Former UFC fighter and podcast host Brendan Schaub has walked back controversial statements he made about social media influencer SteveWillDoIt, offering a public apology after sparking a heated exchange between the two personalities.
The controversy began when Schaub discussed gambling-related topics on his podcast, making comments that implicated the popular YouTuber in questionable behavior. During that episode, Schaub allegedly stated: “Steve has gambling debt and sometimes when you have gambling debt you do bad things.”
These remarks quickly circulated online and prompted an explosive response from SteveWillDoIt.
The influencer fired back with a lengthy video rebuttal. He defended his financial position and business relationships, stating: “Brendan Schaub, I can owe Red Rock Casino $1.6 million and I owe them $302 million at all times. And it’s not a problem because, bro, something you’re not good at is relationships.”
SteveWillDoIt particularly took issue with how his charitable actions within the UFC community had been reframed as suspicious activity. “I do something good for UFC… and you don’t know the facts and then you turn this into I’m a bad person and need money,” he said in his response video. The content creator, who claims to earn seven figures monthly, demanded both an apology and compensation for what he characterized as defamatory statements.
Acknowledging the misstep, Schaub addressed the situation on a subsequent podcast episode. He admitted that he and his co-host should have exercised better judgment before discussing the matter on air. “Last week we brought up stuff surrounding UFC and gambling, his name was brought up in several articles, And Jim brought up the articles, I read articles, I react to them and we probably should have looked into it more,” Schaub explained.
The podcast host conceded that the online narrative connecting SteveWillDoIt to gambling controversies may have been overblown by internet speculation. “The internet, YouTube, is gonna put these pieces together right, it’s just what the world does, what culture does to make things look worse than they are,” he said, reflecting on how quickly assumptions spread through social media.
Schaub acknowledged his unfamiliarity with SteveWillDoIt’s content world, admitting: “When it comes to the gambling world, like the Nelk Boys, Steve, maybe I’m too old. I don’t know exactly what they do. I know they’re crushing it, and I root for those boys, but it’s just not my world.”
He expressed regret for not handling the situation more responsibly, saying he should have reached out directly to SteveWillDoIt before discussing the topic publicly. “The best thing for me would have been is I have Steve’s number I should have DM Steve or text him or just called him on air that would have been smart,” Schaub admitted.
Offering praise for the influencer, Schaub said: “From what I know about Steve, he’s a very humble, does a ton of stuff for people, wholehearted guy, good dude, crushing it.” He clarified that he never intended to disparage SteveWillDoIt’s character or business practices, stating: “When it comes to SteveWillDoIt, I admire what he’s done, I admire what he’s doing, I’m not criticizing many facet.”
It seems like Schaub may have backed off not just out of regret, but also because of SteveWillDoIt’s close relationship with UFC CEO Dana White.
