Ex-UFC star Brendan Schaub reveals $5 million fight purse needed to tempt him into one final bout

03/28/2025 04:18 PM

Former UFC heavyweight contender, Brendan Schaub has revealed any promoter looking to book him in one final fight, would have to cough up at least $5,000,000 in order for him to snap his 2015 retirement from combat sports.

Schaub, a finalist on The Ultimate Fighter, and a ranked contender during his heavyweight tenure with the UFC, most recently featured 10 years ago in a first round knockout loss to Hawaiian heavyweight veteran, Travis Browne in the pair’s grudge match.

The defeat came as his second consecutively, following a controversial split decision loss to former undisputed champion, Andrei Arlovski.

And infamously urged by close friend and long-time color-commentator, Joe Rogan to consider his future in combat sports, Schaub has yet to fight since confirming his retirement back in 2015.

Brendan Schaub reveals fight purse which would make him consider return

However, this week, the newly-minted GFL color-commentator claimed he would entertain a return to fighting if he netted a fight purse in the region of $5,000,000.

“$5 million, $5 million would be the marker." Brendan Schaub said on his podcast about a potential return to fighting.. "$5 million to fight. $5 million, just $5 million. It'd be a lot longer than [six months for me to get ready], I haven't fought in how many years? Six months ain't enough, bubba. [A year of training] at least. I also have to get off all the sh*t I'm on, so you have to get off that and get your system back. That's what I'm saying, I'd have to stop everything and get off all the sh*t I'm on."

“Promoters are going, 'Oh, we're good'. It's tough to get punched in the face,” Brendan Schaub continued. “The CTE, what does that look like? I'd have to spar with professionals…It would have to be in MMA, I wouldn't do boxing."