He may not be on the level of Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos in terms of skill, and he may not have mic skills and the personality of a Chael Sonnen or Nick Diaz. What makes Brendan Schaub a rarity in MMA is his ability to evolve inside of the octagon while growing his image outside of fighting.
What other fighter outside of the top 10 in their weight division could you find on the label of a major workout supplement with high profile NFL and NBA stars? What other fighter has big name sponsors while simultaneously running a popular podcast through Fox Sports?
Schaub fights Andrei Arlovski at UFC 174 this Saturday in what will be Arlovski’s return to the octagon after a six-year absence. While all eyes are on Arlovski to make a triumphant return, fans must look out for “The Hybrid”, especially if the fight hits the ground.
Brendan Schaub 2.0
Schaub has stepped up his jiu-jitsu game in a big way, training with Rener Gracie at the famed Gracie Academy in Torrance, California. Schaub showed off his improved submission game in his last bout, submitting Matt Mitrione with a d’arce choke in the first round at UFC 165. The win was his second in a row after back to back knockout losses at the hands of Ben Rothwell and former UFC champion Minotauro Nogueira.
Schaub has spoken highly of his training at the Gracie Academy, and now believes that his jiu-jitsu game is on par with the best of the heavyweight division.
“Whatever (the Gracie’s) put me through, no other guy in the octagon is going to be able to hang with that. There’s no way,” Schaub stated in a promo video for UFC 174 titled Schaub 2.0.
With an improved ground game to round out his striking that has led to seven career knockouts, the TUF 10 finalist could be seeing a resurgence in his career, one that would match his success outside of the octagon.
Popularity outside the Octagon
With 112,000 followers on Twitter, Schaub ranks close to champions like Anthony Pettis and Johny Hendricks in social media popularity. Amongst top 15 heavyweights, Schaub ranks 9th in terms of Twitter followers. Considering he has yet to fight in a main event or co-main event of a pay-per view, and has never been in a title shot, shows that his outside self-promotion has kept him alive in terms of being a name to fans.
Where would Hendricks or Pettis be if they had the same self-promotional skills as Schaub? It’s what takes a fighter like Georges St. Pierre and makes him into a household name. Big-time sponsors and a following outside of the octagon is what turns a champion into an icon, and right now with the UFC’s biggest stars either injured or retired, the UFC needs more fighters like Brendan Schaub, promoting their own brand.
Could Schaub become the Chael Sonnen of the heavyweight division? Likely not. He has charisma, but not that of Sonnen. Will he become the UFC Heavyweight Champion? Right now in his career, it would take a giant push to the top, so unlikely. Can Schaub become one of the most popular heavyweights in the UFC? Beating Arlovski on Saturday would be a great catalyst to accomplish that feat.
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