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Brendan Schaub On Almost Fighting Brock Lesnar, Comedy, Joe Rogan, UFC
Brendan Schaub is a retired mixed martial artist, comedian, podcaster and the host of “The Fighter And The Kid” with Bryan Callen. He joins Chris Van Vliet in Hollywood to talk about his path that led him to becoming a UFC Fighter, being on The Ultimate Fighter with Kimbo Slice, his fights against legendary opponents like Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko CroCop, Antonio Nogueira and Andrei Arlovski, how he thinks the fight would have gone if he faced Brock Lesnar, becoming a podcaster through a chance meeting with Bryan Callen, starting his career as a standup comedian, the intervention that Joe Rogan had with him about his UFC career, his thoughts on a possible fight between Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg and much more!
“Shane [Carwin] beat Frank Mayer to become the UFC Heavyweight Interim Champion. So but that was my main training partner, my brother. But I didn't have money at the time so Shane would pay for all my training. He was the best. And Shane became really famous, again, The Ultimate Fighter, and it was the biggest season ever with Kimbo Slice. I like to think it was because I was on the show, definitely wasn't, but it was Kimbo Slice and Ryan Nelson. So I'm in the UFC, I'm top 10, Shane's the champion of the world. Nate's doing his thing. GSPs coming down with Rashad Evans is there Wonderboy Thompson, Stipe is there, you know, became heavyweight champion. This is when he was even in the UFC. So you have this whole team and I realise everyone's getting the team was getting famous, which is a curse, the team's getting famous. And I realized the team stopped being a team and it was starting to be individuals and I would need attention because I had a big fight coming up. But this guy, the big fight coming up, and so it just stopped becoming like this team thing. And I was coming off a loss like this isn't good, you got to make a change and go somewhere where, you know, you're getting the coaching you need. And I grew up in Venice Beach in the summers as a kid, my uncle had a house where my dad would always either drive out here during the summers or we'd fly out here. So I grew up in Venice Beach and California always like spoke to me, like I always knew this was where I should be. So I was just like, I need to change. And I didn't want to hurt everybody's feelings. I hate confrontation when it comes to that stuff. So I was like, I'm just gonna go out there for training for a month, and I'll be back. But my family didn't know that. And I sold all my stuff and literally was just moving out there full time. And so I did that. And then I met Brian Cowen, who's a comedian, actor. And I was trying at the time and Brian loves UFC. And he was doing a podcast, shoot, this is like 14 years ago, he's doing a podcast called The Brian Cowen Show, had seven listeners, and then me and him, we just we just hit it off. Like we're instant, like friends. There's this weird chemistry. And he called me when I left. He's like, Oh, you're great, man. We should do a show every week. I'm like, Dude, I don't have time for this bullsh*t. He's like, no, no, you and I and I was like, I don't want to talk about fighting man. Like, that's not what I like to do. He's like, No, we talked about whatever you want, fashion, cars, whatever you want to talk about. And I was like, if I can be silly, I'm down. He's like great, once a week. So we started doing that. And that was before everyone had a podcast in their basement like back in the day, man. So we started do that. And I remember us fighting Andre Arlovski, you'll see, I forget what number it was in Vancouver. I beat him in a in a split decision. But the judges f*cked me. So that's whatever. But I remember I was walking through the airport. And there's like billboards of me in Vancouver and like, I was on on TV, on commercials. I walked through the airport, and the TSA and fans would like throw out things like from the podcast me doing something silly and weird. And then as I'm going through TSA and he goes I am such a big fan, can I get a picture. He’s like hey, man, he goes, what do you do in Vancouver? I was like, What are we doing? Like, do you not see the billboards? Nothing? He's like, Nah, what, what are you doing here? Maybe you're doing a stand up. And I was like, No, dude, I'm fighting. People are starting to recognise me for being silly for being myself, which I always relate to more because when I was a kid, the goal is to be on Saturday Night Live. That was always the number one goal. So to me that was like, Oh, this is the recognition I need, man. And then I continue to fight, and then podcasting started to gain some legs. And we had I had signed to deal with Fox Sports were the first podcast ever. And then we started to get some checks for the advertising. There were really, no one's really doing podcasts on YouTube. So I was just checking them straight up audio advertising. I remember I got the check for that. And I got the check for getting punched in the face. And I was like, Dude, what are we doing here to focus on this mess? Sure, folks, and then my girl, my wife, my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, was pregnant with our first kid. So it was like this whole kind of like, whether you believe in God, it was like go over here, you idiot, you know? So it was just like this weird transition, which I always wanted in my heart. You know, I'm not natural born fighter. I have a fighters heart. But it was terrifying. And I knew there was, it's a short road. Like I knew like no matter how good you are, like, this movie ends with you face down ass up, man, everybody. So it's like, can you do this? Or you can keep doing this and getting punched in the face, man.”
“It's also like when you watch the UFC don't get me wrong. There's some authentic guys like Nate Diaz, the Diaz brothers, like Cain Velasquez, there's like guys. But then also like, I'm too nice of a guy where it's like, the UFC would use me for marketing stuff like that, and being silly, which I always gravitated towards the camera and so they recognise that and pushed me further, but it's like no one wants to hear me talk about how much I respect the guy I'm gonna fight. So it almost became this character. So you're this cocky character. Well, some people have a hard time taking that version of me to where I'm at now, like, Oh, he's cocky. It's like, Nah, man. That's me dealing with the nerves of being terrified to fight. You know, Andre Arlovski or Ben Rothwell, I was terrified man. But that's me, almost coming to myself that I can do this. Yeah, but no, he's cocky. It's like no, no, no, that's a character man. It's no different. Do you think the undertaker really sleeps in a coffin you dumb asses.”
“It was a combination because it was a blessing and curse because my mom would make me watch, not make me, but always would sit down whenever Saturday live was on every Saturday night. So that was like the tradition. So it's like the Farley's Adam Sandler's. You know, the Chris Rocks, the Kevin Nealon. Like, those were the guys. And I just, I just loved it. I loved it, and held such a special place in my heart. But then I was also really, and I was funny, I was always funny, my mom's, I'm Tony, you can be a star, you can be an actor, this, you can do stand up, and my mom would play Robin Williams on the TV so that I grew up with that. But then also, I grew up in a predominantly black neighbourhood in Aurora, Colorado. So the way to get attention was being good at sports. Well I happen to be pretty good in sports, I was really athletic, especially for being one the only white kids amongst all black kids. So the way I get attention is by being good at sports. So it was like a double edged sword because I wouldn't trade my career for anything, like all the experiences led me to where I'm at. Now, it gives me perspective to, you know, write jokes and do stuff different than any other comedian. But it is also a weird road. Because, you know, it delayed the, I don't know, it's hard to say it's like, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. But the way I took to get here took a little longer. But then, you know, football was a way for me to get attention and get out and be around certain people. And, you know, in the locker room, I was that silly dude. So I had an audience all the time in the locker room. So, you know, I never looked back in history, or in my passing, or I wish I would have done this never. Like, everything's led me to this. My role is completely different than any comic that's ever existed and I'll take it, man.”
“I like to think I would beat him. You know, his striking was really bad but he beat my training partner Shane Carwin but Shane was beating him. Like it's tough to say right because Brock deserves all the credit. He's such a freak man. People don't realise like, you want to about a guy getting pushed fast like his first fight. You know, one of his first fights was against Heath Herring in the UFC, which is nuts.”
“Brock made stupid [money], and he's a good dude, too. Yeah, great guy like, because when he was fighting, Shane, I was fighting the way they did it, the story behind it was Brock Lesnar’s training partner Chris Tuchscherer, who was 20 and 1 at the time, they were best friends and training partners. Shane, Colin and I are best friends and training partners. So Shane verse Brock Breton verse Chris, so it's like the little brothers are fighting. And so he was 20 and 1 I was the main event on the undercard before that big UFC, so I kicked the pay per-view-off. And so I talked to all this shit not about my opponent Chris does shirt he's whatever about Brock Lesnar and so the UFC has given me an award for it was like on the Thursday or Friday before the fight, they give me an award. And we're all together and Brock's there and like, oh, no, I've talked to all this sh*t. And my I remember my coach, he just be ready to go man like I've I f*cked up. There he is. I don't think we'd run into each other. I was like, be ready to go man. He's just some big boys and my coach's name at the time was Lester Bolin. He's a savage. He's like, I'll be ready to go man. He's like this little ball of muscle. I might just be ready to go dude. And we get up there. I'm like, I'm on edge. And Brock was just not like killed me with kindness. It was like I’m so proud man. Like, from football. Are you kidding me, man? Is it good for you, brother, good for you. I get it, man. I was like, Oh, wow, you're like the nicest guy ever. He’s such a good person. Such a good person. Yeah, I was like, I don't want to fight this guy. He's cool.”
“Because they're doing it for charity, like it's not about money. Okay, cool. It definitely is. But I'm telling you like, loser, and let's let's get weird. They want to do it in Italy in the Coliseum? Let's get [crazy], loser dies. How about that? Let's get some swords, some Tigers like make it old school. Zuckerberg is 50 pounds, get him a helmet. Let's get weird, dude. Let's go mediaeval on that.”
“I think it will make a lot of people watch Elon and Zuckerberg fight and it's gonna be such a bad product, people are like we're good. We never want to see this again. If I go out in Hollywood right now and I’ll film a better fight. Right? Like spider man. You're seeing Spider Man and Hulk throw down, like way more than that. But you're talking about two billionaires. So it's like I’ll watch two billionaires slap each other.”
“No, never. I'm 40 dude, I got kids. I make you know, just to be very transparent. It's like if I do three comedy dates I'll make more doing that then I would getting punched in the face. Unless they came to me and was like, You're fighting The Rock on the you're the co-main event of Elon fighting Zuckerberg and The Rock wants to fight them like that makes sense. Give it to you. You're talking about f*ck you money, like 50 mil. No one's paying 50 mil to watch my dumbass fight. But if somehow The Rock like felt froggy was like, I want to test myself and this guy hasn't been doing it. I'm like I'll fight The Rock and make all the money in the world, I’ll fight Maui. It would have to be something like that. Like if Harrison Ford wants to fight. Harrison and Clint Eastwood want to fight in a tag team, sign me up. I am gonna make all the money in the world. I'd get so much hate that everyone would hate me but all good daddy. I'm making so much money. I would just retire from everything.”
“Yeah, I think a lot of it because I do so many shows is I’ll mark certain things down where you know, I do two shows with other comedians. So if I bring like a hot take on like Hunter Biden I had the other day and how much fun it'd be to party with him. terrible human being but one night at a party with one person. I’m picking Hunter Biden. He's doing meth. He's jumping at 9/11, driving 100 Miles an hour down, and there's hookers everywhere, like sketchy good time Charlie. Right? Like he's a fun time for one night. I don't him to watch my kids, I'm not talking about that. One night to go out and party and rage. So that was just a natural hot takes. And Brian's laughing out who's a great comic Chris D’Elia is laughing at it. I’m like, oh, there's something here. So I'll write that down and I'll work out that night. And I'll just bring it up on the road. See how that goes. And then it slowly starts to get legs and just add punch lines, adding to it, adding to it. And then in a year from now, that'd be a good good bit.”
“Health, family and my freedom.”
