Just the other day, going about his usual routine, entertaining fans and followers with inside stories from the MMA world, Brendan Schaub took a dig at Bert Kreischer. However, few would have guessed that Schaub does all of this while fighting his silent battles alone. Amid his activities and appearances, the heart of the former heavyweight fighter, who once faced legends like Mirko Cro Cop and Minotauro Nogueira, aches for his baby daughter, who has been diagnosed with a condition that affects many children.

Brendan Schaub opened up about his daughter’s condition when he joined fellow stand-up comedian and podcaster Bryan Callen on The Fighter and The Kid.  He revealed that his daughter was diagnosed with ‘Hypotonia.’ “She had the issue when she was born, and they warned us of this, and then she’ll be two at the end of November, and then she wasn’t crawling normally, you know, it took forever, and then she’s not walking when she walks. It’s like it’s just sad. So then finally the doctor diagnosed her like it’s hypotonia,” Schaub explained. He shared that she’s being fitted for leg braces to help stabilize her weak muscles and joints.

Doctors also recommended hydrotherapy (pool therapy). It basically reduces the stress of body weight on muscles and helps her move and strengthen safely. Schaub takes her to the pool twice a day as part of a consistent rehab routine. As he spoke, he struggled to hold back tears. “I’ve been good, and I tell Joe, and you know, Mother-in-law, like, don’t cry in front of Billy. Don’t let her know this is some big thing. She can beat this. So, I don’t cry,” Brendan Schaub said.

However, it broke him when he realized Billie couldn’t wear regular shoes because of the braces.

The couple has two sons, Tiger and Boston. On November 22, 2023, Schaub and his wife, Joanna Zanella Schaub, welcomed their third child, and first daughter, Billie Isabel Schaub. Her diagnosis has only made Schaub stronger.

Brendan Schaub proves a fighter’s heart goes far beyond the cage

But that moment only strengthened his resolve to stand firm for his daughter. Schaub expressed his determination not to let her see sadness or pity. He felt he was “meant” to be her dad. Her diagnosis is a purpose-driven challenge rather than a tragedy.

In an emotional Instagram post last January, Schaub spoke about the struggles his daughter faced. “Most of my family and close friends know my baby girl has been in and out of the hospital since the day she was born. She needs to have emergency surgery on Thursday.” Schaub said tearfully. He canceled several of his tours and podcast shows to be with her. Thanking fans for their continued support, he also shared a photo of little Billie in a hospital bed.

According to medical sources such as the Cleveland Clinic, hypotonia means low muscle tone, not necessarily weak muscles. It refers to how much tension muscles have at rest. A person with normal muscle tone shows some resistance when their limbs are moved. But someone with hypotonia feels limp or “floppy,” especially in babies. The condition is sometimes called “floppy infant syndrome.”

In a recent Instagram post, Schaub shared footage from The Fighter and The Kid along with a heartfelt message: “I like to think all the work and discipline she’s gonna need to beat this diagnosis is the sole reason the big man upstairs chose me to be her dad.”

He believes his daughter won’t just learn to walk. She’ll thrive, play, and keep up with her brothers someday. “Game on,” he said, like a true fighter.

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