Whenever I hear Brendan Schaub’s nickname “The Hybrid” I can’t help but think of Optimus Prime or Centurians. I’ve tried to think of a replacement nickname that doesn’t remind of 80’s cartoons but the best I can come up with as a replacement is the terrible “Punchy McPuncherson”. Still, at least he knows his brother isn’t going to steal his nickname just to make it even more confusing for MMA fans all over the world, unlike the adeptly nicknamed Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira.
Joe Ferraro over at Sportsnet.ca is reporting that Schaub and Big Nog have verbally agreed to meet at UFC 134. Schaub has been asking specifically to face Big Nog in Rio; perhaps because he wants to be booed in Brazil or he wants to attempt to claim another former PRIDE scalp. Either way, as awesome as it would be to have had Nogueira and Cro Cop repeat their 2003 PRIDE bout in the Octagon it would be hard for Joe Silva to justify giving Cro Cop this fight instead of Schaub.
Both Nogueira and Schaub are known for having good hands, with Schaub a former Golden Gloves champion and Nogueira having trained boxing under Luiz Dorea. While Schuab has made a career out of finishing fights with his fists, Nogueira’s career has seen him take quite a few nasty beatings and still come out on top with his relentless guard game, making this fight all the more interesting. One question this fight will not answer however: where does Optimus Prime’s trailer come from when he transforms? [Source]
