Former interim UFC heavyweight champion Shane Carwin will undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair issues he’s had with his back for the past several years.
Carwin had previously announced that he was going to be forced to withdraw from his Jan. 1 fight against Roy Nelson due to the back injury, and after some careful thought he opted for surgery to repair the problem instead of just hoping it would heal over time.
“One more day of this relentless pain to go,” Carwin wrote on his official Twitter page on Monday. “I seriously never imagined that one would look forward to surgery.”
The procedure will be performed by Dr. Chad Prusmack from the Sky Ridge Medical Center, who also works as a neurosurgeon and consultant for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
Carwin’s teammate, Nate Marquardt, says he spoke to the fighter about the surgery and is optimistic about the outcome and his quick recovery.
“When I first heard the news I was a little bit upset and just worried for Shane,” Marquardt said in an interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “The main thing is just worry for him as a friend. Talking to him and I personally know the doctor that he’s working with, he’s one of the best if not the best, and I feel very confident that he’ll be able to make a quick recovery and get back to fighting fairly quickly.”
The timeline for Carwin’s return to the cage is unknown. Other fighters who have undergone back surgery such as Tito Ortiz and Nate Quarry have both reached out to Carwin offering any kind of help after having similar operations.
Writing on his website prior to making the final decision about surgery, Carwin promised that he would return to the fight world a better and stronger fighter, injury free for the first time in years.
“This is a hard decision, but the right one, and I hope Team Carwin can stand by me through this period of my career,” Carwin wrote. “No one wants to get me back to winning more than me.
“I just need to be healthy to do it.”
With Carwin’s withdrawal from the fight, Nelson thus far has been removed from the UFC 125 fight card.
