UFC 145 Fight Card: Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell Head-to-Toe Breakdown

After falling one win short of becoming The Ultimate Fighter winner in December 2009, Brendan Schaub won four consecutive fights and put himself within striking distance of a heavyweight title shot.

However, a knockout loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in his most recent outing leaves Schaub back at the drawing board and in need of quick improvements if he wants to return to a contender role in the world's premier MMA organization.

A loser of three of his past five fights, Ben Rothwell will also be looking to make a turnaround at Saturday's UFC 145 in Atlanta. The 30-year-old has disappointed in his three UFC appearances, especially in an awful display of conditioning in his most recent bout against Mark Hunt.

Let's take a look at which heavyweight has a better chance of turning things around on Saturday.

Stand-Up

Striking/Striking Defense

Rothwell trains under Duke Roufus and has professional kickboxing experience, but he is lacking in the athleticism department in comparison to Schaub, a former professional football player. While Rothwell may have a better understanding of the technical aspects of striking in MMA, Schaub is able to put what he has learned together better than Rothwell.

Both fighters possess knockout power, but Schaub's three knockouts inside the Octagon, including a brutal finish of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, make him the more dangerous fighter when both heavyweights are standing. 

Edge: Schaub

Takedowns/Takedown Defense

Schaub was not taken to the ground in either of his two losses, but he has also never been pressured to defend takedowns repeatedly in a fight against a solid wrestler.

Having trained with Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren as of late, Rothwell's wrestling should show continued improvement and allow him to score a takedown or two against Schaub.

That being said, Schaub is no slouch on the ground for a somewhat inexperienced fighter, so Rothwell might not accomplish much by taking this fight to the ground.

Edge: Rothwell

Ground Game

Grappling/Ground Striking

Rothwell does hold an advantage over Schaub on the mat, but it is a slight advantage, as Schaub's pure strength alone will make him difficult for Rothwell to keep on the ground.

If Rothwell is able to drag Schaub to the canvas, the best strategy for him to employ may be a stalling one to give the judges the impression that he is controlling the fight without taking any risks that would allow Schaub to get back to his feet.

Edge: Rothwell

Submissions/Submission Defense

With 11 submission wins in his MMA career, Rothwell does have the skills to become the first fighter to submit Schaub. However, keeping the fight on the ground long enough to set up a submission attempt will be difficult for Rothwell.

While Rothwell does have a better chance than Schaub of finishing this fight with a submission, it seems more likely that the majority of this contest will see both fighters standing and looking for a knockout victory.

Edge: Rothwell

Intangibles

Experience/Game Plan

Schaub has been matched up with MMA legends in his last two fights, but he is still growing as a fighter, whereas Rothwell has been competing in MMA for more than 11 years.

Rothwell has bounced back from defeat on many occasions, while Schaub could suffer a major emotional setback after seeing such an impressive winning streak come to an end against Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira.

Edge: Rothwell

Athleticism/Conditioning

As much as MMA fans would like to believe their sport houses the best athletes in the world, reaching the NFL level is currently a much more difficult task in football than reaching the UFC level in MMA.

Although he was far from becoming a star player in the NFL, the fact that Schaub was ever listed on the Buffalo Bills roster shows how special of an athlete he is. Furthermore, Schaub's ability to transition to MMA and find immediate success at such a high level makes his athletic ability even more impressive.

While it happened high above sea level in Denver, Colo., Rothwell's lack of conditioning against Mark Hunt was still difficult to watch and shows how much more seriously a fighter like Schaub takes his training.

Edge: Schaub

Prediction

If Rothwell can score early takedowns and maintain the top position, he could earn an upset victory over Schaub and revitalize his career on Saturday.

However, the young and hungry Schaub will simply be too quick and powerful for Rothwell to beat with technique.

After wearing Rothwell down for the first two rounds, Schaub will push the pace in the third. An exhausted Rothwell won't have an answer and will succumb to strikes before the end of the fight.

A win over Rothwell will put him back on track, but Schaub has a lot of ground to make up in order to get himself back in the running for a title shot in the deepening heavyweight division.

Schaub defeats Rothwell by technical knockout (punches) in the third round.