Schaub: 'Sorry To All My Fans, Family, And Sponsors'

Source: Facebook

Young heavyweight prospect Brendan Schaub took home his second career defeat last night courtesy Brazilian MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Schaub and Big Nog squared off on the main card of UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami, which went down in Nogueira's backyard of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Most predicted Schaub would win by virtue of being younger, healthier and surging, while Nogueira has been showing the damage from his storied career and was returning from a long layoff after losing via knockout and having major surgery on both his hips and a knee.

The Hybrid definitely had his moments, clipping Nogueira with shots that wobbled him and likely would have dropped many other heavyweights, but Minotauro was on a mission, determined to pick up an impressive win in front of a hometown crowd.

At just over three minutes into the first round, Nogueira backed Schaub up with a combo and put him to bed with a hard right hand and a few follow up punches. Dejected, Schaub would be left to deal with the defeat in hostile territory.

All is not lost for the 28-year-old though, as he got to be part of one of the biggest UFC cards ever and admittedly went through a perspective-granting experience by visiting the Brazilian slums and handing out gear to a muay Thai training group.

"Tough night..nog is one of the best for a reason..I wanted the challenge..sorry to all my fans, family, and sponsors. A trip ill never forget thank u @UFC," Schaub posted to his Facebook page.

Still young in the sport and with a record of 8-2, Schaub still has plenty of time to capitalize on the potential that he clearly possesses. Losing to one of the sport's most revered figures is not the worst thing that could have happened to The Hybrid and, with a little time spent back at the drawing board, he will likely return better than ever, still able to make a splash in the division.