Brendan Schaub was scheduled to face Lavar Johnson this Saturday on the UFC on FOX 5 preliminary card, but Johnson had to pull out of the fight last week with an injury.
During last night’s episode of “UFC Tonight” on FUEL TV, Ariel Helwani reported that he spoke to Schaub and he has plans if Johnson is not his next opponent.
“I spoke to Schaub yesterday and he is still hoping to get that fight against Johnson,” Helwani said on the weekly UFC news program. “If you remember, he is the one who called out Lavar. He wanted to fight him because he wants to prove that he can hang with someone who can hit. Like Lavar, a lot of people had been questioning his chin as of late and he is hoping that the fight will happen January or Super Bowl weekend. If Lavar isn’t healthy enough to return, he wants Cheick Kongo. That is a fight that really excites him. He can prove that he can hang. He is a big name and Brendan likes to call out his shots.”
Schaub (8-3) is currently on a two fight losing streak and he has been knocked out in both fights, with the losses coming against former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Ben Rothwell. His other career lost came at the TUF 10 Finale in the final against Roy Nelson, which was also a knockout defeat.
With Schaub looking to return in early 2013, it’s unknown if Johnson would be able to return from his injury that soon. Kongo has turned down two fights recently since he does not want to take any short notice fights. He was hoping to face Stefan Struve, but the UFC has already booked Struve to face Mark Hunt at UFC on FUEL TV 8.
No matter who he faces in his next fight, Schaub will most likely be in a must win situation as typically a fighter is released from the company after three straight defeats.