BREAKING | Shane Carwin Officially in Negotiations With Bellator

This Bellator heavyweight grand prix has shook things up a lot more than just the huge match-ups it has planned. Even Rory MacDonald wants the chance to be included in this tournament that hearkens back to a bygone era. Former UFC wrecking ball and frequent Redditor, Shane Carwin has since voiced his interest in the tournament, but it looks like things are getting more serious than just a Tweet and an e-mail. Carwin is currently in talks with the promotion and even told his management to make it easy. He dropped into R/MMA with some exclusive news and talked candidly about who he wants put his hands on at Bellator.

“So, I saw the tournament announcement and it got me pumped. I was then lurking here and saw the odds from MMA Junkie and I got even more interested. I picked up the cell and e-mailed Rich [Chou] and asked for a spot. My last Bellator negotiations went great, they were by far the most professional of all offers we were presented. I just wasn’t sure how I would be utilized and when you are old you are looking for short trajectories to great opportunities. RIZIN appealed in that way. I told Rich I will accept his last offer to me. No negotiations, no bonus vehicles I’ll just take [Rampage Jackson]’s Tesla. Lets just do this. Ball is in Scott [Coker]’s court. If you want this, let him and Bellator know.”

I emailed my friend @rich_chou a request to get on as an Alternate for this amazing @BellatorMMA tournament. I really can’t wait to watch it either way but I am so pumped up for it I had to get my name on a list. I’d love a real title. #Bellator pic.twitter.com/jiysk6sBVb

— Shane Carwin (@ShaneCarwin) November 21, 2017

“I am back in beast mode. In the last year I have trained more than I trained in my entire UFC run. I am not just strong like bull I am doing things that my Surgeon said were done. I have just recently broke my PR squat record with 575lbs at 10 reps. If you lift you know you need to have back strength to pull this off. I recently discovered CBD and that has pushed recovery into overdrive. […] [Roy] Nelson or Fedor [Emelianenko] would be fine by me. Roy needs his ass beat. He talks a lot of shit on Twitter but is a complete coward face-to-face. I’d like to showcase that on TV. When you are on social media telling the world B.S. about me and using my name to build yours but when we are face-to-face, within inches, he says nothing. Keyboard Warrior Coward. He wont get me down or keep me down if he does.” — Shane Carwin speaking to R/MMA. 

Shane Carwin was undefeated, until running into the likes of Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos. Still, even with six years since his last fight, Carwin could walk into this heavyweight tournament and be a force to be reckoned with. Even if the former interim UFC heavyweight champion didn’t make it into the grand prix, settling an apparent burly boy beef with Roy Nelson would be fun to watch. Carwin already boasts a knockout victory over Frank Mir from UFC 111, who is set to fight Fedor in one of the tournament’s opening bouts.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 11/22/2017.