As the lone Heavyweight bout on the fight card at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday’s matchup between American Brendan Schaub and Brazilian Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria will be among the most exciting of the entire evening at HSBC Arena.
At least for Schaub and his fans, that is.
“The Hybrid” is an up-and-coming star among heavyweights in the world of mixed martial arts and figures to continue his ascent “Minotauro”, even with the ire of the home crowd going against him.
Nogueira is certainly the sentimental favorite in this one, if not necessarily the best bet to win. At 35 years old, Nogueira is no longer the same fighter he once was, the kind of fighter with the stamina, endurance and toughness to withstand blow after crippling blow in search of the perfect submission.
That strategy has served Nogueira well in the past, to the point that he is practically a living legend of MMA, though it won’t help him much against a bigger, stronger and younger competitor like Schaub.
Schaub hasn’t lost a fight since getting knocked out by Roy Nelson in the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10, establishing himself as a fighter to watch for the future of the UFC. A former football player who spent time on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, Schaub is a tremendous athlete and packs a devastating punch with his right hand.
For better or worse, the UFC is essentially throwing Nogueira to the wolves here, using Minotauro as a test to see if Schaub is the real deal while giving the 28-year-old from Colorado a historical stepping stone of sorts on his way to bona fide MMA stardom.
Look for Schaub to cut short Nogueira’s attempt at a comeback with some endurance of his own and plenty of power counterpunches as he strengthens his case to face the winner of the Cain Velasquez-Junior dos Santos for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.