If Brendan Schaub can just get a little self-confidence, he might have a shot in this Ultimate Fighter thing, starting with Saturday’s UFC 128 match against 36-year-old Mirko Filipovic.
“His time has kind of passed, and I’m expecting a convincing win Saturday,” Schaub said.
Schaub, 28, a former University of Colorado fullback under Gary Barnett, will face Filipovic in the heavyweight bout on the main card of Saturday’s event at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
He’s one of two Colorado residents who will compete in Newark. Aurora’s Nate Marquardt faces Dan Miller in the middleweight bout.
Schaub, who played football at Overland High School under former coach Tony Manfredi, has quickly become one of UFC’s biggest stars, literally and figuratively. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds or so, he is a handful in the octagon. His nickname is “The Hybrid,” and he works out six to eight hours a day, six days a week.
“You might see some new things from me. We’ll see,” said Schaub, who played in the Arena Football League with Utah and also was on the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills after his college days. “But I’m gonna be bringing it either way.”
The growth of UFC continues unabated. Among males age 18 to 34, it often ranks among the top three professional sporting events on TV.
“Now it’s going international. It’s only getting bigger,” Schaub said. “I’m fortunate to be doing what I’m doing. It’s something I always wanted, even when I was playing football. But I’ll always treasure those memories playing at CU, and Overland too. Colorado will always be No. 1 with me.”
AROUND TOWN
Banner night for Rapids.
Denver’s championship team — that’s right, your Rapids — opens defense of its MLS title against Portland on Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
The Rapids finished up their preseason with a 2-0 victory over the Air Force Academy, but the games that count start Saturday.
Coach Gary Smith has gradually morphed the Rapids from a finesse squad to a tough, physical group.
Tickets range from $17 to $45, and for those who haven’t been there before, the views of the Eastern plains, not to mention the mountains to the west, make this one picturesque place to take a family.
If you can’t make it, Fox Soccer Channel has you covered, starting at 7 p.m.
If you do go, be in your seats by 6:45 p.m. to see the raising of the championship banner. Every fan in attendance will get a free commemorative championship banner as well.
STAY ON THE COUCH
March Madness. Enough said.
Of course, it would be a lot more fun around here if the Colorado Buffaloes were part of the fun of the NCAA Tournament, especially at the Pepsi Center, but we will just have to make do with third-round games involving other teams. Of course, we have to switch through four TV networks to find all the games — CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV.
That’s OK with me. Any chance of stumbling upon Charles Barkley talking about college hoops is worth some thumb pressure. Maybe the Chuckster might toss the Buffs a bone by dissing some more teams that didn’t deserve to be in the field.
GET OFF THE COUCH
Challenge in the canyons.
Running amid the red rock canyons of Grand Junction alongside the Dolores River? Not a bad way to spend a weekend. The “Better Half-Marathon and 5-Mile Run” takes place Saturday in the Gateway Canyons area.
The route will follow Colorado 141 along the Dolores River through the canyons. The entry fee is $45. Contact Nick Kroger to volunteer, or direct questions to nicolas.kroger @gatewaycanyons.com. Runners will be able to drop off clothing/gear under the tent at the start; gear can be retrieved at the finish.
To make your reservation, contact info@gatewaycanyons.com or call 970-931-2458.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Worse vs. worst.
We know we will see the one of the two worst teams in the NHL’s Western Conference win a game Saturday in Edmonton.
The fumblin’, bumblin’, stumblin’ Avalanche comes into Rexall Place for a “showdown” with last-place Edmonton.
A victory over the Oilers might go a long way to cementing at least a no-worse-than-29th-place finish in the NHL. If the Oilers win, Colorado keeps its hopes alive for the No. 1 pick in the June NHL draft.
If this were the year Sidney Crosby were available, we could have called this one “The Tank Bowl.”
