The rematch between Ian Berg and Kenneth Seegrist went much better for Berg than it did in his first meeting with Seegrist back in 2008, where Berg lost via guillotine choke. The fight started with Berg and Seegrist trading blows until Berg initiated a clinch and took Seegrist to the mat. Seegrist made his way back to his feet but Berg held on and controlled him from behind. Attempting to avoid being taken back down, Seegrist flung his elbows back to keep Berg thinking about more than just the takedown. Berg eventually released his grip on Seegrist and the two went back to striking. Berg two more takedowns before the round ended; Seegrist defended against the first but was taken to the ground with the second. Seegrist made his way back to his feet and the round ended with both fighters clinched against the cage.
Round 2 also had Berg attempting to take Seegrist to the mat until the bout was halted due to Seegrist catching Berg with a low blow. Berg seemed hurt and the ring doctor entered the cage to make sure he could continue. Berg was cleared to continue and when the action resumed, shot in for another takedown. Seegrist defended against the takedown and clinched with Berg against the cage. When they separated, the action moved back toward the center of the cage where Berg threw a huge punch that caught Seegrist on the chin and dropped him. Berg dove in to finish Seegrist off but the referee stopped him before he could land more than a couple blows.
Winner: Ian Berg via TKO at 4:40 of round 2.

Chad Klingensmith taking on Jeremy Kimball turned out to be the shortest pro bout of the evening. Klingensmith immediately shot in to take Kimball to the mat; Kimball was able to briefly defend against it but eventually went down. Klingensmith landed in Kimball’s guard; Kimball attempted to scramble to his feet but Klingensmith took his back and brought the fight back to the mat. With the fight back on the mat, Klingensmith worked to secure a rear-naked-choke; Kimball tried to fight off the choke but was eventually forced to tap.
Winner: Chad Klingensmith via submission (choke) at 1:36 of round 1.

In the first pro bout of the evening, heavyweights Vinny Pallone and Nick Castano stepped into the cage. The big men traded kicks to open up the round; Pallone then took Castano to the mat where the fight would remain. On the ground, Pallone remained in control of Castano and landed fists and elbows when the opportunity presented itself. This continued until the referee had seen enough and called an end to the bout.
Winner: Vinny Pallone via TKO at 3:39 of round 1.

That’s the view of some of Kevin Iole’s readers. Here’s one I thought had an interesting angle:

I truly believe Carwin was robbed of the victory. How many times beforehand have the referees stopped fights when someone turtles up in the corner of the cage for more than 10 seconds? Lesnar was down for the entire last half of the first round, getting beaten on, and most of that time his “intelligent defense” was the fetal position. I know the UFC needs a big name. UFC president Dana White can talk all he wants about how no one wants Fedor Emelianenko. However, the UFC’s top two heavyweights, Lesnar and Carwin, with Velasquez being an exception, are extremely one-dimensional fighters whose main ability is to be big at their opponents. White does a lot of trash talk about how he has the best people but when it comes to an incredibly lax non-call by the ref to prove how excellent one of them is, it does not bode well for the sport. If all it takes to win in the UFC and get them to ignore their own rules is a name, then it is a dark day for MMA in the United States.

Initially Carwin seemed to agree, per this text sent to MMA Junkie:

“I felt Brock go out a few times,” he today told MMAjunkie.com via text message. “But it is the ref’s job to call the fight, and mine is to finish the fight.”

But now that he’s had time to reflect, Shane Carwin himself has a different take, speaking to Mike Chiappetta:

Carwin says that he did feel Lesnar wilt at times from his hard ground and pound strikes from the top, but that after Lesnar was warned about protecting himself and moving, he didn’t put him away.

“I put all my eggs into that basket of finishing Brock,” he said. “Josh was on top of it, he told him to improve a couple times. When you hear that and you’re the top guy, it makes you want to speed things up and finish the guy that much quicker.

“The first time Josh was getting ready to call it, I thought I was real close, but after that I didn’t reach that point with him again,” he continued. “As a ref, I thought he did a great job. How could I have any qualms since Brock was able to come back and beat me? It would have been a different story if Brock would have taken a bunch more unnecessary punishment and got messed up from it.”

Personally I think Carwin is taking the only healthy attitude he possibly can. There’s nothing he can do to change the call and the subsequent events and making like Phil Baroni after UFC 45 won’t help him or anyone else.

Luke Thomas was effusive in his praise of Rosenthal:

But this was a first-rate job by the referee of recognizing while Lesnar may have been dragged to the precipice, he never crossed the threshold.

When the stakes are high and the decision important, referees are allowed (and should be expected) to make sure their stoppage leaves no unanswered questions. Rosenthal exercised that freedom in a critical moment of sporting relevancy.

And Rosenthal’s call was fairly well vindicated by Lesnar’s come back win. However, I think it’s also pretty obvious that the biggest star of the sport got a little bit of extra leeway that wouldn’t have been extended to your average UFC preliminary fighter.

That’s the way of the world — “to he that hath, shall be given.”

Brock Lesnar got rushed to a title shot. He gets extra time to recover when he’s hurt. He wasn’t required to do a Primetime special to build the fight. The guy is special and gets treated as such. Get used to it UFC fans.

Following his near-victory and then eventual submission loss to UFC champ Brock Lesnar this past weekend at UFC 116, Shane Carwin blogged about his body “seizing up” after an active first round.

Carwin maintains his “cardio was fine, but my body was not.”

In a bonus installment of “Ask the Fight Doc,” MMAjunkie.com medical columnist Dr. Johnny Benjamin discusses what could have caused such a turn of events and how epinephrine surges physiologically are quite similar to anxiety attacks.

* * * *

Hi Doc: Got a question about Shane Carwin’s endurance. Post fight, he said, “Toward 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.” I’ve never experienced something like this myself; then again, I’m not 265-plus pounds and 35 years old. Is there a condition that causes this to happen, or do you believe that his adrenalin got the better of him because he thought he had Brock Lesnar beat and wore himself out? Thanks, Travis

Now, this is a very popular question!

I’d love to know an accurate pay-per-view number for UFC 116. And remember, PPV is just how many actually paid – not watched or stole the feed. From the sheer volume of emails I received with this particular question, the number must be huge.

Adrenaline dumping is a very popular phrase in the worlds of fitness and combat sports. It truly is not common medical terminology. The phrase appears to be used to describe some of the characteristics associated with a surge of epinephrine (adrenaline) released during extreme physical exertion (sports and/or fighting).

An epinephrine surge prepares the body for the classic fight-or-flight scenario: significant increase in heart rate, rapid breathing, glucose surge in blood for energy, heightened awareness, sweating, etc.

It is interesting to note that this is the same physiology involved in an anxiety attack.

Unfortunately, this level of readiness expends a great deal of energy. Therefore, it cannot be maintained for long. That is why veterans of the fight game will often admonish combatants to “stay relaxed” and “slow your breathing” in hopes of blunting the epinephrine surge.

I believe that Carwin’s perception that his body seized and wouldn’t respond likely was due to several factors with increased levels of epinephrine aggravating the underlying physiology.

Improper hydration related to weight-cutting cannot be entirely dismissed. I would not be surprised if Shane Carwin was 280-plus pounds a few days prior to the weigh-in. Therefore, he would be forced to sweat and water restrict the weight off in a short period of time. This process can wreak havoc with your electrolytes, which in turn can hamper performance.

Additionally, never underestimate the amount of work being performed and energy being expended by athletes of this size. Moving your 265-plus pounds in addition to controlling another athlete’s 265-plus pounds all while fighting for five minutes without interruption is an amazing feat. Now, rest for 60 seconds and do it again. And again. And again. And again.

His body failed (“seized” is his terminology) for the same reason that any massive engine does. Simply put? It was pushed too hard for too long.

Experiment: Have a training partner count while you do as many push-ups as you can for four minutes without resting. Then immediately transition to the bench press and lift an empty bar (45 pounds) as quickly as you can for one minute. Rest for exactly 60 seconds. Do as many push-ups as you can for five minutes without rest.

How many did you do? Not many, huh?

Now, if you add an epinephrine surge to these dynamics, you may begin to understand 1 percent of what Carwin was experiencing during UFC 116.

For reasons such as these, I continue to assert that elite MMA athletes are some of the greatest athletes on the planet. If we as fans discuss their athleticism more and the gladiatorial aspects of the sport less, maybe MMA will gain greater respect with influential law makers in important markets such as New York and Ontario.

The history of runners-up from “The Ultimate Fighter” is littered with stories of success.

Kenny Florian is widely considered one of the top lightweights in the world, Manny Gamburyan is the top contender in the WEC’s featherweight division, and many others are still thriving in the UFC.

Brendan Schaub is hoping for similar results to what Florian has done with his career because, as the Colorado fighter tells it, losing to Roy Nelson at “The Ultimate Fighter” finale wasn’t a catastrophe, it was a blessing in disguise.

A winner in his last two fights in the Octagon with his last coming by way of TKO over Chris Tuchscherer at UFC 116, Schaub came back from the loss against Nelson with a renewed vigor, and the motivation to prove everyone wrong.

“I think a lot of people wrote me off after the Roy (Nelson) fight,” said Schaub when appearing on MMAWeekly Radio recently. “Chase (Gormley) was a tough guy, and Chris (Tuchscherer) being 18-2, I think he’s definitely a step up from Chase. He’s never been knocked out, and it’s just kind of a progression for me.

“I’m not as seasoned as a lot of other guys. If there’s a knock on me it’s definitely experience. Getting a win over a guy like Chris definitely boosts my confidence, and I feel like I can compete with anyone in there.”

With his last two fights lasting under a total of two minutes, Schaub is ready for whatever challenges the UFC throws at him next. Admitting that he had a bit of a shoulder and elbow injury heading into the fight with Tuchscherer, Schaub plans on taking a little time off to let his body heal, but would have a hard time turning down the UFC if they come calling.

“My coaches are praying to God I take some time off, but we’ll see if that happens,” Schaub joked.

“If it’s up to me, I’d fight tomorrow. If Joe Silva called me up and offered me a fight, I’d fight next week. I’d pull a (Chris) Leben out. I always leave it up to the coaches’ hands, do what they think is best.”

Following the UFC 116 weekend, Schaub talked to good friend and training partner Shane Carwin, who had returned home to Colorado after his tough second-round loss to Brock Lesnar the same night. He offered more words of encouragement to his young protégé.

“I was talking to Shane (Carwin) about it, and I think this kind of separates me from the other up and comers. I think I jumped maybe a step ahead of those other up and comers with a win like this over a vet,” said Schaub.

“I think I can compete with anyone in the division, and whatever Joe Silva and Dana White wanted to do, I’m in.”

A few hours before the Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin heavyweight title fight, a couple of their training partners squared off, with Carwin’s winning easily.

Brendan Schaub, who works out with Carwin, dominated Chris Tuchscherer, who works out with Lesnar Saturday at UFC 116.

The fight was quick and violent: Schaub knocked Tuchscherer down less than a minute into the first round, pounced on him, and pounded on him until referee Herb Dean stepped in and called a stop to it, just 1:07 into the first round.

Brock Lesnar did not look like the baddest man on the planet Saturday night. I saw shades of Mike Russow, Tito Ortiz, and even Bob Sapp, but not the most dangerous man in world.

Because Lesnar put a modified wrestling move on a gassed opponent some fans are elevating his “come from behind” victory (ass-kicking) to epic heights.  Maybe because of the hype of Dana White’s proclamation that these are the two best heavy weights in the world, or maybe simply by virtue of being in the UFC, it means more to people. It’s hard to tell.

A lot of people aren’t talking about how utterly wrong every talking point on this fight proved to be. Brock didn’t out wrestle Shane Carwin, defeating three of Brocks take downs. And Brock was able to eat some hard shots from Carwin without going out. Everything we thought was a foregone conclusion on Friday, didn’t pan out on Saturday.

It’s painfully obvious as well that Brock’s game plan did go right out the window once he got hit, and most of his composure with it.

Carwin threw a hard right at about 4:29 in the first round and Lesnar went in for the take down. Carwin threw Lesnar over and wasn’t taken down by the “superior wrestler”, while giving Lesnar a knee for his troubles.

Carwin then threw an uppercut at 4:00 minutes that set the tone for the rest of the round. Lesnar tried to drop at first and threw his knee up, but in the intensity of the moment ran the other way and collapsed on the fence.

I won’t say the fight should have been stopped, though most fights would have been. I give Lesnar credit for staying lucid and trying to move. I take credit from Carwin for not relaxing and picking more powerful shots. Carwin’s best hits were from elbows from the top, but Shane spent way too much energy hitting Lesnar’s arms.

Brock got back up and held Carwin to the cage for about 50 seconds, mostly resting. Carwin then stuffed Lesnar third take down attempt against the cage.

As the bell for the second round sounded the fight was over.

Shane Carwin, for whatever reason, was too tired, or too over-excited to continue fighting. Through he threw another decent shot or two, his arms were down and his movement was sluggish. Lesnar finally got the take down at 4:10 into the second round, though it looked more like Carwin just fell on his back from exhaustion.

Brock put in an arm triangle, and Shane was pushing against Brock elbow to defend thinking he had enough room, but it was over with a tap when Lesnar got a better angle on the choke.

It was one hell of a spectacle, but it wasn’t that impressive on Brock’s part, other than eating a few hard shots and staying composed. Composed but not really fighting anyway.

Carwin on the other hand probably put too much pressure on himself to end things in the first round and wasn’t prepared for such high stakes. I think Shane should quit his day job, eat a little cleaner, and drop a little weight to up his cardio.

Much like the Russow/Duffee match, one guy got his ass kicked but was able to capitalize on a tired big man across the ring.

I wouldn’t pick Lesnar in a rematch, that’s for sure.

Should Josh Rosenthal have halted Saturday’s UFC 116 main event in the first round?

Interim title-holder Shane Carwin blasted heavyweight champ and fellow co-headliner Brock Lesnar with 57 punches in the round, and though he came close, Rosenthal never halted the bout to award him the TKO win.

But you won’t hear any complaints from Carwin, who eventually suffered a submission loss in the following round.

Rosenthal, of course, walked a very tight line during the main-event fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He didn’t want Lesnar to absorb unnecessary punishment, but he also didn’t want to halt a still-competitive fight.

UFC president Dana White and Lesnar have praised the ref’s performance.

But what about Carwin, who lost the most by Rosenthal’s decision to let the fight continue?

“I felt Brock go out a few times,” he today told MMAjunkie.com(www.mmajunkie.com) via text message. “But it is the ref’s job to call the fight, and mine is to finish the fight.”

Carwin, of course, came oh-so close to doing just that. According to CompuStrike.com, he landed 57 first-round blows, 47 of which were ground shots that came after he dazed Lesnar with an early uppercut. As blood poured from his face and Lesnar struggled to defend and improve his position, Rosenthal nearly halted the fight on more than one occasion.

Lesnar, though, survived. And by the second round, Carwin was slowed by what he described as a “whole-body cramp” that took his legs out from under him.

Lesnar (5-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who returned from a one-year layoff due to diverticulitis and other health problems, then scored a takedown that set up the fight-ending arm-triangle choke midway through the round. Although literally just a punch or two away from the victory, Carwin (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) instead suffered the first loss of his career.

Lesnar, though, admits he was playing with fire. But as Carwin’s punches became less and less effective, he knew he could survive the round.

“[Rosenthal] did come to me before the fight and said to me, ‘Heaven forbid, if the fight gets ugly and somebody’s getting in a bad situation, you have to show me something that you’re still staying alive down there,’” Lesnar said. “That just kept going through my mind. ‘I’ve got to keep moving.’ I could feel Shane. Every punch was less and less and less and less. I knew that the worst was done.

“I really have to thank the referee for allowing that thing go on.”

Even White, who’s notoriously blunt with critiques of referees, raved about Rosenthal’s performance.

“When the fight was first starting, I looked at (UFC CEO) Lorenzo (Feritta), and you guys know how critical I am about this stuff,” White said. “I said, ‘How the hell did Josh Rosenthal get this fight?’

“Listen, I don’t know Herb Dean. I’ve probably said five words to Herb Dean in my entire life. I just think that Herb Dean is the greatest ref in the history of the world. When guys are in there, I wish Herb was in every fight. But I want to say Josh Rosenthal did a fantastic job, and I apologize for badmouthing him before he did nothing wrong.”

The upcoming clash of the titans that is the UFC 116 title fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin can easily be dubbed “the tail of two heavyweights.”

When the bell sounds on fight night, both men will tip the scales at 265-pounds. The mammoth heavyweights are both decorated wrestlers, with Lesnarexcelling at the Division I level, while Carwin made a name for himself in Division II. In his latest book, A Fighter’s Mind, Sam Sheridan describes both men’s success to a tee, noting that “modern MMA had been deeply shaped by American wrestlers” who have “found a professional avenue for their refined and savage arts.”

Carwin and Lesnar are considered to be two of the best heavyweights in the world and used their wrestling pedigrees—in different ways—to ascend to the heights of the sport. Carwin employs wrestling to keep fights standing and knock people out, while Lesnar uses wrestling to take opponents down and pummel them into oblivion.

The similarities end there.

If there’s any doubt that Shane Carwin (12-0, 5-0 UFC) and Brock Lesnar (4-1, 3-1 UFC) are polar opposites, a reminder was on display at Wednesday’s UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin open workout.

There are typically no “heroes” and “heels” in MMA but Carwin and Lesnar quickly settle into the roles of “good guy” and “bad guy.”

Carwin entered the MGM Grand Garden conference room for his workout to light applause from the fans in attendance. He shook hands, kissed babies and signed autographs.

In short, Carwin, an engineer by trade who still works a full time job, is very happy to be here.

At 6’2, 265-pounds, Carwin is surprisingly soft spoken heading into the biggest fight of his career. The fight before that—a first round knockout of Frank Mir at UFC 111—was the biggest fight of his career. Carwin got a taste of championship gold for the first time and although Brock Lesnar made a return to the Octagon, he won’t allow the forthcoming title unification bout to tarnish his previous win.

“I think there’s a sense of prestige that comes along with [winning the interim heavyweight championship],” he says. “Frank Mir is a legend of the sport. We didn’t know if Brock was coming back, there’s some honor in that and I’m not going to downplay that.”

Carwin seems to slip in and out of the dual role of fighter and fan. At times, he seems to be in as much awe of the media as they are of him. He’s still surprised that anyone would want his autograph or picture. At the same time, he looks like a natural navigating the crowd, which consists of men, women and children.

“I appreciate it and I’m fortunate to be out here to train today,” he continues. “You’re only one injury away from the end of your career; I’ve been there in the 98 NFL draft when I was injured—I was devastated.”

While Carwin harbors no ill will towards Lesnar, his dislike for the champion’s bombastic personality is well documented. In case the first few times weren’t clear, Carwin took a moment to address the subject again, using an everyday scenario to drive the point home.

“We all work with people that we dislike and people that we like,” Carwin says. “Brock’s attitude, I don’t care for it that much and how he treats people; it’s disrespectful. If we were in the work world I probably wouldn’t talk to him or have anything to do with him.”

Carwin doesn’t care for Lesnar and it’s equally safe to say that Lesnar doesn’t hold a very high opinion of Carwin either.

Where Carwin is the mild mannered fighter, Lesnar is the counter weight; the super star. His run in the WWE lifted him to almost mythical proportions when he made the transition to MMA. Against the backdrop of critical purists, the college wrestling standout turned pro-wrestling snared the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 91, beating living legend Randy Couture.

The fans in attendance rush Lesnar as he enters the conference room. He’s a celebrity in a sport with few super stars. With just five fights, he is undoubtedly the young sport’s biggest name and best seller.

With entourage in tow, Lesnar works out for a few minutes before making his way to the UFC’s interview area to discuss his upcoming title defense with the media. Moments after Lesnar enters the area, a near life-size cutout of Shane Carwin crashes to the ground with a thud. The sound causes several members of the UFC PR team to jump. The media in attendance chuckle as Lesnar grins sheepishly—a grin that neither confirms nor denies his role in the snafu.

He makes no attempt to pick up the cutout.

The super star is here.

As quickly as the grin comes, it fades. This is the Jekyll and Hyde aspect of Lesnar’s personality. He quickly switches back to a tone of humility, explaining that like Carwin, he too is just happy to be here after overcoming a life threatening illness.

“It feels good to be here,” Lesnar says. “I’m just relaxed it feels like an eternity. I just feel fortunate and excited for Saturday; it’s a lot of hard work.”

Hard work may be an understatement. Last November Lesnar was diagnosed with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease. In short, Lesnar went from not sure if he’d ever fight again to once again commanding headliner status on MMA’s biggest stage in the fight capitol of the world.

“From being in the hospital to being here and being healthy, to defend the title, it’s kind of remarkable.”

Ask Lesnar about his opponent however, and his attitude shifts again—the superstar returns. It’s doubtful that Lesnar is looking past Carwin, but it’s clear that the Minnesota fighter admires little about his opponent.

When asked about the comparisons between the two, Lesnar finds himself at a loss for words. What he does say speaks volumes.

“When I look at that guy, I don’t…That’s [the media] making these comparisons,” he states plainly. “I don’t see them, I just don’t. He hasn’t done the things I’ve done. He’s trying to but, I just don’t see a comparison.”