UFC 174's Brendan Schaub hopes move to California puts title run in motion

VANCOUVER – Two straight losses forced UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub to make a major adjustment in his life. That adjustment? Pack his bags and move from Colorado to California to start anew.

“I’m a super passionate guy about my career, and I always wake up in the morning with energy and excited about things,” Schaub told MMAjunkie. “That kind of just stopped for me when I was in Denver. I was coming off two losses, and I just knew I needed to make a change.”

The decision was a no-brainer for Schaub. Despite having few contacts in California, he knew the endless training options would be beneficial in taking his career to the next level. To make that happen, he sold all of his belongings and relocated part way across the country.

“I would always go out to California, and I really didn’t know anyone out there,” Schaub said. “I really only knew Mark Munoz, but I knew I had to do something. I just sold everything in Denver and moved out there, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

Schaub doesn’t want to discredit his previous trainers in Denver and the skills they helped him learn. However, he believes his new training regimen in Los Angeles has been a game-changer. The results show, and Schaub is a perfect 2-0 in the octagon since the move.

“I had good things in Colorado, but I just needed to switch things up,” Schaub said. “I just needed to grow as a fighter and as a person. Out in Los Angeles, I’ve assembled a team to become a champion. I have the best in all aspects of the game out there. I’m just happier out there. I’m at the beach every day and stuff like that, so things are really good.”

“The Hybrid” hopes to keep his momentum rolling when he takes on Andrei Arlovski on Saturday at UFC 174 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. The bout takes place on the main card (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET) following the FOX Sports 1-televised preliminary card (8 p.m. ET).

Arlovski (21-10 MMA, 10-4 UFC), a former UFC heavyweight champion, is making his return to the organization after a six-year stint on the regional circuit. He’ll undoubtedly be eager to reintroduce himself to the UFC audience at Schaub’s (10-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) expense.

Even though Arlovski has had an up-and-down road in recent years, he’s likely to be rejuvenated by his return to the world’s premier MMA organization. Despite the fact he has game-planned for Arlovski’s skills accordingly, Schaub readily admits it’s hard to make predictions for fight night.

“I’m not sure what to expect,” Schaub said. “I think that’s why I’m so nervous for this fight. I’m the first to admit that. I’m scared before I fight. Before this one, I’m nervous because I don’t know what to expect. Is it going to be the guy who was beating up Fedor Emelianenko before he made a mistake, or is it going to be the guy who had four straight losses at one point? It’s just the fear of the unknown. He trains at one of the best camps in the world at (Greg) Jackson’s (gym), so I just don’t know what to expect. That’s as honest as I can be.”

A victory over Arlovski would mark Schaub’s second career win over a former UFC titleholder. With that, he hopes to make progress toward a championship contest of his own.

“I would retire right now if (UFC President) Dana White said, ‘Yo, Schaub. You’re never getting a title shot,’” Schaub said. “Or if I was one of those journeymen that won one, lost two, won one, lost two. That just wouldn’t be for me. This sport is way to hard and takes too much time and energy. I expect big things out of myself.

For more on UFC 174, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.