Schaub: DC most intelligent fighter ever in the UFC, will fight Jones
Brendan Schaub: “His mental game is so much better than these guys. He’s the most intelligent fighter to ever fight in the UFC, I truly believe that.”
MMA personality and analyst and former heavyweight Brendan Schaub recently offered champ champ Daniel Cormier the highest praise during a recent episode of his Below the Belt podcast.
What makes DC great is yes, obviously he’s athletic, he’s gifted with some abilities a lot of other guys aren’t,” began Schaub, as transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting. “But Daniel Cormier’s brain, his cerebral game is so much better than everybody else that’s ever fought. He’s way better at the mental aspect of facing adversity, sticking to a game plan with what he has. Is he more athletic than Jon Jones? No. Is he more athletic than Gustafsson? No. His mental game is so much better than these guys. He’s the most intelligent fighter to ever fight in the UFC, I truly believe that.
DC’s next and likely last fight is a heavyweight title defense vs. former division champion Brock Lesnar.
You’re talking a complete freak, said Schaub. Athletically, is he the biggest freak to ever do it? He’s f***ing up there, man. We don’t talk about it enough. A guy at his age and with his background – he’s not even a part-time mixed martial artist. It’s a hobby for this man and can go in there and compete with the best of the best. Imagine if he dedicated his entire life from when he was young to this sport. And he’s fighting through sickness!
He’s f**king tough to deal with. No one goes in there and is like, ‘Ah this is a gimme fight.’ Even DC’s not like that. I promise you Brock Lesnar will be a tougher fight for DC than Derrick Lewis was. We don’t give that man enough props.
I gotta be honest, I love where [DC’s] head is at. He goes, ‘The only guy I’d cut down to light heavyweight for is Jon Jones’ but what he wants next is he plans to retire in March and he’s praying for a Brock Lesnar fight. He’s hoping Brock answers the bell and I hope he does and DC beats Brock and rides off into the sunset. I really do.
Do I think that’s how it’s gonna go? If I had to bet on it, no. I bet Jon Jones beats Gustafsson, comes to heavyweight, fights Stipe, beats Stipe, and then the UFC makes DC an offer for the heavyweight championship of the world – after he beats Brock Lesnar – to fight Jon Jones in one of the biggest pay-per-views in the history of the sport.
I think he does retire in March after he beats Lesnar but eventually, before 2019’s over, he fights Jon Jones for the heavyweight title.