UFC 145 Results: 5 Fights for Brendan Schaub to Take Next

Brendan Schaub looked to be well on his way to earning his fifth UFC victory when he started to land big punches against Ben Rothwell, but Rothwell was able to survive the onslaught and land a huge left hook and left “The Hybrid” flat on his back in the cage.

The loss was the second knockout loss in a row for Schaub, who was previously taken out by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134, and he’ll need a win over a solid opponent in his next bout in order to try and regain the spot he once held in the heavyweight division.

Schaub is still one of the more exciting fighters in the heavyweight division, but if he drops his next fight, he will be in terrible shape and his spot on the UFC roster may be on the line.

Dave Herman

One of the more entertaining fighters in the UFC, both in personality and fighting style, Dave Herman is a fantastic fighter to give Schaub in his next fight.

Herman recently lost to Stefan Struve by knockout back at UFC on Fuel 1 in February, but he is still one of the more poplar fighters in the division among hardcore fans, and his go-for-broke style would make for a fun matchup against Schaub.

A win for Schaub would prove that he is still able to hang around in the UFC’s heavyweight division, while a loss would kill any chance of him ever getting near the title picture.

Cheick Kongo

A fight with Cheick Kongo would seem to be a bit of a step up in competition for Schaub following two straight losses, but Kongo is coming off a loss of his own and these two could put on a show if they were given a main card slot on an FX event.

Kongo was recently dropped by the resurgent Mark Hunt at UFC 144, shutting down Kongo’s two-fight win streak and effectively removing the Frenchman from title contention.

If Schaub could take out Kongo, he would get a huge boost in the division, and a win over Schaub would prove that Kongo is still a high-level fighter.

Matt Mitrione

At one time last year, Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub were two of the best prospects in the heavyweight division, but both fighters suffered losses in 2011 and are now looking to rebound in their next bout.

Mitrione was knocking out everyone in his path before he lost a decision to Cheick Kongo at UFC 137, and he could use a win over another tough fighter to get back into the mix.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that Schaub and Mitrione were teammates on season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter and the two have both had a ton of success following the show. 

Chad Griggs

No one ever expected Chad Griggs to fight in the UFC back when he was just an unknown fighter being fed to Bobby Lashley in Strikeforce.

Griggs ended up shocking the world by defeating Lashley and then ended up winning his next two fights under the Strikeforce banner, earning his roster spot in the UFC when the Strikeforce division folded this year.

Griggs was smashed by Travis Browne at UFC 145, eating a huge flying knee before getting submitted by an arm triangle choke.

A fight between Griggs and Schaub makes a ton of sense from a matchmaking standpoint, as both guys should be ready to return to action around the same time, and the winner would be able to solidify his spot on the UFC roster.

Pat Barry / Lavar Johnson Loser

A huge clash between Pat Barry and Lavar Johnson is set to go down on May 5th on FOX, and while the winner is going to gain a ton of exposure and move up in the heavyweight division, the loser is going to need a name opponent to rebound against.

Not only would a fight against the loser of this upcoming bout make sense as an opponent for Schaub, but either Barry or Johnson would be a dangerous opponent for “The Hybrid” and he would have to show he’s made some adjustments in his striking in order to remain awake.