Former mixed martial arts commentator and comedian Brendan Schaub is getting ready to return to the stage after receiving an unexpected invitation to participate in a televised roast. This is just weeks after announcing he was stepping away from touring to focus on his family.
Schaub recently revealed that his infant daughter required emergency surgery, prompting him to cancel multiple tour dates and reconsider his grueling travel schedule.
The announcement came during an episode of The Schaub Show, where he disclosed his plans to put national and international touring on pause after more than a decade in stand-up comedy.
“I had to cancel in Boston and Nashville… I gotta be home more and I have to pull back from touring so much,” Schaub explained. “I’m tired. I’m freakin’ tired. I’ve been hustling for over 12 years.”
At the time, Schaub indicated he would only consider occasional local performances in Los Angeles and Southern California while maintaining his podcast commitments on shows like TFATK with Bryan Callen and Food Truck Diaries.
However, this recent opportunitymay bring him back into the spotlight sooner than expected. According to Schaub, his team received a call from producers looking to fill a last-minute opening for a roast-style comedy event hosted by sports commentator Max Kellerman.
“So his team called and said, hey, they had somebody, I guess, lined up to do like a roast, kind of like a roast opinion-based thing. And Max Kellerman’s the host. And I guess he fell out. Something happened there,” Schaub recounted. “And they go, we’re all big fans of yours. We’d love for you to come in. Do you think you’d put something together?”
Schaub seemed intrigued by the proposition. He acknowledged the challenges involved, noting that elite roasters like Tony Hinchcliffe and Nikki Glaser typically work with teams of writers and spend weeks preparing material.
“I’m not Tony Hinchcliffe. So, you know, I’m not a roaster by nature. I can do my thing,” Schaub said, adding that the producers initially requested 10 to 15 minutes of material.
However, the producers clarified they wanted Schaub to offer his perspective on boxing and the current state of the sport, with the option to incorporate pointed commentary about those in attendance.
“They said, no, no, no. We know that. We want like your hot take on boxing and the state of boxing. And then if you can fit in some of the roasts or some of the, you know, kind of zingers at them, do that. I said, all right. I like that,” Schaub explained, expressing excitement at the opportunity.
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) February 3, 2026
