Brendan Schaub opens up on talks with Jorge Masvidal for bare-knuckle MMA fight: “I gave them an outlandish number”

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub nearly fought in Jorge Masvidal’s bare-knuckle MMA promotion.

‘Big Brown’ has been out of the cage for nearly a decade now. Brendan Schaub last competed at UFC 181 in December 2014, against then-heavyweight contender Travis Browne. That night saw the future podcaster handed a first-round knockout loss. Post-fight, Schaub retired after urging from his friend Joe Rogan.

For almost a decade now, Brendan Schaub hasn’t been lured back to the cage. However, the former UFC heavyweight contender was approached to fight in Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Fighting Championships. The bare-knuckle MMA league was founded in 2021, and has seen the likes of Junior dos Santos compete.

Well, it seems that ‘Big Brown’ could’ve become the next former UFC athlete to fight for Jorge Masvidal. Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Brendan Schaub opened up on talks with the bare-knuckle promotion. There, the former fighter-turned-podcaster admitted that he had no intention of fighting ever again.

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Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub opens up on talks with Jorge Masvidal

However, when approached, Brendan Schaub did sit down with Jorge Masvidal. According to the podcaster, he threw out an insane number in negotiations, not expecting ‘Gamebred’ to accept. However, he did. The catch is that Schaub would have to fight someone like the aforementioned Junior dos Santos, which doesn’t interest him.

“We had Jorge Masvidal and his manager Dean [Toole] on and I work for them now doing commentating but that’s how that came about. They offered me a fight,” Brendan Schaub said. “I’m like bare-knuckle MMA? They’re like yeah. I was like you don’t have enough money, there’s no way. He goes, ‘Give us a number.’ I gave them an outlandish number and he was like dead serious, just looked me in the eye and goes ‘OK.’ I’m like what?” (h/t MMA Fighting)

He continued, “For a second I’m like shit, I’ll just hit the road now get some road work in now, let’s get going, that’s an insane amount of money. I just can’t force myself to do it. At 41, my kids, I can’t take another blow to the head. I’m good. I don’t need to be Elon Musk or ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone rich. I’m good. I’m good where I’m at. They’re like, ‘For that number you’re going to have to fight [Junior dos Santos] or Derrick Lewis.’ I’m like no, hard pass. I don’t need those problems.”

What do you make of these comments from the former UFC fighter? Would you watch Brendan Schaub fight in Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Fighting Championship?