Brendan Schaub may be closer to a combat sports comeback than fans realize, and the reasons behind it appear to be more financial than competitive.
On a recent episode of TFATK, Schaub offered a window into his current mindset after crossing paths with former UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith at a bare knuckle event in the Dominican Republic. Smith had recently retired from the UFC and made the jump to bare knuckle boxing, and when Schaub found out what the paydays looked like, his reaction was telling.
Schaub stated, “I’m like, dude, why are you doing this? You just retired from the UFC.”
After learning of Smith’s earnings from his last UFC bout, Schaub was impressed. He said, “And then you find out how much he’s making. I’m like, oh, I might do that myself.”
The moment was half-joking, but it landed with real weight given what has been happening around Schaub’s professional life. Reports of financial pressure have been mounting, with his $3 million home going on the market and plans to downsize his studio setup.
His podcast has seen a notable dip in both guest quality and viewership, and a recent attempt to land a show at Joe Rogan’s Austin club ended with a lesser booking than expected.
Adding to the pressure, Schaub revealed that the people closest to him have been nudging him toward a return.
“She was like, ‘You, I feel like you could tear some of these guys up,'” he said, describing how the idea was being floated by his wife.
Yet the episode also showed a more conflicted side of Schaub. During the same trip to the Dominican Republic, he watched athlete Charles Rosa take a decision loss and then ride a bus for over an hour in clear distress.
Rosa, a UFC veteran on a seven-bout winning streak, was visibly struggling. “My head, my head,” Rosa told his father. “I’ve never felt this pain in my head.”
