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It’s a difficult task for UFC matchmakers to determine who’s left for Cub Swanson to fight after the featherweight’s many years in the now-defunct WEC and UFC.
“Sometimes, they’re like, ‘Who can you fight?'” Swanson today told MMAjunkie Radio.
Swanson (21-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has made 16 appearances in promotions owned by Zuffa LLC and makes his 17th at UFC on FOX 15 on Saturday against Max Holloway (12-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who’s ranked No. 12 in USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie’s MMA featherweight rankings.
Swanson is No. 7, but his position is perhaps more precarious than the younger Holloway because he’s already faced a who’s who of the division in his climb toward a title.
“There’s always rematches, but they don’t want to do that unless it’s absolutely necessary and the fans really want to see a rematch,” said Swanson, 31.
After a loss to Frankie Edgar that snapped Swanson’s six-fight win streak and halted his dream of a title shot, he is trying to reinvent himself and stay relevant in the division where Jose Aldo reigns. But it’s not out of the question that he may one day seek a new challenge in a different weight class.
He once even contemplated a move to 135 pounds after a sparring accident left him with a broken jaw. He said he felt invigorated when he was throwing punches, but quickly ran out of gas when he had to grapple. That pretty much made up his mind on bantamweight.
“I think I’m more likely to go up to 155 (pounds) than down to 135,” Swanson said. “I still see my career going for a while, so I see opportunities for change.”
At least one of Swanson’s colleagues has already made the change. Dustin Poirier, whom he outpointed in 2013, just recently made his debut as a UFC lightweight and plans to make a run in the division.
“We were jabbing at each other on Twitter a couple weeks back, and I was saying if I ever come up to 155 I’ll have to fight him again,” Swanson said. “It was a fun fight for me, and he was a game opponent. There’s always that possibility down the road.”
But when the UFC’s matchmakers scrolled through potential opponents at featherweight and found Holloway, Swanson didn’t have second thoughts.
“Max is somebody I’ve been watching for a while,” he said.
In fact, Swanson said he’s “hip to everybody,” whether they’re fighting on UFC Fight Pass prelims or on pay-per-view main cards. He sees it as his business to stay up to date on potential new opponents, despite their shrinking numbers. Also, he said, “I try to see what the trending style of fighting is.”
Swanson has molded himself into a boxer and unpredictable striker inside the UFC’s octagon, preferring to keep fights standing so he can bob and weave in close with punches. It’s an approach that sunk him against Edgar, who repeatedly wrestled his way to a victory when they met this past November.
After being humbled, Swanson might have traveled back to his longtime training camp at Jackson-Winkeljohn’s MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., for some intense work on wrestling. Instead, he decided he would stay in his adopted hometown of Palm Springs, Calif. He said Jackson will corner him for the fight.
“For a long time, I’ve just been sleeping on couches in Albuquerque, so I wanted to stay home,” he said. “I’ve been having a lot of opportunities to bring people to me, and I’ve had amazing sparring at my boxing gym. I have kickboxers, wrestlers and grapplers coming in to help me. I felt it was fine to stay home, and I knew I pushed myself. I’m definitely self-motivated.”
It’s an experiment that will either pay off by keeping Swanson in the mix at featherweight, or it may precede a hard choice to seek greener pastures. Whatever the case, the veteran fighter said he doesn’t plan to seek new opponents in other promotions.
Whoever is left to fight, Swanson will fight them.
“I’m happy with the UFC,” he said. “I could see myself fighting here for a while. I’ve got a couple more fights on my contract, but I’m sure they’re going to make me an offer, as long as I keep doing my thing and putting on great fights. I’m not too worried about it.”
For more on UFC on FOX 15, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM channel 92, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to http://ift.tt/1gbysMB.
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