UFC's Brendan Schaub makes decision to stop fighting: 'I won't do the game a disservice'

Brendan Schaub

Although he won’t officially label it as a retirement, it appears Brendan Schaub’s time competing in the UFC’s octagon is over.

Schaub (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) has not fought since UFC 181 in December when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Travis Browne. The outcome marked his second consecutive loss, and a variety of issues have since caused Schaub to question his future in the sport.

The 32-year-old has a number of ventures outside of fighting, the most notable being “The Fighter and The Kid” podcast he co-hosts alongside comedian Bryan Callen.

Schaub said success outside of the cage has incrementally drained his competitive spirit and made it easier to push fighting to the side. Moreover, his very public disdain for the UFC’s apparel partnership with Reebok has created an environment in which Schaub isn’t willing to make the sacrifices to fight.

“It’d be tough for me to say, ‘You know what? Let me go fight some monster who’s been training full-time and not telling dick jokes and selling f-cking ‘Big Brown’ shirts full time. Let me go fight that guy,'” Schaub explained on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “I won’t do the game a disservice. I won’t do that. Unless I can focus on it full-time, there’s just no way.”

Schaub’s beef with the UFC’s partnership with Reebok involves payment. Athletes are compensated through a tier structure based on number of appearances. Schaub fits into the bracket to receive $10,000 per fight, which at one point he claimed was roughly 10 percent of what he would make through his own sponsors.

Although he was involved in a public back-and-forth with UFC President Dana White over the sponsorship issue, Schaub made is clear he still views his relationship with the UFC as positive and said he’s “indebted” to the organization.

“Do I want one more?” Schaub asked. “F-ck yes, man. But it just doesn’t make sense. I can’t see myself, when it comes down to this, I can’t see myself in a f-cking Reebok kit walking out to that octagon. I can’t see myself being like, ‘You know what? Cool, man. Yeah, that’s what I’m worth. I’m worth 10 grand to you guys. I’m gonna do this.’ And I have other opportunities.

“People think I’m this hater on the UFC or whatever – I owe it to the UFC. I’ll always be indebted to the UFC. People think I have a problem with Dana White. I definitely don’t. If Dana was in trouble and texted me right now and said, ‘Hey Schaub, I wish you’d quit talking sh-t about Reebok,’ or, ‘I need help.’ You got it, man. Cool. Done.

“I’ll always be a supporter of the UFC. Whatever they need. But for right now, I’ve got to take a step away and focus on this crazy freakin’ entertainment podcast career I’ve got going on. I’m so blessed.”

Schaub, a former football player that was briefly a member of the practice squad for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, transitioned to MMA and made his official debut in June 2008.

After just four pro contests, all of which he won by first-round TKO, Schaub was recruited to be a member of UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series. Schaub was a cast member on Season 10 of the show alongside notables such as Roy Nelson, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson and Matt Mitrione.

Schaub advanced to the finals of the “TUF 10” tournament but suffered a knockout loss to Nelson in a December 2009 contest that kicked off his UFC career.

During his nearly six-year UFC career Schaub entered the octagon 11 times. He faced the likes of former champions Andrei Arlovski and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, as well as heavyweight mainstays such as Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Gabriel Gonzaga.

MMA is generally considered a sport in which the athletes should not compete with anything less than 100 percent dedication. Schaub has been knocked out in four of his five career losses, and risking further physical trauma when he’s not entirely committed would be a mistake, he admitted.

Although Schaub was careful to not use the word “retirement,” he made it clear that the chances of seeing him back in the octagon are slim to none – especially if he’s forced to wear a Reebok uniform.

“Who knows what happens in the future, but for right now there’s no way; they can offer me anybody and there’s no way,” Schaub said. “There’s no way I can put all this on hold and be like, ‘Let me go take this fight.’

“I’m stepping away from the game, man. There’s not going to be no Schaub Reebok kits out there. I won’t be fighting anyone any time soon.”

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