Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has addressed his controversial 2014 Metamoris grappling match against Cyborg Abreu, attempting to justify what many considered a lackluster performance that went viral as “the worst” grappling match.
During a recent episode of The Schaub Show, Schaub defended his approach against the decorated grappler, arguing that the onus was on Abreu to engage since it was his platform.
“You talking about when I went against the number one grappler in the world? I stepped in his world as a brown belt and he couldn’t submit me in any facet,” Schaub said. “Oh he didn’t engage – it’s his platform, it was his intention to engage me that’s what we were hoping for so I choke him out and I almost did that’s on him.”
Schaub further justified his performance by suggesting the dynamics would have been different if the match was in his domain: “I stepped in his Arena – what do you think would have happened if he stepped in my Arena? It would last 30 seconds, he would get annihilated.”
The grappling match, which took place at Metamoris 2 in 2014, was widely criticized for its lack of action and engagement, with both competitors showing minimal offense throughout the duration. The bout went to a draw but has lived on in infamy within the grappling community as an example of an overly defensive approach.
Schaub’s recent comments came during a broader discussion where he was responding to criticism from Nate Diaz, showing the former UFC heavyweight remains defensive about the notorious grappling match nearly a decade later.
