One week ago, StrikeForce announced that Herschel Walker, the legendary football star would fight superstar Scott Carson who hails from Lake Forest, CA with a record of 4-1. Much is known about Walker and on his debut fight, he was given just as much media attention as main event fighters Nick Diaz and Marius Zaromskis. Though he will be on the undercard of Sobral vs. Henderson on December 4th, Walker is sure to garner as much if not more attention than the two main event mma veterans.
So, who is Scott Carson?
“I’ll tell you one thing. I’m a lot better fighter than the one I’ve been reading about on the Internet. This is a huge deal for me, a tremendous opportunity, but you’d think I was nothing going off what has been written by some of these keyboard warriors, who I doubt have ever stepped in a cage. It’s a lot easier to sit in front of a computer and talk (stuff) than it is to actually fight,” said Carson.
“I am trying to take it all in stride, but I have no idea why some people are talking so negatively without ever having seen me. They don’t know me. I’m pretty well-rounded with good standup and wrestling. I’m going to be more ready for Dec. 4 than I have for any other fight. I plan to shut up all the critics, each and every one of them. Let them write something factual after they’ve seen me on Dec. 4.”
The 6-foot-2-inch Carson turned pro in September 1999 and won his initial four starts through June 2001. He is a former WEC veteran who scored a first-round submission victory over Bryson Haubrick at the very first WEC event.
After being sidelined with a back injury and due to several scheduled fights falling out, Carson didn’t return to the cage until last June 12 in Los Angeles. A member of Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, he got knocked out in the first round by undefeated Lorenz Martin (3-0 going in, 5-0 now).
“I was out a long time because of my back and I did rehab for a while,’’ said Carson, who trained for years with Chuck Liddell before he joined Reign Training Center in Lake Forest. “I never thought much about not fighting again; I always wanted to come back.”
“But I couldn’t do anything until I was 100 percent. Once I got healthy again, I got better the more I trained. I’ve helped a lot of guys get ready for fights while waiting for my chance. I had a few fights lined up before my last fight, but they all fell out for one reason or another.’’
The come backing Carson makes no excuses for his last start, his first in nine years.
“It got to the point for the longest time that all I did was train,’’ he said. “Then, the next thing we know, I’m fighting. I felt good going into that fight but just got caught. It can happen to anybody.’’
The main event of course will pit MMA superstar Dan Henderson of Temecula, Ca., as he faces former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8) of Brazil in a collision of world-class 205-pounders at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO.
Other televised fights will include former world heavyweight champion Antonio “Big Foot’’ Silva as he faces the older brother of Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, Valentijn “The Python’’ Overeem, of Amsterdam. Paul “Semtex’’ Daley of Nottingham, England, meets power puncher Scott “Hands Of Steel’ Smith of Elk Grove, Ca, in a battle of explosive welterweights and exciting local favorite “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler of Granite City, IL, takes on 2000 Olympic Games silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland of Oregon City, OR in a middleweight scrap.
