Former Interim Heavyweight Champ Shane Carwin Considering UFC Return

Another massive heavyweight could be making a return to the Octagon in the near future.

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin hinted at a comeback on his Twitter account Tuesday evening:

When your manager emails Joe Silva:

I'm ready to @ufc

— Shane Carwin (@ShaneCarwin) July 27, 2016

Carwin also confirmed his interest in fighting again in a post on mixedmartialarts.com.

“I had management let the UFC know I am considering a return and looking into what goes into that,” he wrote. “Who would you like to see me face?”

Carwin, now 41 years old, initially announced his retirement from MMA on May 7, 2013 following a six-bout stint with the UFC. The end of his tenure was plagued by injuries, as the Grudge Training Center product first had back surgery following a loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 131. He returned to coach “The Ultimate Fighter 13” opposite Roy Nelson but was unable to face “Big Country” at the show’s finale due to a knee injury. The loss to dos Santos would ultimately be his last fight.

An NCAA Division II national champion wrestler at Western State University, Carwin rattled off 12 consecutive first-round finishes to begin his MMA career — including four in the UFC. He captured interim gold with a first-round knockout of Frank Mir at UFC 111 and had then champion Brock Lesnar reeling in the opening stanza at UFC 116 before submitting to an arm-triangle choke in the second frame.

Should he return, Carwin would likely have to provide a four-month notice to USADA in order to enter the drug testing pool. In 2010, approximately one month after his loss to Lesnar, Carwin was named by a U.S. attorney as one of 22 athletes who obtained steroids who obtained steroids through an Alabama pharmacy. Carwin declined to comment on the allegations and never faced punishment from the UFC.