Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane Carwin

This fight is a must-win for Gabriel Gonzaga if he hopes to get another title shot.

In the past, he’s been able to bully his opponents in to submission or smash them to a pulp. In those fights he’s had a size and skill advantage over his opponents. Shane Carwin is not being fed to Gonzaga.

Rather, Gonzaga will have the opportunity to show the world that he can handle a 260+ lb. Heavyweight.

Though it’s true that Shane Carwin doesn’t have the experience that his opponent has. He’ll also have to play it safe if things go to the ground because Gonzaga has world-class submissions skills. Carwin has toolbox-sized fists that can end the fight in an instant. He’ll need to keep his hands busy in order to keep Gonzaga on the defensive.

It would be unwise for Shane Carwin to get into a brawl with someone as technical as Gonzaga.

But, Gonzaga has wilted under pressure in his two UFC losses. It wasn’t a loss of consciousness but a loss of will that caused him to taste defeat. Hopefully for Gabriel’s sake he’s gained a new sense of composure. The only way to achieve that is to believe in your heart that you can win the fight.

If Carwin becomes star-struck at being in the co-main event for UFC 96 he’ll be ripe for the picking. It’s tough to tell how he’ll react because we’ve never seen him face anyone at the level of Gabriel Gonzaga. This is his chance to prove he’s “for real”, as Joe Rogan likes to say.

Can he do it? Yes, but only if he stays the aggressor. If he hesitates then it’s Gabe’s match to win.

Return from Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane Carwin
to Upcoming Fights