On Monday, FOX Sports and The Fighter and The Kid podcast reached a new multi-year agreement that will see the wildly popular show, co-hosted by UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub and Bryan Callen expand to new platforms. We caught up with Schaub to talk a little bit about plans for the show, moving forward, and he sounded as if he couldn't be happier with the new deal.
That's good because, for a long while, the whole negotiation process was no small burden on the fighter's mind. "Man, I'd been sick over this deal. I couldn't sleep, because both sides wanted so much," he admitted.
In the end, however, Schaub made it seem as though everyone got what they wanted. He says that fans of the show can expect the same uproarious and free-spirited show that they've come to love.
"We're so excited about this deal, now. It came together so well," he said.
"People were telling us, 'don't let FOX change the show!' FOX was not saying that at all. They basically told us, 'keep doing what you're doing because it's working.' Basically, we're going to add onto it. We're talking about digital episodes. FOX told us, 'do you, man, but let us jump on board and be a part of this.'"
As fans of "Big Brown" already know, Schaub hasn't been too keen on returning to competition, in part, because he's been able to make a living off of the podcast with Callen. The new contract with FOX Sports will mean even more entertainment responsibilities for the fighter, and may make another fight less likely, at least for the time being.
"It would take a special fight to get me back in the Octagon," he said.
"But, never say never. Life is definitely good outside the cage."
Though Schaub prides himself on always having high hopes and expectations for The Fighter and The Kid podcast, even he has been pleasantly shocked with how far the show has come. So, because of all the reward, he doesn't mind the extra work he and Callen will be putting in.
"I don't think people realize what goes into this podcast," he insisted.
"We do two episodes a week, sometimes three if we have a guest or there's something we want to get out there. Now, we're also doing live shows on the road. We just sold out the Brea Improv in hours. It was the quickest any of their shows had ever sold out, before. We're doing a second show in Tempe.
"When I signed up for the show, I had no idea what I was getting into. It's just me and my best friend having a ton of fun and making money along the way."
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