David St. Martin of SBNation.com caught up with former TUF finalist Brendan Schaub to ask him questions about his time on the show as well as his UFC 121 bout with Gabriel Gonzaga. Some highlights:
Could you tell me a little about how you and Carwin got set up together?
Shane and I first got together at Nate Marquardt’s gym, High Altitude Martial Arts, about five years ago. I just showed up for jiu jitsu to get some work in. I walked in and there’s big Shane, all 300lbs of him, and they said ‘there’s your training partner.’ He’s been my main training partner since day one.
I’ve heard that you are adamant about never fighting Carwin, is that true?
That’s true. That’s 100% true.
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Do you think guys like Carwin and Brock Lesnar are the new breed of heavyweight? Or are they just anomalies and outliers?
I actually think the new breed is guys like Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, and myself. Fighters who are lighter and more athletic. I think Lesnar and Shane are just absolute freaks. I don’t think you’re going to see another heavyweight like either one of those guys. As big and technical as Shane is? It’s something unique. I think the division is headed towards the more athletic, technical guys as opposed to these big monsters.
What do you think about fighting a guy like Gabriel Gonzaga? He’s pretty dangerous on the ground, but he also wobbled Carwin with a punch. How are you approaching this fight?
For me, this is the reason I’ve always dreamed of fighting in the UFC. Fighting top level competition. Guys like Gabe, Randy Couture, Dos Santos, and the Lesnars. All the studs, the who’s who of MMA. It’s just a great opportunity for me. I’m fighting on another absolutely stacked card. The way I show my appreciation to Dana White and Joe Silva for putting me on these cards is just to put on a show. I’m just going to go out there and do my thing. I have all the tools I need to beat Gonzaga.
Go check out the full interview at SBNation.com.