Shane Carwin: 'There is no doubt in my mind I am living the American Dream'
"This week has been a whirlwind I have found myself on TV shows I normally watch, endorsing products I usually drink, and being treated like a super star. The entire casino and strip is loaded with ads for UFC 116 it is amazing. The hotel room is larger then my first couple of homes and they even have poker tables with Brock and me on them. There is no doubt in my mind I a living the American Dream. Tonight it is not about winning a belt or being ranked number one in the Heavy Weight Division. Tonight is about two super talented big guys who have put a life time of work into being the very best they can be. Tonight all the hard work and sacrifices comes down to 25 minutes of war. I am honored that Lesnar would give me the chance. It takes a real man to face the very best after a long lay off. Brock doesn't seem to take any short cuts and I expect to see the very best Brock Lesnar ever tonight. He is a tough fight for anyone and holds the one thing that all of us fighters in the division are hunting for, the UFC strap."
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Kurt Pellegrino: 'George Sotiropoulos knows he's a cheater'
"I’m not stressed out. I’m not nervous. Why would I be nervous? I’ve grappled with the best grappler on the planet (Marcelo Garcia). I’ve seen everything. This is the best prepared person I’ve ever been. I just have a lot of confidence right now. I don’t need to cheat or find a loophole to make my game better. My game is where it is: no shirt, pair of fight shorts, let’s rock and roll. I don’t need neoprene or kneepads to help me win or get the edge. If that’s what he needs, fantastic; good for him. He knows he’s a cheater."
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UFC 116's George Sotiropoulos: 'I see things in Kurt Pellegrino's game I can exploit, he's beatable'
Quoteworthy:
"Kurt comes from the mold of wrestling. He always reverts back to it. And he has a black belt in jiu-jitsu to go with it. He's knows how to get into advantageous positions and apply submissions quite effectively. He can also box. He's an active fighter, he's aggressive. He likes to come forward. And when he goes for the takedown, he pretty much always gets it. I see this being a tough fight. He's gonna look to grind and make me work. I see the fight being fought in all areas. I'm prepared to fight wherever it may go. I've looked at all his fights and I see things that I can exploit. He's beatable. But I respect him. He's very confident right now. Being on a four-fight win streak, he's in a good place mentally. I think he and Joe Stevenson are almost identical. I would say Joe is more powerful but Kurt has more speed and agility. I think Joe might have the edge in boxing too. But in terms of grappling, I think they're identical. I'm not really focused on a title shot right now. I'm patient. Just as long as I keep winning, that's my goal."
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