Brendan Schaub wanted to prove he was ready to take the next step in the UFC heavyweight division against more elite competition. Gonzaga was ready to demonstrate he wasn't as inconsistent as some perceived him to be. The big question heading into this fight was whether or not Schaub was ready to assert himself as a real contender or whether the MMA world had looked past Gonzaga too early.

While Schaub was not overly impressive, it was enough to get it done.

The Amal Easton/Grudge/Greg Jackson product did enough to keep Gonzaga at bay. While Schaub boasted he'd do enough to break Gonzaga, he'd only do enough to control him.

In the first round, Schaub did enough to win the round especially late with a flurry of aggression and big punches. The second round was a much slower affair, but still a round where he did enough to win even if Gonzaga landed monster leg kicks. In the third, Schaub was stalked more, but was able to keep Gonzaga at bay.

Did Schaub really prove he was ready to take the next step? Hard to say. He defeated Gonzaga, but didn't put enough of a stamp on the UFC heavyweight to prove he's the next big thing. Schaub still has a future, but there's no major momentum behind him.

The judges score it 30-27 for Brendan Schaub.