Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub got into some hot water after his UFC Tonight’s ‘all-black panel,’ comments last month. He doesn’t believe the UFC broadcast members on FOX, and similar channels are the best of the best.
Schaub insinuated that the UFC’s programming features an array of different ethnic backgrounds to promote diversity and equality, without keeping in mind the quality of the broadcast and its members’ analysis.
“Sometimes you look at UFC Tonight and you’re like, ‘Alright, is that the best panel possible? Or are you just trying to check off the boxes? We get it, UFC Tonight FOX, you’re not racist. We get it, you have an all-black panel. We get it. Woah, we get it. We get it, man,” Schaub said on his podcast.
The MMA veteran and UFC analyst Yves Edwards caught wind of Schaub’s comments after he was sent a clip on social media:
Yo @BrendanSchaub what’s this bullshit you running your mouth about? https://t.co/FHRppw6Dmk
— The Thugjitsu Master (@thugjitsumaster) February 4, 2018
Schaub immediately apologized for the comments:
Meant zero disrespect to you. I spent 30 mins praising Daniel Cormier and said he’s the best in the world besides Rogan. Kevin Lee and I were discussing black fighters & entertainment. Bad job on my part. That’s on me. I love you guys. Watch all of the shows. My bad. I’m sorry.
— Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) February 4, 2018
Yves Edwards said he wants to know who on the UFC panel Schab thought was incompetent:
I appreciate your apology. I wasn’t talking about race but when you say someone isn’t good enough to do the job and you don’t say who, I want to know if you’re talking about me. I wasn’t assuming or insinuating you are racist. Don’t sweat that, that’s not a thing.
— The Thugjitsu Master (@thugjitsumaster) February 4, 2018
Brendan Schaub went on to say that former lightweight contender got a bit of over emotional in his social media post.
“It’s a blip on the radar,” Schaub told Luke Thomas in a recent interview, per MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew. “It’s UFC Tonight. I love all those guys. They’re great. I watch the show. I actually talked to [Daniel Cormier] the day that all happened – I’m close with DC – I mean no ill regard towards any of them. I like Karen Bryant, Yves Edwards, [Tyron] Woodley, they’re all my friends. I think someone was upset on there.
“I think Yves was upset because of something that he sees in himself so when I made that comment he thinks it’s about him in particular and he lashed out. I woke up like, ‘Yves, come on’ and then when we spoke, he was good. He was like, ‘Dude, I was emotional,my bad’ and I was like, ‘Come on, obviously I’m not racist.’
“I felt so bad. I have some brain farts and that was one of them. The thing that bums me out was, they’re my friends. Karen’s a good friend.”
Edwards would go on to confront the former fighter over social media and expose the conversation to the public:
Hey “friend” given this is the entirety of the communication you and I had on this issue show me where I admitted to being “emotional and blah blah blah”…don’t pretend your opinion of me is mine of myself. It makes you look like a self righteous asshole. pic.twitter.com/wZT5RBPFrc
— The Thugjitsu Master (@thugjitsumaster) March 4, 2018
Schaub has yet to reply to his tweet.
