The Education of ‘The Hybrid’

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The three finishes during his six-week stint on the Spike TV reality show put him in the final against Nelson, the portly and vastly underappreciated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who had entered the competition as a prohibitive favorite due to his high-level experience. The two squared off at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale on Dec. 5, 2009 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Early on, it was a mismatch. Schaub controlled Nelson from a distance with speed and accuracy. Then, he let his guard down, and Nelson capitalized. A three-punch combination, punctuated by a clubbing right hand, brought the fight to a screeching halt. With that, the real education of Brendan Peter Schaub began.

“It kind of opened his eyes,” Wittman said. “He was dominating in every aspect and made a huge mistake. He turned his head, and Roy came over the top. You can get caught at any point in the heavyweight division. You’ve got to stay focused. One mistake, and it’s over with these big boys.”

Schaub has not lost since. He steamrolled Chase Gormley and Chris Tuchscherer in less than two minutes combined, then outclassed Gonzaga in a three-round decision. Now more than a year removed from his only career defeat, Schaub admits he would welcome a rematch with Nelson but only if the circumstances were right.

“If he keeps winning and gets on a hot streak, absolutely, that’s fine with me,” Schaub said. “As far as the revenge thing, avenging the loss and stuff like that, all I’m concerned about is my road to the title. If Roy’s that guy, then great. If not, there’s other great matchups out there for me -- the Frank Mirs, Brock Lesnars, Cain Velasquezes, Junior dos Santoses. There’s a ton of guys out there. If [the rematch] falls into place, it’s icing on the cake, but it’s nothing that I think about all the time or motivates me in training.”

‘Born Fighter’

As he approaches his date with Filipovic, Schaub has a firm grasp on the stakes. In a division short on depth and new blood, he could be only a win or two and an injury away from fighting for the championship. Questions involving possible timelines and scenarios are already flooding in.

“The heavyweight division is a little different than the others,” Schaub said. “That’s tough. I’d probably say [I am] two or three fights away [from a title shot], if I came away, as planned, with a decisive victory over Cro Cop. It kind of puts you up there in the top six of the division, I think.”

If the opportunity to tackle Velasquez -- or a potential successor like Dos Santos -- for the title presents itself sooner rather than later, Schaub vows to be ready. He needs to look no further than Jon Jones, a blossoming 23-year-old superstar who will face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the light heavyweight championship in the UFC 128 main event. An injury to Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts teammate Rashad Evans opened the door, and Jones stepped forward.

“I feel like I can compete with anybody in the UFC right now, but I do think as far as experience wise, two or three fights would work for me,” Schaub said. “If something were to happen, like with Jon Jones in his case, that’s fine, too. There’s no rush for me, but I’m definitely ready for any of those guys out there.”

No matter how the immediate future plays out, Schaub has no doubt about where he belongs. To him, the foreboding cage has become home.

“I was a born fighter,” he said. “For me, this isn’t work. For me, life can’t get any better. That’s as honest as I can be. I absolutely love what I do.”