UFC 145 Fight Card: What Brendan Schaub Needs to Do to Defeat Ben Rothwell

Brendan Schaub must keep his chin tucked tonight against Ben Rothwell at UFC 145.

Schaub is a big heavyweight with knockout power, but his criticism lies in his ability to take a shot. His first fight in the UFC, he was knocked out cold by Roy Nelson and in his last fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, he was once again put to sleep.

Facing a new and revitalized Rothwell, Schaub must keep his hands up, chin tucked and continue to press forward.

Rothwell is a wily veteran that has a solid overall game and with his new physique debuting tonight, Schaub's going to need to bring his A-game.

While Schaub's criticisms have been about his chin, the majority of Rothwell's criticisms have been surrounding his cardio for fights. At the weigh-ins yesterday, Rothwell weighed in at 263 and looked to be in the best shape of his career, so Schaub better be ready.

With that said, Schaub holds the advantage standing up because he holds more power in his hands and has better technique than Rothwell.

Should Rothwell shoot in on Schaub, he's strong enough as a wrestler to stuff the takedown and keep the fight on the feet. He doesn't want to get under a heavy Rothwell, because that's where Rothwell becomes very dangerous.

Schaub needs to rebound with an impressive victory following his loss to Nogueira, and he'll do just that tonight against Rothwell. Stuffing takedowns and throwing bombs while keeping his chin down, Schaub should grind out this victory.