UFC 165 winner Brendan Schaub likely due for quick return

TORONTO – It wasn’t long ago that heavyweight Brendan Schaub was in desperate need of a win. Now it sounds as if the UFC may be in desperate need of him.

“He might slide into a slot now where something else just fell out,” UFC President Dana White said at Saturday night’s UFC 165 post-event press conference. “We might have another fight for him soon.

“Tonight was an easy night for him, a little warm-up.”

Schaub entered 2013 mired in a two-fight losing streak that left some wondering if “The Ultimate Fighter 10? finalist was on the verge of losing his job in the promotion. In February, he bounced back with a convincing win over Lavar Johnson, but he was criticized for doing so in rather unentertaining fashion.

On Saturday, Schaub (10-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) faced fellow “TUF 10? fighter Matt Mitrione (6-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) on the main card of UFC 165, which took place at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. What started as a friendly rivalry between the two quickly escalated into a bit of a bitter confrontation as the pair’s pre-fight war of words took a few nasty turns.

But when the bell rang, Schaub was always one step ahead, using a blend of dynamic striking and grapplng to keep Mitrione guessing as to what was coming next before ultimately cinching up a D’Arce choke and putting “Meathead” to sleep.

“Whatever Matt did, I was just ready for,” Schaub said. “It was like his punches and everything were in slow motion. So it was just a matter of time.”

The exact amount of time was less than five minutes, and Schaub earned the first-round win, escaping without a scratch. Schaub said he didn’t know what White was suggesting with his hint, and the UFC boss declined to elaborate on whether the need was against a key unbooked heayweight opponent, such as Stipe Miocic or Fabricio Werdum, or to help shore up any of a number of previously reported bouts such as Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson, Josh Barnett vs. Travis Browne, Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva or Frank Mir vs. Alistair Overeem.

“Not yet boys,” White joked when pressed. “That was a tease.”

For complete coverage of UFC 165, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.