#2498 - Brendan Schaub

Episode of The Joe Rogan Experience · May 13, 2026 · 2 h 48 min

Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub break down Strickland vs. Chimaev, UFC betting and fighter pay, streaming, social media, cars, and Schaub's Tubi show.

Summary

Joe Rogan hosted former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub shortly after a major UFC weekend. They praised flyweight Joshua Van, discussed Sean Brady's dominant win over Joaquin Buckley and the abnormal betting movement that preceded it, and debated athletes betting on themselves, with both arguing that betting only on oneself to win should be acceptable. Schaub argued that widespread sports betting has made fans more hostile toward fighters.

Much of the first half focused on Sean Strickland's upset of Khamzat Chimaev. Schaub called Strickland a bona fide Hall of Famer and a blue-collar underdog story, while Rogan attributed much of Chimaev's fade to an extreme weight cut from a bulk above 230 pounds, calling same-day weight manipulation the dumbest practice in the sport. They discussed cardio training philosophies, the careers of BJ Penn and Jon Jones, and the upcoming Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje fight at the White House.

The conversation turned to UFC business: Rogan argued fighters deserve a larger share because their health is the entire product, while Schaub questioned whether combat sports economics allow it, noting the UFC is the only profitable promotion, and floated a collective fighter boycott. Rogan described how luck and the COVID era enabled his Austin comedy club, the Mothership. They discussed the Paramount deal, Netflix's entry into MMA, streaming, astroturfed engagement, phone addiction, historic smoking rates, UK speech arrests, and a federal impaired-driving technology mandate.

Later segments covered Schaub's Tubi series Gearheads Gone Wild and extensive car talk about Porsches, Gunther Werks, manual transmissions, and American muscle. They also discussed high gas prices tied to the war with Iran, polling showing many Americans believe assassination attempts on Donald Trump were staged, speculation about MKUltra-style programming, TikTok's algorithm, Schaub's sobriety, and overbearing parents in youth sports.

Chapters

0:06
Joshua Van and the flyweight division
Rogan and Schaub praise Joshua Van's boxing and discuss age at flyweight versus heavyweight.
4:05
Brady vs. Buckley and suspicious betting
They discuss Sean Brady's win and the abnormal betting movement that prompted UFC and sportsbook scrutiny.
9:17
Athletes betting on themselves
The pair discuss betting-driven fan hostility, a soldier's Maduro bet, and Pete Rose.
13:17
Strickland upsets Chimaev
Schaub and Rogan analyze Strickland's win with an injured shoulder, judging biases, and his Hall of Fame case.
27:57
Chimaev's weight cut
Rogan argues Chimaev's cut from over 230 pounds compromised him and criticizes weight cutting generally.
35:39
Training philosophy and all-time greats
They discuss sport-specific cardio, BJ Penn, Jon Jones, Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria.
54:05
Topuria vs. Gaethje at the White House
They preview the lightweight title fight and Gaethje's underdog chances.
1:00:59
Fighter pay and the Mothership
Rogan argues fighters deserve more of UFC revenue, Schaub questions the economics, and Rogan explains his comedy club's model.
1:19:23
Paramount, Netflix and streaming
They discuss the UFC's Paramount deal, Netflix's MMA ambitions, viewership numbers, and Tubi.
1:29:55
Fake engagement and phone addiction
Rogan describes astroturfing and bots, and both lament teenagers' phone use, comparing it to historic smoking.
1:45:03
Gearheads Gone Wild and Porsches
Schaub describes his Tubi car show and the pair discuss Porsches, Gunther Werks, mods and manuals.
2:17:09
Gas prices, assassination attempts and TikTok
They discuss Iran-war gas prices, doubts about Trump assassination attempts, MKUltra speculation, and TikTok's algorithm.
2:26:10
Sobriety, obsession and youth sports
Schaub discusses sobriety and his addictive personality, and both criticize parents who pressure young athletes.
2:33:25
More cars and wrap-up
They tease Jamie about cars, discuss BMW grilles and manuals, and close by promoting Schaub's show.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Brendan Schaub
Schaub argues that widespread betting has made fans far more hostile toward fighters than when he competed.
“So I think that's why fighters are getting so much more hate these days than they did even when I was fighting”
Listen from 9:38 · Sports betting
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues athletes should be allowed to bet on themselves to win.
“I feel like you should be able to bet on yourself as a fighter. I feel like you should be able to bet on yourself as a baseball player”
Listen from 12:18 · Sports betting
Brendan Schaub
Schaub says Strickland is certainly a Hall of Famer and will become a bigger star after the win.
“100% he's a Hall of Famer. My thing with Strickland, too, it's like he's going to be a bigger star now more than ever”
Listen from 15:10 · Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev
Joe Rogan
Rogan calls the practice of allowing fighters to dehydrate to a weight class the dumbest thing in the sport.
“it is the dumbest fucking thing we do in the sport where we allow these people to pretend that they weigh a certain way”
Listen from 32:33 · Weight cutting in mixed martial arts
Brendan Schaub
Schaub advocates getting conditioning from sport-specific training rather than strength-and-conditioning drills close to a fight.
“a big proponent of do your sport. Get your cardio from your sport. I see it across the board”
Listen from 35:39 · Ultimate Fighting Championship
Brendan Schaub
Schaub acknowledges Gaethje faces a very tough fight but says he is rooting for him.
“fight for Justin, but I'm rooting for Justin. I love both of them”
Listen from 55:21 · Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
Linked moment · 1:02:03Skip to 1:02:03 using a listen link in the info box.
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues fighters should be paid more because they risk lifelong health for a short career.
“I have a deep empathy for people who put themselves in front of harm and try to chase that glory for our entertainment”
Listen from 1:02:03 · UFC fighter pay
Brendan Schaub
Schaub questions whether higher pay is feasible, noting the UFC is the only combat sports promotion to be profitable.
“the UFC is the only combat sports promotion to ever make money. Ever”
Listen from 1:04:42 · UFC fighter pay
Joe Rogan
Rogan attributes his comedy club's success largely to luck and timing during COVID.
“And the reason why our club works is because it's pure luck. It's pure luck”
Listen from 1:10:45 · The Mothership comedy club
Brendan Schaub
Schaub says fighters should have collectively refused to fight after the Paramount deal until they got a larger revenue share.
“I would have talked to all the managers, all the fighters, and said, we're not fighting another fight”
Listen from 1:15:46 · UFC fighter pay
Brendan Schaub
Schaub argues the Paramount deal's card volume has lowered the talent level of UFC signings.
“You're signing these contender series kids who have three fights, four fights, where 10 years ago, those boys ain't sniffing the UFC”
Listen from 1:19:12 · Ultimate Fighting Championship
Joe Rogan
Rogan says he heard Netflix passed on UFC rights because it wanted only major events, not smaller fight nights.
“I believe what I heard, here's the caveat, is that Netflix did not want the small fights”
Listen from 1:20:23 · Netflix
Joe Rogan
Rogan believes phone addiction is entrenched and technology will only become more invasive.
“People are addicted. They're 100% addicted to their phone. I don't see anything changing”
Listen from 1:38:18 · Social media and adolescent mental health
Joe Rogan
Rogan criticizes the UK's generational cigarette ban as government overreach.
“Protecting someone from cigarettes while you're selling them alcohol is fucking bananas”
Listen from 1:43:19
Brendan Schaub
Schaub argues Porsche's rising base prices are pricing out its traditional buyers.
“just the base Porsche is so expensive, man. It's pricing out their market”
Listen from 1:58:31 · Porsche
Joe Rogan
Rogan says driving enjoyment depends on engagement and manual transmissions.
“The driving experience is about engagement. And if you're not using a manual, you're missing”
Listen from 2:03:22
Joe Rogan
Rogan proposes a national oil company selling only domestically to insulate Americans from global prices.
“They're a bunch of crooks. We should have a national oil company. And only sell in America”
Listen from 2:18:43 · Gas prices and inflation
Joe Rogan
Rogan says people who believe the Butler shooting was staged know nothing about guns.
“the people that thought that the Butler, Pennsylvania one was staged don't know anything about guns”
Listen from 2:21:10 · Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt
Brendan Schaub
Schaub speculates that MKUltra-style programs never stopped and have only improved.
“if they did MKUltra all those years ago, when you go through the list of Charles Manson, the Unabomber, you think it stopped?”
Listen from 2:22:08 · Project MKUltra
Joe Rogan
Rogan blames TikTok for the prevalence of belief that assassination attempts were staged.
“This is TikTok. It's fucking ruining people's brains”
Listen from 2:23:09 · TikTok
Brendan Schaub
Schaub describes having an addictive personality that he is learning to check as he ages.
“I have addictive personality. Like if I do something, I got to be all in”
Listen from 2:26:39
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues children largely reflect the atmosphere and values of their parents.
“Kids imitate the atmosphere that they grow up in”
Listen from 2:28:53 · Youth sports parenting
Brendan Schaub
Schaub recounts telling pushy fathers their sons want to quit because the parents made sports feel like work.
“Now he wants to quit because you've made it a job for him”
Listen from 2:29:49 · Youth sports parenting

People

In the conversation

Joe RoganAmerican comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
Brendan SchaubFormer UFC heavyweight, comedian and host of Big Brown Breakdown and the Tubi series Gearheads Gone Wild

Discussed

Sean StricklandUFC middleweight and former champion
Khamzat ChimaevUFC middleweight known for elite grappling
Joshua Van24-year-old UFC flyweight
Sean BradyUFC welterweight who beat Joaquin Buckley
Joaquin BuckleyUFC welterweight
Pete RoseBaseball player banned for betting
Ilia TopuriaUFC lightweight champion
Justin GaethjeAmerican mixed martial artist and Nurmagomedov's final opponent
Jon JonesAmerican mixed martial artist and former UFC champion
BJ PennFormer UFC two-division champion
Arman TsarukyanUFC lightweight who also competes in wrestling
Dana WhitePresident and CEO of the UFC
Ari EmanuelTKO Group executive
Tim BurchettU.S. Representative who commented on classified UFO briefings
Thomas CrooksGunman in the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject

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From the publisher

Brendan Schaub is the host of “Big Brown Breakdown” as well as the Tubi series “Gear Heads Gone Wild.” https://tubitv.com/series/300019796/gear-heads-gone-wildwww.youtube.com/@ThicccBoy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Sports·Automotive·Society & Culture