After UFC 206 thriller Cub Swanson says ‘it’s about time’ he got a title shot
Longtime featherweight contender Cub Swanson says he's looking for a shot at the UFC title after his Fight of the Year victory over Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206
CUB Swanson took the win after one of the greatest fights in history at , then said he wanted his first-ever shot at a world title.
Swanson has been a mainstay in the upper echelons of the featherweight division for years, but has never quite made it all the way to a title fight.
But after his thrilling decision win over Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206 in Toronto, Swanson said the time has now come for the UFC to give him a shot at the gold.
"The only thing is I’ve never fought for a title and that’s one thing I’d like to do,” he said after his stunning win.
"I think it’s about time.”
Swanson revealed he had added motivation ahead of the bout because he’d been called out by name by Choi, who said he wanted a bout with the American.
"The 145lb division has had the same guys at the top for a long time. So I’m not surprised some of the guys who are coming up and looking good, people are excited to see fresh meat in there,” he said.
"I knew he was gonna be a great fighter, but I just felt like he was underestimating me and I was p****d that he called me out of all 15 guys in the Top 15.
"I'm like ‘Me? Really? OK.’ So it had me up for the fight and I was ready for it.”
Swanson outpointed the South Korean star after three of the most exciting rounds seen in the Octagon in recent memory.
And speaking backstage after his memorable victory, Swanson said he had to call on his years of MMA experience to carry him through the contest and come out the other side with the win.
"I didn’t think he was gonna be that fast,” he explained.
"People bite on my fakes (but) I was biting on his fakes. I knew they were coming, and I was still biting on them.
"That p****d me off. I get mad at myself.
"Being a veteran I knew I was going to have to rely on veteran skills and one of the things was making adjustments.
"They told me to stop playing the outside the game and just pressure, pressure, pressure and I felt that started to break him.
"I went above and beyond for this camp. This camp, my whole camp, everything was speed. I wanted to come out and be the vintage version of me.
"I knew he wasn’t going to try to take me down, so I could just go out there and try to paint a picture."
That picture looked pretty good after three rounds, as Swanson moved one significant step closer to his dream of a title shot in the UFC.
And with the Max Holloway booking himself a shot at undisputed champ Jose Aldo with his main event win at the same event, Swanson could stand as little as one win away from taking on the winner next summer.
