Ultimate Blogger Schaub: Full confidence

There’s no better feeling than the feeling you get when possessing an answer or secret nobody else knows. You can gain a lot of confidence from just that knowledge alone. We’re just days from my fight with Antonio Minotauro Nogueira at UFC 134 and I feel like the world is in for a shock when I reveal what I plan to do to him come Saturday night.

I have no secrets or clues as far as Nogueira is concerned. At this point in his career, he is what he is. We have all grown up watching the man and each of us admire him. He was one of the reasons I first decided to study jiu-jitsu in the first place. As a man and fighter, I owe him a lot.

For that very reason, there’s no way I’d go into this weekend’s fight assuming I will beat Nogueira with ease. I respect the man far too much to ever do that. I know that I will have to be at the very top of my game and I know that I will need to unveil the stuff that I do behind closed doors on a daily basis in training.

Nobody has seen me at my best yet, and I take great heart from knowing that fact. Despite beating the likes of Mirko Cro Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga in recent fights, I am still completely unsatisfied by my form. I had an off night against both Cro Cop and Gonzaga and yet still came through. There was no real sense of accomplishment on either of those nights, simply because I didn’t really perform the way I knew I could. As a result, I’ve never tried to dine out on those wins and become complacent.

When I put it all together and fulfill my potential on Saturday night, Nogueira and the whole of Brazil will know about it. Some people will never see it coming. If Nogueira and his camp have looked at my fights with Cro Cop and Gonzaga as a means of pinpointing weaknesses, they are heading down the wrong path. I plan on being a world apart from that guy on Saturday night. Everything will be cleaner, sharper, faster and new. I will show things that I’ve never shown in previous fights.

You can’t assume anything in this sport, and I hope Nogueira hasn’t assumed I’m going to fight a certain way. Even at this late stage in his career, I won’t assume anything on Nogueira’s side. He has been away from the Octagon for a year-and-a-half and, for all I know, he may well have added a few new tools to his tool belt.

In order to prepare for this fight, I simply visualize a prime Nogueira, circa 2003, and imagine I’ll be fighting that guy. I will then anticipate him being even better than that once the claxon goes and we’re circling one another.

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As for the fight itself, I have nothing but confidence in my chances of claiming victory. I know this is the biggest moment of my career so far, but it is one I feel ready for. I am in no way, shape or form intimidated by Nogueira and I plan to show that on Saturday. The same can be said for the Brazilian fans in the arena, too. I have nothing but respect and admiration for their support and passion, but I refuse to let them intimidate me. By the time the fight is over, they will be on my side.

I definitely feel I have the tools to convincingly stop Nogueira. He does a lot of things well, but I think my speed, youth and x-factor will prove to be the difference. I don’t think I’ve ever gone into a fight and not looked for a stoppage win. That is always on my mind and is something I always wanted to achieve, regardless of how tough or legendary the opponent is. This fight is no different.

Yes, Nogueira is a legend of the sport and someone renowned for his durability, but that doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t be done. If I am as good as I think I am and if I am going to be as great as I hope to be, Nogueira needs to be emphatically brushed aside on Saturday night.

Follow me on Twitter @BrendanSchaub.

Brendan Schaub takes on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 on Saturday, Aug. 27 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is blogging exclusively for sportsnet.ca on a weekly basis ahead of his fight.

UFC 134 will be shown live on pay-per-view at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. Watch live preliminary fights on Sportsnet starting at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.