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But Dean allowed him to continue, and he fought on through a broken nose and several facial lacerations to make it to the end of the fight. It was almost stopped a second time in the third round when the cageside doctor was called in to check a piece of skin that was cut open over his eye, but Carwin told the doctor he could see and the fight continued.
Turns out that wasn't entirely accurate.
"After the second round I knew I was in trouble," Carwin wrote in a blog entry on his personal website. "My nose made it impossible to breathe, my eyes were full of blood and Junior was still coming at me. When the ref stopped the fight in the third, I thought it was over.
"When the doctor came in the octagon I knew it was going to be up to me to sell them on letting me continue. I knew I was in deep trouble but I also knew that all I needed was one clean shot. I wanted to keep myself in the fight. I wasn't able to see but I said I could and we continued."
Carwin isn't the first fighter to less than accurately describe his visual ability in the middle of a fight to a doctor, and it kept him fighting until the end in a gutsy display. Now, after his second straight loss, Carwin's goal is to get back to training and get himself better as a fighter.
"My heart can't be questioned, I think I showed that I have the cardio to fight at this level and I just need to work on my technique," Carwin continued. "Yes I can knock just about anybody out but I have to continue my quest to become the best fighter in my division."
"Being in wars like I was in [Saturday] night are important [tests] for your career and I am confident I belong in the cage with the best fighters in the world. I need to keep working hard on my technique and testing myself. There are no easy fights at this level, no gimmes. I have to get my nose fixed and once the swelling goes down I need to have my cheek looked at as it may be broken. I can't wait to heal and get back into the gym and begin working on my game."
Link to Full Blog Entry at Shane-Carwin.com
Penick's Analysis: Carwin showed tons of heart, but though no fighter wants to admit they can't see with the possibility of the fight being stopped in that situation, it's not an advisable move to make for any fighter. They risk even more damage than they've already suffered in that spot, damage which could negatively impact their fighting future. Hopefully Carwin didn't suffer any more damage in that last minute, and I don't blame him one bit for continuing in that spot and lying to the doctor. In the heat of the moment there it's what fighters will do, and Carwin did not want an easy way out of that fight. He should be commended for his heart and one gutsy performance in a losing effort, though. And by making it all 15 minutes, he proved he has the cardio to fight a complete fight, even if was convincingly defeated.
[Shane Carwin art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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