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Cub Swanson has ranked among the featherweight elite for the better part of a decade, but his footing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship has grown alarmingly tenuous.
Swanson will attempt to pull the plug on the first three-fight losing streak of his career when he faces Shane Burgos at UFC Fight Night 151 on Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The 35-year-old UFC, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage veteran has not competed since he submitted to a rear-naked choke from Renato Carneiro at UFC 227 in August, the setback coming on the heels of consecutive defeats to Frankie Edgar and Brian Ortega. Swanson holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rigan Machado.
As Swanson makes final preparations for his battle with Burgos, here are five things you should know about him.
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Cub Swanson
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1. He got off to a rocky start in MMA.
Swanson made his professional debut at a Total Combat event on July 25, 2004 in Tijuana, Mexico, where he submitted to a rear-naked choke from Shannon Gugerty in just 30 seconds. He went on to win his next 11 fights, a run that included a technical knockout of Gugerty a little less than two years later.
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2. His setbacks have generally come against top-flight opposition.
The nine men who have defeated Swanson—Gugerty, Edgar (twice), Carneiro, Ortega, Jens Pulver, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Ricardo Lamas and Max Holloway—own a cumulative record of 177-55-3.
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3. The hurt business has been a lucrative venture for him.
Swanson has been awarded 10 post-fight bonuses during his time in the WEC and the UFC, eight for “Fight of the Night” and two for “Knockout of the Night.” His total haul: $392,500.
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4. He has a softer side.
Swanson married model and television host Kenda Perez in 2018. They have three children: daughter Royal and identical twin sons Saint and King.
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5. He has served as a steady presence in the featherweight division.
Evidence of Swanson’s staying power and consistency can be found all over the FightMetric record book. He ranks second on the UFC’s all-time featherweight list in significant strikes landed (987), third in total fight time (3:35:27), fourth in total strikes landed (1,169), fifth in knockdowns landed (six), fifth in significant strike accuracy (.511) and eighth in strikes landed per minute (4.58).
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