“As a man of faith I know that you are never given more burden then you can carry. I feel that the last couple years have tested me in more ways then I have ever imagined. The challenges the being close to greatness and yet so far away has been nothing less then motivating.

I have spent my entire fighting career dealing with injuries from my football career. I have done my best to get through my training and I have been blessed to get through my fights with relatively little to no damage.

As I ramped up my training for UFC 141 my body locked up during training. It wasn’t like the Lesnar fight but my back just tightened up and I froze. I scheduled an MRI and the results showed that my disc in my lower back is into the nerves . My doctor gave me two options; retire and I could probably go on for a few years without surgery or I could undergo surgery and continue my career.

The decision was easy. I have unfinished business. The UFC had me lined up to face one of the best in the world and I am confident I have everything I need to be a Champion. I am scheduling surgery and I hope to return to the Octagon by spring or summer 2012.

I will be in Las Vegas for Halloween weekend for a UFC 137 viewing party. I look forward to a fast and speedy recovery.

Thanks to my sponsors and fans for all of your continued support.”

-Carwin

In a blog he posted earlier on Shane-Carwin.com, Shane Carwin breaks the news that he’s going ahead with back surgery after being told that his only options were surgery or retirement.  Carwin has seen very little action since his July 2010 submission loss to Brock Lesnar, as injuries and a previous neck/back surgery from November 2010 have kept the former UFC interim champion sidelined.

He was last seen in action at UFC 131 where he lost a three round unanimous decision to Junior Dos Santos.  The loss was his second straight, as Carwin had been scheduled to take on Jon Olav Einemo, but when Brock Lesnar was forced to withdraw with another bout of diverticulitis, Carwin got the call to step in against Dos Santos.

With the UFC getting ready to make its move to Fox, the addition of Alistair Overeem to the roster, and the return of Brock Lesnar, Carwin’s back injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.  Will the former champion be able to make a successful comeback after another extensive layoff?