UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub became the focus of one of the biggest stories of last year in the MMA world when UFC color commentator Joe Rogan joined him for a special edition of his The Fighter and the Kid podcast. The podcast was recorded the Monday following Brendan’s UFC 181 TKO loss to Travis Browne.
During the recording Rogan, who is a personal friend of Schaub’s, gave a brutally honest assessment of ‘Big Brown’s performance and general skills as a pro MMA fighter.
In this month’s edition of Fighters Only, Schaub opens up about his feelings on the infamous podcast and gives his thoughts on his future. Read below for a special preview.
Brendan Schaub doesn’t want to be just another face in the crowd of MMA athletes. He wants to excel at everything he pursues in life.
“I just don’t want to be average,” he tells Fighters Only. “Even in the UFC, I don’t want to be just another guy. I wake up every day and ask myself what am I going to do to better myself today? I just don’t want to be average.”
But a recent intervention from respected MMA figure and friend, Joe Rogan, forced ‘Big Brown’ to take stock. Following a KO defeat to Travis Browne in December, the Octagon’s long-time color commentator questioned the 31-year-old’s ability to continue to compete at the highest level. It was the latest in a series of vicious knockout defeats in the last few years, which also included concussive blows from Roy Nelson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ben Rothwell.
Rogan had some harsh words for Schaub following the UFC 181 loss on The Fighter and the Kid podcast, which the UFC heavyweight hosts with actor Bryan Callen. It was a verbal beat-down that lit a fire under the online MMA community. Many fans thought Rogan went too far. “I really didn’t sign up for that,” Schaub reveals. “Callen said Rogan wanted to be on the show that day. I told Bryan that I didn’t want to have him on just to s**t on my camp, my fight or my performance. Most people may not know that Joe and I are close friends.
“Joe knows to get through to me you have to exaggerate a bit to get your point across. He did take it too far though.
“He told me afterward that he wouldn’t have released it to the public. He took a lot of flak for it. I have no regrets about the conversation. I don’t agree with him but I see where he’s coming from. It actually made us closer.
“We had dinner together after the podcast and he told me, ‘You don’t have to fight. You’re gifted. You have so many opportunities and gifts that you can use that most guys don’t have. There are so many avenues you can go down and be a success, you don’t need to fight.’”
Written by Tony Reid.
Read the full exclusive interview with Brendan Schaub inside the current edition of Fighters Only magazine – on sale now!
