Former UFC heavyweight champion Shane Carwin has been teasing a return to MMA for quite some time now.

Numerous Tweets from Carwin had the MMA community playing matchmaker as they began putting together potential fights for the former heavyweight champ.

Fans even went as far as to call for a rematch with former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, who recently made his highly anticipated UFC return in July at UFC 200. Unfortunately, Lesnar failed a pre-fight drug test in addition to a fight night drug test, likely sidelining him for quite some time.

Carwin took to the UG to explain the situation:

“As many of you know I recently decided to come out of retirement. I asked my management team at Ingrained Media to help chart a course. This lead to reviews of my contract and conversations with Joe Silva and UFC’s legal team. We decided mutually that my value and what I bring to the Heavyweight Division will be better utilized elsewhere. I am now a free agent. I look forward to freely speaking with the other MMA promotions. The Heavyweight division has a lot of great fights and not all of them are in the UFC.

I am excited about what the future holds. I want to prove to myself and my fans that I belong at the top of the division. Today that journey begins.

Feel free to ask me any questions.”

Carwin was 12-0 in his UFC career until 2010, where he suffered the first loss of his career at the hands of Brock Lesnar. In his next fight, Carwin lost via decision to Junior dos Santos.

Carwin hasn’t fought since.