UFC
UFC 116 PREVIEW: Brock Lesnar gives no credence to Shane Carwin's amateur credentials and interim title
Jul 1, 2010 - 3:46:02 PM UFC 116 PREVIEW: Brock Lesnar gives no credence to Shane Carwin's amateur credentials and interim title

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar appeared on ESPN's Sportscenter this morning to discuss his UFC Heavyweight Championship bout with Shane Carwin on Saturday at UFC 116, and he was in good spirits as he discussed a couple of subjects.

"[My conditioning is] great. Phenomenal," Lesnar said. "[The illness] was a minor setback. Huge in some ways and minor in others. But it gave me lots of time to train and get ready for Shane. We didn't leave any stone unturned and we're ready for this fight."

"The day that the doctor's gave me the green light was the day I decided that this was a time for me to really excel and improve and become a better heavyweight champion."

Lesnar also took a shot at Shane Carwin's amateur credentials and his holding of the Interim Championship.

"I want to make one thing clear, I was a Division I NCAA Champion and he's not; I'm the UFC Heavyweight Champion and he's definitely not that."

Penick's Analysis: Lesnar has made statements similar to this before, but the big thing to take out of the Sportscenter appearance is just the fact that Lesnar is back, he's in great spirits, he can sell a fight and he gets visibility on the network. His new jovial personality has been a nice change of pace, and has brought some fans around to him. The anticipation continues to grow, as the fight is now two days away.

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[Brock Lesnar art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]