Carwin’s debut in the UFC was on the undercard of UFC 84 against Christian Wellisch, he won this fight with a KO punch within the first 44seconds of the very first round. Carwin current wife is Lani, they have a daughter Alexia born on February 24, 2010, and he also has a son Kamden from a previous marriage. Carwin suffered a neck and back injury on November 2, 2010, from his fight with Dos Santos. He was suppose to face Roy Nelson at UFC 125, on January 1, 2011however, he later announced on his website that he would not be able to compete due to back and neck pain, which required surgery that took place on November 2, 2010. Carwin later stated that the neck surgery was a success, and he was 100% healthy. On October 16, 2011 it was announced that Carwin was expected to be out until mid-2012, due to his requiring back surgery.