right hand and it was kind of a quick night for him.”

And an emotional one for Schaub, who once again reminded fight fans why he’s one of the top heavyweight prospects in the game. Whether it’s speed, power, athleticism, or his solid training team, Schaub has all the ingredients to make some noise among the big boys, and the win over Gormley confirmed that diagnosis. But now comes the hard part, getting back to business after experiencing such a high, and doing it all over again. Schaub disagrees, stating that the hard part’s already done with.

“For me, the toughest part was getting back into the Octagon after a loss,” he explains. “My coach Trevor Wittman always tells me that you find out the most about a fighter after he’s coming off a loss. And coming off the loss to Roy, I think that Chase Gormley fight kinda made a statement to the other heavyweights. Yeah, I lost to Roy, but I’m definitely a force to be reckoned with, and now I’m on this path, and I don’t really care who they match me up against – I’m gonna go out there and try to get these wins, but by doing it smart and sticking to the gameplan, and using my speed against these big monsters they keep pairing me up with.”

The next “monster” for the 6-4, 245 pounder is the 6-1, 260 pound Chris “The Crowbar” Tuchscherer, who Schaub faces this weekend on the UFC 116 card in Las Vegas. Ironically, it matches two prospects who are training partners of Saturday’s main eventers, Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, and for Schaub, working with Carwin while both prepare for pivotal bouts at the same time has lifted the intensity even more at the Grudge Training Center.

“Shane and I are always helping each other out, but we never fought on the same card, so for us, sparring we definitely let it all hang out,” said Schaub. “There’s not too much joking going on. We know the fight’s coming up, we’re both a little on edge, and I think it shows in sparring. We’re playing for keeps, and both of us walk out of there with sore jaws, and it’s a different kind of intensity. We both know what’s on the line and how big this is for both of our careers and just Colorado in general.”

And Schaub makes no bones about it – he’s going into the Octagon against Tuchscherer to set the table for Carwin and show off all his tools while not getting into a wrestling match with the two-time Division II All-American.

“This is a fight where I’m just gonna go in there and impose my will with my athletic ability and good footwork, and speed kills,” he said. “I’m a mixed martial artist and I think the days of a pure wrestler grinding out a win are over. I think those guys are dinosaurs. His (Tuchscherer) nickname’s ‘The Crowbar’ and that’s perfect for him. I can’t even remember the last time I used a crowbar – it’s old-school and tough, and it defines him. He’s tough, he’s boring, it’s a crowbar, man. He has to worry about my knockout power, my submissions, and my cardio. For me, I’ve got to pray to God that he doesn’t take me down and lay on top of me for three five minute rounds. But I’m not gonna let that happen. I’m gonna push the pace and break his will, no matter how tough he is. Everyone’s tough in the UFC. You don’t get to this level without being tough. So if your claim to fame is being tough, I think you’ve got a lot to worry about.”

Schaub’s confidence, affable personality, performances, and potential have also warranted a step to the next level in terms of his public profile, and he has filled in the gaps between training sessions with a number of appearances that have put him up close and personal with the fans who fill the seats on Saturday night and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Its part of the job, but one Schaub has embraced.

“(Teammate and UFC vet) Keith Jardine told me ‘you’re finally reaping the benefits of being a true professional,” he said. “But it’s crazy. All the stuff THQ (makers of the UFC Undisputed 2010 game) and the UFC send me to, before I had barely been out of Colorado, and since the UFC, I’ve been to New York with Dana White and Chuck Liddell, Vegas for the video games, and it’s just a dream come true and makes me want to work that much harder. I think some guys get caught up in this appearance stuff and missing training and a lot of them fight for the notoriety, but I don’t. I was born with a fighter’s heart, and I just go out there and take care of business. And if appearances and autograph signings come, they come, but if not, that’s fine with me.”

It’s the perfect attitude to have, and if anything, Schaub knows what it’s like to succeed at the highest level of this sport and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Because even though he once harbored dreams of being a professional football player and was perilously close to realizing that dream, once he discovered fighting, he knew he had found his calling in life.

“I’m doing what I love, and it’s easy for me to get up in the mornings,” he said. “There’s not one day where I’m not thankful or that I’m thinking ‘God, I’ve got to go back to work.’ I can’t wait to go to bed and get up and go to work and become a better fighter. I think that’s scary, because with my learning curve and as dedicated as I am to MMA, I think the sky’s the limit and it’s just my destiny, and I’m not gonna take that for granted.”

The stakes are higher than they have ever been for Shane Carwin. “Monster” has been rolling through the heavyweight division like Mike Tyson in the 1980’s. Nobody has been able to withstand the powerful onslaught of Carwin as he has amassed a 12-0 with 12 first round finishes. In Carwin’s last outing, the usually durable Frank Mir tasted the wrath of Carwin and had his lights promptly cut off at UFC 111 to give the Greg Jackson pupil the interim heavyweight title.

But now it is time to get the real thing.

At UFC 116, Shane Carwin will finally get his highly anticipated fight with Brock Lesnar for the UFC undisputed heavyweight championship. It’s been nine months since the fight was originally scheduled for November when Lesnar had to pull out. The fight was again rescheduled for January, but due to Lesnar battling diverticulitis, Lesnar again had to pull out. But on July 3rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, we will finally see the showdown everyone has been asking for.

With most of the attention being on Lesnar’s return, Carwin has quietly been preparing for the biggest fight of his life. But if you ask Carwin, it’s just another day at work. “Every fight is your biggest fight,” Carwin says dismissively. “(Right now) this is definitely the biggest fight of my career. I’m excited about it but I approach everything the same.”

Carwin is often the larger man in the Octagon, but with Lesnar’s monstrous frame and tremendous athleticism, the Colorado fighter understands that this fight will be epic and his preparation will have to be impeccable.

“Brock is a big, talented, athletic heavyweight. Those are rare to fight,” he says. “That’s why this is going to be such a great fight. You have two big, athletic heavyweights who believe in themselves and they each know they are going to win. These are the great fights and the ones you will remember.”

With Fedor Emelianenko tasting defeat over the weekend, the stakes have been raised even higher as both fighters will be competing to see not only who the best heavyweight is in the UFC, but also the world. Both Lesnar and Carwin have strayed away from any questions regarding Fedor, but in the back of their minds they know what is on the line.

Two monsters with similar pedigrees will meet in the center of the cage. But who has the advantage? It depends on where the fight takes place. Obviously, Carwin wants the fight to be the feet where his frightening power has proven to separate the most game opponent from his senses. But the former Division II wrestling champion is prepared for anything on Saturday night.

“With both of us being wrestlers, it will be interesting when we get in there. Anything can happen. You only have four ounce gloves on so your margins for error have to be pretty small – especially for heavyweights,” Carwin explains. “I can see this fight taking place everywhere. I’m prepared in all areas. I’m just ready to fight and do what I love to do. This is fun for me.”

But it’s apparent what will happen if Carwin lays his monster mitts on Lesnar’s face.

“If I touch anybody with my hands, I can knock them out.”

There’s no doubt that Carwin is a powerful man who is looking to decimate opponent #13 and stake his claim as the world’s best. The title is significant but no matter what happens on July 3rd, Carwin is a man who will continue to fight. He may be soft spoken but when his fists begin talking, everyone has to listen.

“I like to fight,” the 35-year-old monster of a man explains. “This is what I love to do. I’m passionate about it. I’m not looking to eke out a decision.”

He’s made every other opponent a believer. Will Lesnar be the next victim?

In a little over a week, interim UFC heavyweight champion Shane Carwin will step into the Octagon for the biggest fight of his career against division king Brock Lesnar in a title unification bout that headlines UFC 116 on July 3rd.

It’s been a whirlwind ride to say the least for the Colorado KO King thus far, and as you’ll see, he’s had some pretty interesting things to say as we’ve documented his rise up the heavyweight ranks.

On competing (2008)

“Everybody has hobbies in their life, and competing just happens to be mine. It’s something that I love to do and I’m always asking myself if I’m ever gonna grow out of that. I’ve got to grow up someday (Laughs) but I enjoy it and I’ve been blessed with the gifts God has given me and I’ll continue this stuff as long it allows.”

On working and fighting (2008)

“It’s time management, and sometimes it can be tough coming into work the next day after a good, hard sparring session. But things at the office are good, and everybody’s excited there for me, so it helps to have a supportive cast around me, and they’re pretty lenient on me with my time and me making up comp time, so I’m in a real favorable position with the job that I have.”

On his football dreams (2008)

“I was projected to go in the fifth round and it never happened. I ended up being cleared and I wrestled my senior year. Before one of my wrestling matches, I tried out for the (Philadelphia) Eagles. They ended up hooking me up with the (Arena football league’s) New England Sea Wolves, but at the same time I was working a deal with the Colorado School of Mines just to be a grad assistant and go to school there and I opted to get my engineering degree instead.”

On wrestling (2008)

“I would have to say a lot of it is work ethic. You’re in there and you’ve got coaches yelling down your back and wrestling has never been looked at as a glamorous sport. Oftentimes, you never did it for anybody but yourself, but you were always there for your teammates. Wrestling is definitely a very disciplined sport and along with the wrestlers comes a lot of mental toughness. There are also a lot of other good things that come out of wrestling – you know where your body is in space, you know leverage and balance and a lot of other good things that can help you out in MMA.”

Before his UFC debut against Christian Wellisch (2008)

“I’ve trained like I’ve never trained before and this is just a real big opportunity for me and I’m gonna take advantage of every possibility that’s out there for me in this situation. I’m real excited, and to tell you the truth it’s a real dream come true because I said that this is the one place where I wanted to end up if I was gonna continue fighting, and if that didn’t happen, then I would just go on and continue my full-time job. Whoever they put in front of me, I’ll work my way up the ladder however they see it. It’s like they say in wrestling, it’s the first round of the National Championships. I’ll go in there and perform and we’ll move on after that.”

In the locker room before the Wellisch fight (2008)

“We (Trevor Wittman, Nate Marquardt, and Christian Allen) were back there just laughing and joking. We were actually talking about the Revolutionary War and how people had to walk in line. You didn’t want to be on the front lines, seeing that guy in front of you go down. I don’t know how we got on that subject (Laughs), but it was pretty relaxed and that’s usually how we like to keep it. We make sure we’re always having fun but working hard.”

Once the bell rings (2008)

“I just want to go in there and perform, have fun, and I absolutely love the sport and I love to compete. For me to be able to step into the Octagon, it’s a real dream come true and I absorb every second of that. I don’t necessarily expect some spectacular knockout or submission, but that’s obviously what I’m going in there to accomplish just because I’m overly competitive, and things have just turned out that way. I feel like if you work hard and train hard, things are gonna work out for the best in the end.”

On training (2008)

“I don’t know how you could train eight or nine hours a day – that seems like an awful lot to me. I know my one-on-ones with Trevor, by the end of them, he’s basically put me through hell in an hour and a half’s time. If I had to go through nine hours of hell with T every day, there just wouldn’t be an end of the week for me.”

On going past the first round (2008)

“I guess that’s a territory that when I get there, we’ll see. But I’ll tell you what, when I’m in the training room, I’m training to go well beyond those three five minute rounds. It’s something I’m comfortable with in the training room, and I feel like I’d be comfortable with it in the ring as well. In fact, I feel that as matches go on, I get stronger.”

On fighting in England against Neil Wain (2008)

“It’s gonna be his backyard and I know that the fans are gonna be behind him. I’ve been in college situations before where I walked in and got booed, so that’ll probably be nothing any different for me. Sometimes that makes you a little bit more hyped up.”

On maturity (2008)

“When I look back at when I was in college, and you’re in between the ages of 18 and 22, I think your outlook on life’s a lot different than when you’re in your 30’s. I have a career going, I have a family, and I’m focused on where my life and my family’s life need to be. When you’re in your 20’s, you’re still trying to find out who you are, and a lot of those guys still want to have a lot of fun.”

On his success (2008)

“You’ve just got to go out there to perform. Anything can happen in any fight, and I truly believe that. All it takes is a split second mistake in this game, and anybody can go down. As long as you realize that and have an open mind for it, you’ll be fine. I don’t know if I’ve surprised myself – I’m an aggressive fighter and I like to get in there and get after it. To me it’s a fight. It’s not a three round decision. That guy’s in there to rip my head off, he’s trained for it, and I’m in there to take him apart and I’ve trained for it, so it’s just about getting after each other, and all of that excites me.”

The Finisher (2010)

“It’s a fight to me and I’m never looking for a decision. When I’m in there it’s game on and I want to get it over with.”

The Competitor (2010)

“I’ve been competitive since I was six. My mom had me in sports and it’s something that I’m very passionate about. It could be a board game or playing the PS3 against my boy (Carwin’s son, Kamden), and I’m still competitive against him at those games, and we laugh about it. But to be out there and to compete in the Octagon, there’s no other feeling quite like that. I loved playing football and I loved wrestling, but being in the Octagon, competing in the UFC and going mano a mano, there’s no other feeling like that in the world, and to be able to explain it, you just have to do it.”

On Trash Talk (2010)

“I don’t really concern myself with what those guys are saying and all the talk that’s going on. I’ve always been one to say that you can do all the talking you want; the only time it matters is when you’re in the Octagon and competing. That stuff has never affected me.”

On winning (2010)

“You always rehearse those moments in your mind, and I’m mentally prepared for that. I’ve visualized it and it’s exciting. I’m excited being able to fight and to work on the things that I’ve trained for, and I want to be the fighter in the cage that’s known for devastating knockouts and intense ground and pound. I want to be known as that fighter.”