Brendan Schaub‘s automotive series “Gear Heads Gone Wild,” which featured a notable appearance by grappling champion Gordon Ryan, has been dropped by streaming platform Tubi after just four episodes.
Schaub, a comedian and former UFC athlete, launched the show as a car-focused series in which he visits garages, rides in high-powered vehicles, and chats with guests. One of the show’s more notable segments featured Ryan, widely regarded as the greatest submission grappler of all time, who brought his heavily modified Ram TRX to appear on camera.
Ryan is known among car enthusiasts for putting over 100,000 miles on his TRX while continuing to modify it, and he walked Schaub through the vehicle’s upgrades and ongoing projects during the segment.
Following the cancellation, Schaub posted all four episodes to his YouTube channel, claiming it was done to fulfill a contractual obligation with Tubi. He also suggested the first episode underperformed due to a music copyright flag on the upload. Both claims drew immediate scrutiny.
Tubi’s business model centers on commissioning or acquiring exclusive content through its creator initiatives, which are designed to premiere directly on the platform rather than on outside channels. The platform does not require production companies to post content on YouTube as part of any renewal process.
The first episode reportedly pulled around 1,000 views over three days on YouTube, a modest number for a creator with Schaub’s following. The copyright notice he cited, while a minor notification, did not result in the video being removed or its view count being affected.
Reports suggest Schaub had pitched the series to Tubi with the expectation of landing a high-profile guest such as Joe Rogan, whose appearance would have served as the anchor for the show’s value proposition.
Without a recognizable name from outside the combat sports world, the series lacked the broader mainstream appeal that would justify continued network investment. Gordon Ryan, while highly respected within BJJ and combat sports circles, did not provide the crossover draw the platform had been counting on.
The format itself also drew criticism. With no game element, no restoration component, and no clear narrative structure, the series essentially followed Schaub as he admired cars, took rides, and reacted enthusiastically.
Without a marquee guest lineup, Tubi ultimately passed on renewing it.
Schaub has since addressed the situation indirectly, framing it as an ongoing negotiation rather than a closed door.
