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Cub Swanson made his case for a world featherweight title opportunity with resounding clarity as he outpointed Jeremy Stephens in the main event of UFC Fight Night 44 on Sunday, June 29 (PHI Time) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
In an entertaining slugfest mostly contested on the feet, Swanson pushed his winning streak to six bouts with a unanimous decision over Stephens, striking 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 counts on the judges’ scorecards.
The 30-year-old Jackson-Wink MMA standout showed his speed advantage early, outpacing his 5-foot-9 opponent from Alliance MMA and landing a good number of leg kicks.
However, Stephens obliged to initiate a fight inside the Octagon, countering flurries with single punches that found their utmost targets.
Moreover, “Lil’ Heathen” continued to clobber his power right hand in the second stanza, knocking down Swanson three times in the first half of the said frame.
As Swanson tried to smile through it, Stephens blasted a left kick to the body and then drove in for a takedown to end the round.
Swanson opened the third round of action with his own version of a body kick that deliberately hurt his counterpart, prompting Stephens to backpedal while striving to evade the pressuring series of strikes.
Stephens managed to weather the storm by pacifying his pesky foe against the fence, but Swanson broke the tie-up with 30 seconds left and subsequently hammered a spinning back kick.
Both men traded kicks and punches in the fourth round, with Stephens hitting another heavy right fist to the head in an effort to secure a stoppage while Swanson doubling the quantity of foot-strikes to his adversary’s abdomen.
Not wanting to back down in an exchange, Swanson put the San Antonio crowd into frenzy in the last five-minute round as he lashed a well-timed cartwheel kick and then poured more combinations that sent Stephens reeling.
Swanson seemed to be in control down the stretch, but Stephenson made his final pitch for an upset as he tagged his rival with multiple clubbing right hands but failed to author the finish he needed.
Due to the impressive performance versus Stephenson, Swanson improves his prizefighting record to 21-5 and moves him closer for a potential meeting with UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
“For me, winning a title is just like a dream. It’s something I want to do so badly, but it’s something I feel is going to come to me if I just keep doing what I’m doing,” Swanson said during the UFC Fight Night 44 press conference.
Aldo is scheduled to defend his belt against Chad Mendes in a rematch at UFC 176 on August 2 (August 3 in PHI).
Swanson crossed paths with Aldo in June 2009 under the banner of the now-defunct World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he was knocked out by the versatile Brazilian in only eight seconds with a flying knee.
“Of course I want to fight Aldo, that’s like [Chris] Weidman beating [Anderson] Silva you know. I want to be the guy to dethrone the legend,” he stressed.
Swanson likewise tasted defeat in the hands of Mendes as he dropped a unanimous verdict to the Team Alpha Male representative at WEC 50 in August 2010.
“If I keep doing what I’m doing, it’ll come. I just don’t feel like I have to beg or try to ask for it. If I just keep putting on good performances, it’ll come,” Swanson ended. – Rappler.com
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