What’s next for Cub Swanson after UFC 162 win?
At UFC 162, Cub Swanson won an unorthodox, but thrilling bout. He earned a TKO win over Dennis Siver in the third round by knocking him down with a right hand, then following him to the ground. The knockout followed a back and forth bout that somehow saw these two strikers hit the ground. Swanson was able to come back and win, giving him his fifth win in a row.
Swanson's last loss came to Ricardo Lamas at UFC on Fox 1 in November of 2011. Since then, he's rattled off wins over George Roop, Ross Pearson, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and now Siver. Four of those five wins came by a knockout or TKO.
The big question coming out of his win is if this performance qualified him for a title shot against UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Though every fighter wants a shot at the title, getting it against Aldo would be a little sweeter for Swanson than most. In 2009, when they were still in the WEC, Aldo knocked out Swanson with a flying double knee in just eight seconds.
Swanson's biggest obstacle to getting to Aldo is just how many people have a claim on the next UFC featherweight title shot. Champion Jose Aldo is set to face Chan Sung Jung in August. Jung replaced Anthony Pettis, who missed on his chance to fight for the title because of an injury. Ricardo Lamas also has the resume for a title shot.
Even if Swanson can't get at Aldo -- or Jung, if he wins in August -- he should take a major jump up competition for his next bout, which could set the stage for a chance at the belt.
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