Lesnar Withdraws From Title Defense Due to Illness

[X]

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has withdrawn from his upcoming title defense against Shane Carwin due to illness, UFC President Dana White told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.

"[Lesner] said he's never been this sick in his life," White said, according to Yahoo. "He said it's been going on for a long time and he just hasn't been able to shake it."

Lesnar was scheduled to face Carwin Nov. 21 in Las Vegas at UFC 106. White told Yahoo!, however, that Lesnar has been sick for more than three and a half weeks and has been unable to train.

Carwin posted on his Twitter account that he was "very disappointed." Sherdog.com has been unable to reach Carwin.

Later, he wrote "...Looks like it is posponed till [Jan.] 2. I had [the H1N1 flu virus] myself and I understand how devastaing it can be."

White told Yahoo! he doesn't think Lesner has H1N1.

UFC 108 is scheduled for that date at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"It's [disappointing] hearing about your career and life through the media," Carwin wrote in another message.

Information from Sherdog.com is included in this report

Well that fucking sucks to say the least. I was really looking forward to Brock's next fight, especially against Carwin, who although I think would have been soundly defeated, would have likely given Lesnar a good fight.

I wonder what happens from here?

 

[PEP3]

It's better for everyone involved if Lesner is able to compete at full capacity. And the UFC wants that as well. Right now, he's a cash cow for that company, and they probably don't want to risk him being defeated unexpectedly. Besides, if Lesner does have the Swine Flu (that's what Carwin kind of suggests), it's genuinely debilitating and would, in fact, prevent him from training properly. It wouldn't surprise me if Brock lost 10-15 lbs. of mass even from the virus.

As for what happens from here, I'm guessing it's business as usual. They've rescheduled the date, which should certainly allow Brock ample time to recuperate and return to peak condition. I'm suspecting "what happens next" is he gets back in form and then serves Carwin his ass on a platter at the MGM Grand.

 

[Fizzy]

Fucking shit... What's gonna replace that fucking fight? I was looking so forward to seeing Brock fight at 106 and I was so excited about seeing the ppv and he was part of the reason. This sucks.. Hopefully we get a great replacement fight. Even though i'm disappointed about this i'm still ordering the ppv for Tito. I'm just praying we'll get a great replacement.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Fucking shit... What's gonna replace that fucking fight? I was looking so forward to seeing Brock fight at 106 and I was so excited about seeing the ppv and he was part of the reason. This sucks.. Hopefully we get a great replacement fight. Even though i'm disappointed about this i'm still ordering the ppv for Tito. I'm just praying we'll get a great replacement.

According to UFC.com, Tito vs. Forrest is just going to get pushed up to the main event. Even without this match though, UFC 106 should still be a solid card. Tito vs. Forrest is a more than worthy main event matchup. The first match they had was very exciting. People love Tito, and it will draw just based on the fact that this is his first match in quite some time. People also love Forrest. The UFC should be thankful that match was already on the card.

The undercard is still going to have a solid matchup between Karo Parisyan and Dustin Hazelett, two of the most exciting fighters in the Welterweight division. Little Nog vs. Luis Cane is going to steal the card. Add in Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni and Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders and that's still very much a card that is worth ordering.

The Lesnar/Carwin fight will headline the Jan. 2 Card, and that will definitely be one worth ordering.

 

[klunderbunker]

If this is the case, I'm glad he backed out. Lesnar is the undisputed face of the UFC right now and he needs to hold the title for awhile. If he fights without being at top condition it isn't fair to him or his opponent. I'm disappointed but I'm ok with it. If it had to happen under these circumstances then it's better that it not happen. Three weeks is just too long to not train for and it's something outside of Brock's control. It'll still happen and everything will be fine. The Mir fight was postponed and it went fine too.

 

[jmt225]

Imagine being ill for 3 weeks.... that's really, really serious. Carwin hinted that Lesnar could have the swine flu, but nobody knows whether or not he was joking.

Anyway, I hope Brock gets better soon and we can get this fight by UFC 108, for the New Year's Card.

Tito vs. Forrest instead of Coleman really turned out to be a blessing in disguise when you think about it. Tito will draw no matter what, but Forrest is a much 'sexier' opponent, so to speak, and that fight can most definitely draw on its own.

 

[bealzer1010]

This sucks I've been waiting for this fight ever since it was announced now we have to wait another 2 1/2 months for it!

I think it messed up if the UFC didn't let Carwin know before they started releasing this to the media, thats just not good business to not tell the guy fighting for one of your belts first. Im sure Carwin wanted to say more but did the smart thing and kept it at that.

I guess moving Ortiz/Griffin up to the headline is fine since the rest of the card is pretty solid, would've liked to see them bump up the Penn/Sanchez to be the main event and keep Ortiz/Griffin as the co-main event.

Now if UFC 108 stay as planed with this fight we get Lesnar/Carwin Silva/Belfort Evans/Silva (Thaigo) dos Santos/Gonzaga Condit/Daley Kampmann/Markham, now thats one of the best cards ever!!

 

[jmt225]

Okay, so to go along with the rumor that Machida/Shogun 2 will be happening January 2nd at UFC 108, it has been confirmed that Lesnar vs. Carwin will be happening on that very same card.

Holy fucking shit, if nothing changes from now until then, THIS will be the main card for UFC 108:

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort
Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua
Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior dos Santos

Goodness gracious!!! lol

This is truly unbelievable. Will there be any argument that that is not the biggest, greatest card in UFC history? I don't see how anyone could ever come up with one.

 

[bealzer1010]

If the Machida/Rua does go on there is no doubt that it will be the greatest ever to date. If they do the free prelims on spike we possibly could see some main cards fights on there since its so stacked mosty likey dos Santos/Gonzaga!

 

[Fizzy]

Okay, so to go along with the rumor that Machida/Shogun 2 will be happening January 2nd at UFC 108, it has been confirmed that Lesnar vs. Carwin will be happening on that very same card.

Holy fucking shit, if nothing changes from now until then, THIS will be the main card for UFC 108:

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort
Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua
Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior dos Santos

Goodness gracious!!! lol

This is truly unbelievable. Will there be any argument that that is not the biggest, greatest card in UFC history? I don't see how anyone could ever come up with one.

That's un fucking believable. Imagine the numbers that that ppv will have. There's no doubt that will be the biggest show ever. Every fight on that card i'm dieing to see and I hope everything will happen that way.

 

[X]

Yeah, as everyone else has said, holy shit that card would be the most stacked in history. Any one of those fights could headline a PPV on it's own, but to have all five on the same card? Yeah, that PPV is going to make some serious bank if that's going to be the card. I've got goosebumps just thinking about it.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

UFC 108 has gone from having two title fights, to one, to now possibly none:

After their initial title fight was scrapped from this month's UFC 106 card, an expected re-booking at UFC 108 between heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and challenger Shane Carwin (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) also appears dead.

Heavy.com was the first to report Lesnar's withdrawal, and according to Carwin, he's been notified Lesnar is suffering from mononucleosis and their UFC 108 bout is "not happening."

"Brock has mono, and what the UFC has told me is that I have earned the title [shot] but I have to wait for the title holder," he wrote on shane-carwin.com. "I hope Brock gets well soon."

Complete bummer. Brock got mono at the absolute worst time, and it sucks we have to wait even longer now for this fight to happen. Every single champion, besides BJ is either hurt or sick right now. UFC 108 is going to need a huge main event now. After all, it's the big year-end show that they're planning

 

[X]

Damnit, well there goes that dream card we thought could potentially be happening. Unbelievable. The important thing is Brock's health obviously, but I won't pretend that I'm not severely disappointed by this, I've been awaiting his fight with Carwin for months now, and now we're going to have to wait even longer.

Hope Brock gets better soon.

 

[jmt225]

And it kind of sucks his illness is Mono. I mean, really? Mono? Hopefully Sable isn't ****ing around behind his back and bringing this kind of shit home to him. What's next? Gonorrhea?

Anyway, I too hope he heals up sooner rather than later. He's the key to the UFC reaching the height of popularity it can potentially reach, in my opinion. And the destruction of Shane Carwin is something I'm ready to see; not that I have anything against Carwin, as he does seem like a great guy, it's just Lesnar fucking owns and the more asses he kicks, the better it is for the sport as a whole and the better it is for people like me: Big fans of Brock Lesnar.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

So basically, Brock is dying guys, according to Meltzer.

Brock Lesnar is in extremely bad shape and it will be some time as to when he will fight again.

Lesnar, 32, went to Canada last week to try to get some rest, collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital. He has mono and also something else that he has requested confidentiality with the UFC has to what it is. Dana White said tonight that he promised Lesnar to keep the disease private, said he doesn't have cancer or AIDS. It is, however, extremely serious and there are at least two things wrong and there may be more.

Dana White is heading to Minnesota will be working to get Lesnar to the Mayo Clinic or equivalent medical facility for treatment.

I can't believe how bad things are getting with him. This is all coming at a very bad time for the UFC and Brock. The UFC has four champions out of commission for awhile, and Brock, quite possibly the biggest draw the UFC currently has, is going to be on the shelf for awhile with these serious illnesses he has. If Brock's going to be out for sure past March, which is the latest the fight with Shane Carwin has been pushed to, it might be time to have another interim champion.

 

[waylonmercy]

That's really sad news. I saw it up on TSN.CA and came here to see if anyone reported it. I hope he is able ot pull through as it will be devastating if he were to get worse and pass away.

Let's all hope he is able to recover.

 

[INDYjon22]

I hope Lesnar gets healthy soon, the UFC is going to miss the hell out of him. I like the idea of an interim champion until Lesnar is healthy but who would you put in that fight. Kongo vs. Mir? That wouldnt work with both coming off of loses and there arent any other healthy contendors to fight Velasquez. The UFC is seriously fucked right now. The best idea I can think of is to have the winner of Kongo/Mir fight Velasquez and crown an interim champion from there, but by then Lesnar may be healthy again. Like I said I hope Lesnar gets better soon, the UFC needs and the Heavyweight division need it.

 

[jmt225]

This really, really sucks.

My thoughts are definitely with Lesnar, and his kids, and I desperately hope he is able to get well soon and come back better than ever. Not just for my personal enjoyment, but for the man himself, and of course the sport as a whole.

Also, let me just say how much disdain I have for internet MMA fans. You guys think the IWC is bad? Fuck, go to any big MMA forum right now and read what these *******s are saying about Lesnar. First, you have the smart ass morons who claim that he is faking being sick so he doesn't have to fight Fedor any time soon, and then you have those saying something like, "He's an asshole, dick, and terrible for the sport, but I hope he gets okay." Seriously, what kind of shit is that? A lot of us here can't stand Triple H, but if he got seriously sick, I highly doubt any of us would start off a sentence similar to what most assholes are doing for Lesnar. It's pathetic, and it's why I'd rather stick with wrestling fans who are also MMA fans on the internet, rather than just go discuss the sport with strictly MMA fans. They're some of the most despicable people you'll find over the internet.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Yeah, I'm a huge, HUGE fan of Brock's, and reading some of that stuff last night made me completely disgusted. Some of those people were legitimately GLAD he was very sick, when mono by itself is serious, nevermind the other unknown illnesses he has. One asshole even posted that he hoped that Lesnar's kids got sick as well.

What these keyboard warriors don't understand is that Lesnar being in the UFC, let alone being successful and being the champion is good for the UFC and mixed martial arts as a whole. Lesnar is the biggest draw in the company. He's opened up the UFC to so many people, and not just WWE fans. People take one look at him, and see that he's a freak of nature. They want to see him fight. I remember I was watching the countdown to UFC 100, and my uncle and cousin were over. They never had any exposure to the UFC or the WWE, but they took a look at Lesnar and were in awe. They ordered the event just because they wanted to see him fight, and now they're hooked.

I don't care if Brock doesn't fight again. I just want him to be healthy and around for his kids so he can be a father to them. Nobody deserves what he's going through right now, especially if some of the rumored stuff (kidney failure, MS) that's been making the rounds on the boards is actually true.

 

[gd]

This is pretty bad. Whatever he has must be serious given that it's gone on so long, you have to be concerened about his long term health and whether or not he'll ever be the same in the future.

As for the title situation, I'd think they'd have to find a new champ if he isn't able to fight anytime soon. That'd be Carwin against someone I suppose, not sure who though.

 

[INDYjon22]

The problem is that Carwin just had surgery on his knee and wont be fighting anytime soon so the UFC is really in a pickle until Carwin is healthy and has a contendor. Like I said previously I think the best option is for them to let the winner of Kongo/Mir fight Velasquez for an interim since those are the only top fighters in the heavyweight division healthy.

I really do hope Lesnar gets well soon and can continue his mma career. Regardless of how I personally feel about his actions and personality the guy is a huge draw and has exciting fights. The UFC will take a huge hit is he can not return. Like its been said I hope he gets healthy more importantly for his family. No one deserves to go throught the uncertainty that he and his family are experiencing right now.

 

[Shocky]

As a big Lesnar fan, I hate to see the big man go down. it's just scary to think that a man that looks as invincible as Brock Lesnar can be taken down, and looks to be pretty badly, by a simple disease of some sort. Mono itself is just bad, and fromw hat I've heard worse the older you are, but add in the supposed secret illness and the Next Big Thing seems to be in a world of hurt.

Obviously his health is key to the whole situation, but look at a basic fighting issue for Lesnar. Brock Lesnar is unable to train, at all. His body is probably starting to eat away at his muscle mass. Who knows how many pounds of just pure muscle this guy is going to lose. It sounds liek he's been down for a month, who knows how much longer this goes on, and who knows how much weight this guy loses.

This entire situation changes the UFC as a whole. If their big pay horse comes back 30 pounds or more lighter, it changes his whole strategy, and I personally can't see him being as aeffective as a fighter around 230 or less. This guy is a bull that flat out uses his size as an advantage. The UFC is not going to want to put this guy out anything less then 100%, he's the pay horse that keeps paying.

You're looking at at least a 3 or 4 month more layoff for the guy, considering everything works out well. He has to build his weight back up, and simply get in shape for a Title match MMA fight. The best thing for the UFC to do now, slap an Interim Heavyweight belt on a fight in the next month, and see where it goes from there.

 

[NSL]

This is definitely not good. Not good for Lesnar, not good for the UFC, and definitely not good for MMA as a whole. After Lesnar made his post-fight rant, I said it brought a little "Hollywood" to MMA, and was just the injection of excitement they needed. I was becoming a big fan of his.

Now with him out, potentially for good, all three aspects take a big blow. Who does the UFC put in his place? Will they be seen as a "true" champ because they didn't beat the titleholder? What does MMA do, without one of their biggest draws?

There's a lot of questions to be answered, but first and foremost, I hope he makes it through all of this OK.

 

[SavageTaker]

This really sucks. Lesnar is exactly the type of guy that UFC and MMA needed. He brings excitement to shows and he makes people want to see the shows even if they disagree or hate him. Honestly, I hope that whatever it is that he has is cured as fast as possible and that he is 100% healthy so he can step back into the octagon. It’s kind of scary knowing that one disease, one stupid thing, might prevent him from ever fighting again. But if he can’t ever fight again then UFC will still be big, they’ll just be losing a huge asset.

 

[Fizzy]

Lesnar was sent home from the hospital which is obviously a great sign. Thank god hes seemingly doing better. All this talk about him never fighting again and even death has really scared me and it's so great that hear that he is well enough to go home with his family. I hope after this infection passes that Brock decides to fight again, but we'll just have to see.