Swanson hoping for title shot after 4th straight win
One of the most experienced featherweights on the UFC roster, all that Cub Swanson is missing on his resume is a title shot.
He hopes to fix that omission soon.
Swanson picked up his fourth straight win and his seventh in nine chances on Saturday by dispatching Artem Lobov in the main event of UFC Fight Night 108 on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn. The fight went the full 25 minutes and while "Killer Cub" couldn't put away his lightly regarded foe, he did gain five rounds of experience that will benefit him in a championship match.
If Swanson gets the next featherweight title shot, it will be against either Jose Aldo or Max Holloway. The two fighters meet in a championship unification bout in June, and Swanson would be happy for a shot at redemption against either man.
"I've lost to both those guys, so they both equally sting," Swanson said at the post-fight presser, according to MMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shatti. "In my whole career, I've never fought for a belt, so that's something that I would like to do, or at least have the opportunity to do.
"For the division, I think it's exciting for Holloway to win, and just kinda build more buzz. But I think my chances of fighting for a title, it's more likely if Aldo wins, because then there's not going to be a rematch (between Aldo and Holloway), things like that. So I see both sides."
Swanson expects to be near the front of the contenders' line, but should someone else get a crack at the belt, he's more likely wait for his turn than take a booking in the interim. He is coming off back-to-back Fight of the Night-winning performances and he's planning to re-prioritize as he awaits the birth of his first child in August.
"I'm definitely going to take some time off, but I'm going to be training the whole time," Swanson said. "I've got good people around. I enjoy training at this point in my career. I feel like I'm a lot smarter at it, I enjoy pushing myself, so I'll be training.
"But realistically, fighting, probably not until late December or early next year."