UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin. July 3, 2010. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The UFC Heavyweight Championship unification. Shane Carwin opened round one with one of the most sustained and brutal attacks in heavyweight history — over 100 strikes, multiple knockdowns, Brock Lesnar in the fetal position against the cage. Carwin could not finish it. In round two, Carwin gassed. Lesnar took him down, advanced to mount, and locked in an arm-triangle choke. Carwin tapped at 2:19.
1,160,000 PPV buys. Gate: $4,053,990. UFC 116 was voted Best Major Show in the 2010 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards — the first and only time a UFC or MMA event won that award.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: July 3, 2010
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
PPV: 1,160,000 buys; Gate: $4,053,990; Attendance: 12,740
Main Event: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Shane Carwin (Interim c) — UFC HW Championship Unification
Result: Brock Lesnar def. Carwin — Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) — R2, 2:19 — Lesnar survived massive R1 assault; Carwin gassed; Lesnar subs him R2
Notable: Won Best Major Show 2010 WON Awards; Bonnar def. Soszynski; Leben subs Akiyama; $75k bonuses
The Build-Up
Shane Carwin was 12-0 with 12 first-round finishes. He had won the Interim HW Championship at UFC 111 with a first-round KO of Frank Mir. Brock Lesnar had been out over a year with diverticulitis after UFC 100. The unification fight had been postponed from UFC 106 and UFC 108. When it finally arrived, the question was simple: could Lesnar survive Carwin’s first round?
Main Event
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Shane Carwin (Interim c) — UFC HW Championship Unification
Round one: Carwin rushed Lesnar immediately, landed a right hand that dropped him, and swarmed with ground and pound. Herb Dean was watching closely. Lesnar covered up, absorbed over 100 strikes, was bloodied, and pressed against the cage. Somehow, the bell rang without a stoppage. Carwin had used everything.
Round two: Carwin was visibly exhausted. Lesnar shot for a takedown almost immediately, secured it, advanced to mount, and locked in the arm-triangle choke. Carwin tapped at 2:19. Lesnar unified the heavyweight title.
The performance was Lesnar’s most dramatic win. He survived the most sustained attack of his career and finished with his wrestling in round two. Carwin’s gas tank was the deciding factor.
Co-Main Event
Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama — Middleweight
Leben and Akiyama traded heavy shots across three rounds in a back-and-forth fight that earned Fight of the Night honours. Leben secured a triangle choke at 4:40 of round three to win by submission. Both fighters received $75,000 bonuses.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Jon Madsen def. Karlos Vemola — Decision — R3, 5:00
Daniel Roberts def. Forrest Petz — Decision — R3, 5:00 — WW
Gerald Harris def. David Branch — TKO — R1 — MW; Sub Night ($75k to Harris)
Kendall Grove def. Goran Reljic — Decision — R3, 5:00
Ricardo Romero def. Seth Petruzelli — Submission (Armbar) — R2, 3:05
Brendan Schaub def. Chris Tuchscherer — TKO — R1, 1:07 — HW
Main Card
George Sotiropoulos def. Kurt Pellegrino — Decision (Unanimous) — R3, 5:00 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — LW
Stephan Bonnar def. Krzysztof Soszynski — TKO — R2, 3:08 — LHW; Fight of the Night ($75k each)
Chris Lytle def. Matt Brown — Submission (Armbar) — R2, 2:02 — WW
Chris Leben def. Yoshihiro Akiyama — Submission (Triangle Choke) — R3, 4:40 — MW; Co-Main; Fight of the Night ($75k each)
UFC HW Championship Unification — Main Event
Brock Lesnar def. Shane Carwin — Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) — R2, 2:19 — HW Championship; Lesnar survives R1 assault; Carwin gassed; Fight of the Night ($75k to Lesnar)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night (x3): Lesnar vs. Carwin ($75k to Lesnar); Leben vs. Akiyama ($75k each); Bonnar vs. Soszynski ($75k each).
Sub/KO Night: Gerald Harris ($75k).
Records & Milestones
Shane Carwin’s first MMA loss — Carwin entered 12-0 with 12 first-round finishes; Lesnar was his first opponent to see round two.
UFC 116 voted Best Major Show 2010 WON Awards — first and only time a UFC or MMA event won this award.
1,160,000 PPV buys — among the highest in UFC history; Lesnar’s drawing power at its peak.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 116 is the defining Brock Lesnar moment. The first round against Carwin — the volume, the damage, the survival — is the closest the UFC has come to a legitimate heavyweight miracle. Lesnar absorbed everything Carwin had. Carwin had nothing left. Lesnar’s wrestling took over.
The PPV number — 1,160,000 buys — illustrated how valuable Lesnar was as a box-office draw. His crossover from WWE had brought an audience to the UFC that had not previously watched MMA. His loss to Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 three months later ended his HW championship run, and with it, the highest-grossing chapter of the Lesnar era.
FAQ
What happened in round one of Lesnar vs Carwin?
Carwin landed a right hand that dropped Lesnar and followed with over 100 strikes from the top position. Lesnar covered up and survived. Referee Herb Dean was watching closely but never stopped the fight before the bell.
Why did Lesnar win in round two?
Carwin gassed after his sustained round-one assault. Lesnar shot a takedown, advanced to mount, and locked in an arm-triangle choke. Carwin tapped at 2:19 of round two.
Was UFC 116 recognised outside MMA?
Yes. UFC 116 won the Best Major Show award in the 2010 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Awards, the first and only time a UFC or MMA event won that award.
How many PPV buys did UFC 116 generate?
1,160,000 buys, one of the highest figures in UFC history at the time.
What happened to Brock Lesnar after UFC 116?
Lesnar defended the HW title once, but lost it to Cain Velasquez by TKO in round one at UFC 121 in October 2010. His health continued to be affected by diverticulitis and he retired from MMA in December 2011.
References
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