Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar's next opponent appears to be Shane Carwin, scheduled for the main event at UFC 106 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Nov. 21.

Carwin (11-0) was scheduled to face Cain Velasquez (5-0) in the co-main event at UFC 104 in Los Angeles, but sources have informed me that Carwin has accepted the title shot against the champ.

It looks like the very experienced Ben Rothwell (30-6) will replace Carwin at UFC 104, giving the younger Velasquez another stiff test as he continues to improve upon his 5-0 record.

Carwin, a mechanical engineer by day, is one of the few real tests that I believe can seriously give Lesnar a run for his money. He is a former NCAA II Heavyweight Wrestling Champion from the mid-nineties, so is a perfect candidate to not only keep the fight standing, but also has the skills to put Lesnar on his back.

Lesnar is a higher calibre wrestler, winning the NCAA Championship in 2000, and also has two years on Carwin, who is 34 years old. The champ will also have size on Carwin, who tips the scales at 260 pounds, while Lesnar cuts from 285 to make the 265-pound weight limit.

Both guys have huge hands and generate a lot of power when they strike. Lesnar proved that by dropping Randy Couture with his near 85-inch reach advantage when he won the title at UFC 91, and showed his incredible ground and pound striking ability vs. Fran Mir in his last bout.

Carwin also has incredible power, and can also take a punch, as was evidenced in his bout against Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96. Early in the fight, Carwin recovered from a brutal punch that broke his nose and eventually knocked out the Brazilian at 1:09 of the first round.

This title fight fits perfectly with the UFC's "counter everything" business model as Fedor Emelianenko is also schedled to fight for Strikeforce, in and around the same timeframe as UFC 106.

The UFC's event thus far is already stacking up as a great pay-per-view. Also on the card is Tito Ortiz, who will be making his long awaited Octagon return vs. Mark Coleman, who has been proving to everyone that Father Time will not get the better of him.

Another rumoured fight on this card is Jon Fitch looking to welcome Ricardo Almeida to the welterweight divison after the Brazilian made it clear that his middleweight bout vs. Kendall Grove at UFC 101 would be his last.