In the fight business, Brendan Schaub is learning that friends like Tim Tebow can be invaluable.
The New York Jets quarterback faces hordes of criticism from media and fans on a daily basis, but he is never fazed by the negativity and always makes a conscience effort to put forth 100 percent.
An MMA career can be compared to roller coaster. Whether in training or competition, there are a multitude of highs and lows in the sport.
Schaub is currently experiencing the latter after suffering back-to-back losses to Ben Rothwell and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
In an interview with MMAWeekly, Schaub talked about his need for a change:
I was born and raised in Denver, went to school there, went to college there, and I’ve been on the same team for seven years, and I kind of found myself going through the motions a little bit. My dad noticed it the most, and he was like, ‘I think you need a change,’ and I was coming out to California all the time anyways. I would fly back and forth, and decided to go out there and make the move and try to grow as a fighter.
I’m near the beach and I’m definitely a beach bum, for me, going to training and then going to the beach is kind of an escape for me to get away from everything and relax. It’s really done wonders for me.
Schaub has been eager to get back into the Octagon and prove himself to still be a viable heavyweight contender.
He was slated to fight Lavar Johnson at UFC on Fox 5 on Saturday, but an injury forced Johnson to withdraw from the bout. Unfortunately for Schaub, a replacement opponent was never named, and the heavyweight preliminary bout was scrapped entirely.
Schaub was disappointed when hearing the news initially, but a positive mindset and great friends have helped him see the best in every difficult situation.
He continues in his interview with MMAWeekly:
I surround myself with guys who are pretty successful, good people, and I think the two biggest influences in my life lately have been Tim Tebow and Ryron Gracie. Ryron‘s a positive guy, and Tim’s super positive. For me being around that, it just shows me I’m on the right track.
Gracie, a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a walking encyclopedia of grappling, which is exactly the kind of friend every aspiring MMA fighter would love to have.
Tebow, who trains Jiu-Jitsu from time to time, has been another great influence in Schaub’s life. Who better to lean on for advice than the most scrutinized athlete in sports?
Schaub weighs in:
[Tim Tebow’s] a very good friend, been a good friend for a couple of years now, and me and him work out a lot together and text and call each other all the time. He’s a very positive guy, very similar to me. You are who you surround yourself with, and me and Tim are kind of the same in terms of work ethic and the way we go about life.
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