Shane Carwin is expected to return at UFC 131 and it looks like Cheick Kongo will be the opponent. This is the same card that will host the Lesnar-JDS fight as well as the rumored Guida-Pettis bout. Interesting match up. Cheick a big boy with good stand up. He's also got a pretty good chin as evidenced by trading with Cain Velasquez. Frank Mir dropped him and had him seriously hurt in their recent bout. How do you think Carwin does against an experienced fighter with good stand up skills like Kongo?
Kongo will not stand with Carwin. He will do everything to take him down. We'll see how good Carwin's TD is. I say he stuffs Kongo's attempts and KO's him in one.
I agree, Kongo isn't going to try and take a Collegiate National Champion wrestler down. Kongo is a kickboxer in background and has the length to give Carwin fits in the stand up. With that said, I would still pick Carwin to KO him in one, but would not be suprised at all if Kongo comes in with a good gameplan and makes Carwin work for it.
Have you guys seen Kongo's last fight? He was extremely scared of that guy (forget his name) Even more so with Buentenello. He was terrified to stand with him. You think he will have the balls to stand with a KO artist like Carwin ?
I think he will get KO'd by Carwin in the first round. But I also think Kongo stands a popsicle's chance in hell trying to take Carwin down. Carwin's wrestling is world class. Right there with Cain's and Lesnar's.
That is a pretty decent card based on those three fights alone. In fact, the heavyweight doubleheader alone has me amped. Hopefully the fights come off as good as they sound.
I think Kongo will try to take him down just to see if he can and after he fails a couple of times he will clinch and move as much as he can hoping that if he takes it past round one Carwin will gas again.
Kongo tried to take Buentello down because Paul has absolutely zero take down defense and is miserable on the ground. Kongo wasn't terrified, he was using the best strategy to win. I think Jarhead hit the nail on the head. Kongo will try to use his reach and movement to extend the fight and take advantage of Carwin's inability to fight past 5 minutes. It's an interesting matchup in that respect. Carwin has to be a little gun shy about blowing his wad too quickly and that might help Kongo find opportunity.
Carwin KO 1 Kongo is not that aggressive, Carwin is the one that will lead first and Kongo simply won't be able to take it. His other option of attemting to take Carwin down is even worse. Carwin stuffed Lesnar's first round TD attempts. Kongo is NOT taking Carwin down. Easy win for Carwin.
I honestly can't find anything I disagree with here. I really don't think Kongo has the firepower to hurt Carwin with a single shot either. You might be right... Not that it doesn't happen. I'm just agreeing.
