Once-beaten heavyweight contender Shane Carwin (Pictured) underwent successful spinal surgery on Tuesday to repair damage to the C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae in his neck.The injury forced Carwin to withdraw from his scheduled battle with “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10 winner and former International Fight League heavyweight champion Roy Nelson at UFC 125 “Resolution” on Jan. 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The hulking Coloradan will not be allowed any physical contact for up to three months, MMAFighting.com reported.Known as a foraminotomy, the procedure was designed to relieve pressure on nerves in the spinal column and allow for easier movement. A bundle of nerves leaves the spinal cord through an opening -- the neural foramen -- in the spinal column. When the opening narrows, it can put pressure on the nerves and result in a condition known as foraminal spinal stenosis. It causes pain that radiates down through the limbs, along with numbness, tingling and muscle weakness.The surgery was performed by Dr. Chad Prusmack, a board-certified neurosurgeon at the Rocky Mountain Spine Clinic in Lone Tree, Colo.“No complications during surgery, it took just under four hours to complete,” Carwin’s manager, Jason Genet, wrote via Twitter. “The nerve damage was worse than the MRI showed, but they cleaned it up.”Based out of the Grudge Training Center in Colorado, Carwin’s last appearance in the Octagon resulted in a second-round submission loss at the hands of former UFC heavyweight king Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 in July. Before losing to Lesnar, Carwin had demolished each of his first 12 opponents. In fact, none of them even survived the first round. Since joining the UFC, Carwin has earned four lightning-quick knockouts, two of which came over one-time title contender Gabriel Gonzaga and former UFC champion Frank Mir