Brendan Schaub has launched what can only be described as his “I get it” tour, a copium-fueled exercise in revisionist history from a man who refuses to accept reality.
In a recent episode of The Fighter and the Kid, Schaub repeated the phrase “I get it” no fewer than 35 times while simultaneously demonstrating that he understands nothing about why the internet turned against him.
The former UFC heavyweight turned failed comedian is now attempting to lean into the criticism, convinced that acknowledging the backlash will somehow win people over. It won’t.
The new strategy includes reacting to Reddit posts on their Patreon, as if watching Schaub cope with online comments constitutes premium content.
But here’s the fundamental problem: Schaub thinks the backlash was about failure. It wasn’t. The real issue was always his inflated ego and sense of entitlement. Throughout the episode, he admits he fast-tracked his comedy career, performed perhaps 40 times total before filming his Showtime special, and was massively overpaid for work that didn’t deserve the platform it received. Yet somehow, he still believes he deserves credit for this embarrassment.
“I get the heat, but you also got to give me a little credit,” Schaub says, comparing himself to established comedians like Andrew Schulz and Theo Von. His argument appears to be: I was super famous, so my first special got more attention than most comedians receive early in their careers, therefore I deserve recognition. This is precisely backwards. The attention he received despite his lack of experience is exactly why he doesn’t deserve credit.
Brian Callen attempts to help by explaining how difficult it was for Schaub to perform alongside “murderers” at the Comedy Store. Callen even claims that lineup from 2015 to 2020 might have been “the greatest lineup in history,” including himself in that assessment. This kind of self-aggrandizement only reinforces why people remain critical.
Instead, he reframes every criticism as though he was forced into an impossible situation. He complains about being unable to attend open mics because of his fame, about being judged alongside his successful comedian friends, about performing at “the legendary store.” He acknowledges the criticism while simultaneously undercutting it by suggesting his critics were unsuccessful, broke comics who were jealous of his ticket sales and money.
“Think about they’re grinding grinding. It’s a tough grind and I burst on the scene. I’m selling it out within a year,” Schaub explains, believing this justifies the backlash while also proving his success. He mentions finding an uncashed $62,000 check from the Brea Improv, turning what could be a moment of reflection into a humble brag about making “so much money.”
The real telling moment comes when Schaub admits he understands why people criticized him when he was doing comedy, but questions why it continues now that he’s “just a baseball dad.” This reveals his complete misunderstanding of the situation. The backlash was never solely about stand-up. It was about his arrogance, his refusal to accept legitimate criticism, and his characterization of anyone who didn’t find him funny as jealous losers.
Schaub spent years telling audiences they were wrong for being critical, propped up by Joe Rogan’s assessment that people were “intimidated” by Schaub because he’s “tall, good-looking, and funny.” He clung to those words so tightly that it cost him what could have been a legitimate entertainment career.
The current strategy of leaning into the criticism is failing because Schaub and his team are only scratching the surface. They’re trying to capitalize on the memes without understanding what drove people away. Meanwhile, commentary channels covering their content receive more views than the original episodes, which only frustrates Schaub further.
If Schaub truly understood the criticism, this conversation would sound completely different. It wouldn’t focus on money or fame. It would include a simple admission: He had no business stepping on stage with a microphone.
But making that admission would mean accepting that everyone else was right, something he remains incapable of doing. Until he can genuinely acknowledge his mistakes without immediately defending or reframing them, the criticism will continue.
