The UFC touched down in Nashville Saturday night for UFC Fight Night 108. In the main event from the Bridgestone Arena, Cub Swanson kept his place inside the Top-5 at featherweight with a convincing decision win over Artem Lobov. While many believed Swanson would have his way with Lobov, the Irish fighter – and close […]
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Check out 360-degree highlights from the recent UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov event.
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The UFC set up shop for the first time in Fresno, California from the Save Mart Center Saturday night for UFC Fight Night 123. Brian Ortega took advantage of the main event spotlight, jumping into a guillotine choke and submitting Cub Swanson on FOX Sports 1. Ortega showed off his skills, as he was able […]
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Conor McGregor was garnering plenty of attention even before he signed with the UFC, and the featherweight prospect demonstrated why at his Octagon debut in April, by putting away Marcus Brimage in the first round. Since then, the Irish fighter has continue to capture headlines not only because he’s set to fight Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 26 (which is an awesome fight), but because of some of the comments he’s made.
For example, not long after Jose Aldo stopped “The Korean Zombie” at UFC 163, McGregor let it be known that he wouldn’t have trouble “”with either of them”. The 25 year-old also added that “I’m bringing more hype than everyone else combined.” People, especially veteran fighters, tend to notice statements like that.
Cub Swanson has also been in the spotlight lately thanks to a five fight winning streak, which includes wins over fellow contenders like Dustin Poirier and most recently Dennis Siver. While appearing on the MMA Roasted podcast recently, here’s what the surging veteran had to say about McGregor and some of the statements he’s made (quote via Fighters Only Magazine.com).
“I like the kid, I really see a future for him in the UFC because he is talented. But he runs his mouth and you’ve got to be careful when you do that,” he tells MMA Roasted.
“For some reason he decided to take a shot at me. I’m a fan of many fighters but as soon as they start looking at me the fighter in me comes out and I’m like, ‘You better watch your damn mouth.’”
“That would be a fight that I would love to do once he makes a name for himself but right now he is still a nobody. If he lives up to the hype he can fight me down the road but for now he has to fight somebody in the top ten first.”
Plenty of eyes are certainly going to be on McGregor this Saturday to see how he performs versus Holloway. If McGregor scores another big win, he very well could be tapped to fight a top contender in just his third UFC bout.
Stay tuned to MMA Convert.com for all your UFC news and coverage.
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Recently news surfaced that the UFC has added one of Japan’s top fighters, as PRIDE and DREAM vet Tatsuya Kawajiri is headed to the promotion’s featherweight division. For hardcore and old school fans the signing is big news in particular, since for some time Kawajiri was widely regarded to be one of the planet’s best lightweights. After all, this is a man who handed current UFC contender Josh Thomson a UD loss on NYE, 2010.
There’s been no official word regarding Kawajiri’s Octagon debut, but it sounds like the “Crusher” wants a stiff test right off the bat. When asked recently on Twitter who he would like to fight his first UFC bout, Kawajiri stated:
@TitaniumRhino @danawhite @joerogan I want to fight with @CubSwanson. He won the hiroyuki takaya in WEC. Takaya is my friend.
— 川尻達也tatsuya kawajiri (@CRUSHER_MMA) October 26, 2013
Kawajiri also retweeted several links relaying his desire to fight the contender. Since Swanson has won five straight bouts and is in the title shot mix, the #4 ranked featherweight is likely hoping to face a top five contender next (or the champ Jose Aldo himself). Kawajiri has been a big name in the sport for a long time, however, so you never know.
Stay tuned to MMA Convert.com for all your UFC news and coverage.
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Tickets for the UFC’s return trip to Texas will go on sale beginning Wednesday, as UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens takes place June 28.
Set for San Antonio and the AT&T Center, the card will feature a main event between featherweights Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens. Other bouts announced to date include Colton Smith-Carlos Diego Ferreira, Andy Enz-Marcelo Guimaraes and Anthony Hamilton-Oleksiy Oliynyk.
UFC Fight Club members can purchase tickets on Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, while newsletter subscribers will be given access on Thursday.
Public tickets go on sale Friday through Ticketmaster or the AT&T Center website. Prices are $175, $125, $75 and $50.
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Maybe Dustin Poirier forgot about the current UFC schedule that has Cub Swanson meeting Jeremy Stephens later this year in San Antonio on a UFC Fight Night card.
On Twitter recently, Poirier asked Swanson about a rematch. Poirier dropped a decision to Swanson last year, but has reeled off three straight wins since.
For what it’s worth, Swanson didn’t just ignore “The Diamond’s” request. Instead, he proposed that Poirier step inside the Octagon with Clay Guida, who is coming off a recent victory in Abu Dhabi.
Swanson-Stephens is set for June 28 from San Antonio and the AT&T Center. It is scheduled for five rounds.
Poirier earned a second round TKO victory over Akira Corassani earlier this month in Canada, adding to his knockout win vs. Diego Brandao to close out 2013.
@DustinPoirier I know Clay Guida doesn't have a fight yet but I do
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) April 26, 2014
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UFC officials have released the planned lineup for UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens later this month. The card takes place June 28 from the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
In the main event, Cub Swanson meets Jeremy Stephens. Other FOX Sports 1 main card bouts include Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nicholas Musoke, Frank Trevino vs. Abel Trujillo and Andrew Craig vs. Cezar Ferreira.
Action starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass with three events, transitioning over to FS1 at 8 p.m. ET for the remainder of the night. Earlier that day, UFC Fight Night 43 from New Zealand will air exclusively on Fight Pass.
Below is the current lineup:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
Featherweight: Cub Swanson vs. Jeremy Stephens
Welterweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nico Musoke
Lightweight: Frank Trevino vs. Abel Trujillo
Middleweight: Andrew Craig vs. Cezar Ferreira
Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas vs. Hacran Dias
Middleweight: Clint Hester vs. Antonio Brago Neto
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Lightweight: Joe Ellenberger vs. Johnny Case
Bantamweight: Johnny Bedford vs. Cody Gibson
Lightweight: Colton Smith vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Welterweight: Sean Spencer vs. Luiz Dutra
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/6:30 p.m. ET)
Flyweight: Ryan Benoit vs. Ray Borg
Heavyweight: Anthony Hamilton vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk
Middleweight: Marcelo Guimaraes vs. Andy Enz
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Tyron Woodley and Cub Swanson, who are both set for action this month, were featured on a recent edition of “Ultimate Insider” on FOX Sports 1.
Woodley faces Rory MacDonald this coming Saturday night at UFC 174, while Swanson meets Jeremy Stephens later this month at UFC Fight Night.
Check out both clips in the videos below:
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Jeremy Stephens doesn’t believe there is an area inside the Octagon where Cub Swanson will give him fits.
The two meet this Saturday night in the main event of UFC Fight Night from San Antonio and the AT&T Center. The winner could make a great case for a future UFC featherweight title fight, as Stephens is 3-0 since dropping down to the division.
“I can strike with him, I can ground-and-pound him, I can out-wrestle him,” said Stephens, during a recent interview with FOX Sports, “I can get back up to my feet and I can submit him. I know I can beat this guy.”
Stephens (23-9), who turned 28 years old in May, has defeated Darren Elkins, Rony Jason via knockout with a head kick and Estevan Payan since a string of defeats at lightweight. He lost a split decision to current UFC champion Anthony Pettis and another decision to Donald Cerrone before being finished by Yves Edwards and deciding to drop down in weight.
With 15 victories via knockout, Stephens feels he can finish off Swanson within the distance.
“When I hit people, it’s not a flash knockout where they get back up,” Stephens said. “I hit people where it’s like, ‘What happened?’ The coaches have to wake them up.
“That’s just a difference in power.”
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UFC Fight Night 44 main event competitor Jeremy Stephens takes us on his fight week preparation for Saturday and Cub Swanson in the first installment in his video blog series.
The video begins with Stephens and his crew saddling up into an airplane for an adventure and continues through the fighter beginning to work towards making weight later this week.
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UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Stephens takes place this Saturday night to conclude a doubleheader. In the main event, featherweight contenders Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens will square off.
Set for San Antonio and the AT&T Center, the majority of the action will air live on FOX Sports 1. One prelim bout, Oleksiy Oliynyk and Anthony Hamilton, will air on UFC Fight Pass to begin the night.
FightLine will have coverage, including live play-by-play and post-fight news and information, from the event.
Below is the current lineup:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
Featherweight: Cub Swanson vs. Jeremy Stephens
Welterweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nico Musoke
Middleweight: Andrew Craig vs. Cezar Ferreira
Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas vs. Hacran Dias
Middleweight: Clint Hester vs. Antonio Brago Neto
Lightweight: Joe Ellenberger vs. James Moontasri
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Lightweight: Colton Smith vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Bantamweight: Johnny Bedford vs. Cody Gibson
Middleweight: Marcelo Guimaraes vs. Andy Enz
Flyweight: Shane Howell vs. Ray Borg
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/7:30 p.m. ET)
Heavyweight: Anthony Hamilton vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk
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Earlier this week, open workouts were held in San Antonio for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 44 event from the AT&T Center.
Check out main event fighters Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens in the video below.
As always, FightLine will be providing complete coverage of the card, which begins on UFC Fight Pass at 7:30 p.m. ET before moving over to FOX Sports 1 for the remainder of the night at 8 p.m. ET.
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The official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 44: Swanson vs. Stephens will take place today at 5 p.m. ET from San Antonio.
The main event features featherweight contenders Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens, with a co-main event pitting Kelvin Gastelum against Nico Musoke.
FightLine will have complete coverage of the weigh-ins, along with live play-by-play of Saturday’s card from the AT&T Center.
Below is the current lineup and video for the weigh-ins:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
Featherweight: Cub Swanson vs. Jeremy Stephens
Welterweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nico Musoke
Middleweight: Andrew Craig vs. Cezar Ferreira
Featherweight: Ricardo Lamas vs. Hacran Dias
Middleweight: Clint Hester vs. Antonio Brago Neto
Lightweight: Joe Ellenberger vs. James Moontasri
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Lightweight: Colton Smith vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira
Bantamweight: Johnny Bedford vs. Cody Gibson
Middleweight: Marcelo Guimaraes vs. Andy Enz
Flyweight: Shane Howell vs. Ray Borg
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/7:30 p.m. ET)
Heavyweight: Anthony Hamilton vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk
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The official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 44: Swanson vs. Stephens took place earlier today from San Antonio.
The main event features featherweight contenders Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens, with a co-main event pitting Kelvin Gastelum against Nico Musoke.
Gastelum weighed in at 173 pounds, two over the welterweight limit. He will have two hours to cut or forfeit a portion of his purse. It marks the second straight time he has missed weight on his first attempt.
UPDATE: Gastelum weighed in at 172.75 pounds on his second attempt and will forfeit a portion of his purse.
FightLine will have complete coverage of all the action, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET with the UFC Fight Pass prelim bout and continuing through the entire FOX Sports 1 card. We’ll also have all your post-fight news and information.
Check out the complete weigh-in results, along with a video preview, below:
MAIN CARD (FOX Sports 1/10 p.m. ET)
Cub Swanson (145 lbs.) vs. Jeremy Stephens (145)
Kelvin Gastelum (173) vs. Nico Musoke (171)
Andrew Craig (186) vs. Cezar Ferreira (186)
Ricardo Lamas (146) vs. Hacran Dias (146)
Clint Hester (186) vs. Antonio Brago Neto (185)
Joe Ellenberger (155.5) vs. James Moontasri (156)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1/8 p.m. ET)
Colton Smith (156) vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira (155)
Johnny Bedford (136) vs. Cody Gibson (135)
Marcelo Guimaraes (186) vs. Andy Enz (186)
Shane Howell (125.5) vs. Ray Borg (126)
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass/7:30 p.m. ET)
Anthony Hamilton (253) vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk (240)
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The decision to move down to featherweight from lightweight has come with nothing but success for Jeremy Stephens through three fights.
Stephens will put that win streak on the line Saturday night against Cub Swanson in the main event of UFC Fight Night 44. With a win, he believes a title shot will come his way – and also feels he is ready to win the belt.
“I can adapt to anyone’s style in the division,” said Stephens, during a recent interview on UFC Tonight. “I’m strong and fast and just as explosive, and feel like I have the power to knock out the champion.”
Stephens (23-9) earned a decision over Estevan Payan last year in his debut at 145 pounds, following that up with a 40-second knockout of former Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner Rony Jason. He secured his position as a future contender by defeating Darren Elkins in January.
“I feel like I’m a completely different fighter,” Stephens said. “You have to be willing to evolve and adapt. I’m a lot more powerful at 145 pounds.”
With Swanson, Stephens will be facing a fighter with exceptional speed and power, as well. However, he feels the strength still sides with him.
“I think I can dominate him in all areas,” he said. “I feel like I’m the better overall MMA fighter and I have the power on the feet. I just have to go out there and prove it.”
FightLine will be providing complete coverage of the entire event, including live play-by-play and post-fight news and information.
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Cub Swanson will get the opportunity to cement his status as the next contender to the UFC’s featherweight title on Saturday night when he faces Jeremy Stephens in the main event of UFC Fight Night 44.
Swanson, coming off elbow surgery but riding a five-fight win streak, told “UFC Tonight” earlier this week that he plans to take it to Stephens.
“I’ve always said maybe I don’t hit that hard, but I’m pretty accurate,” he said. “I keep a gnarly pace and it doesn’t matter how I’m getting the W’s.”
Swanson (20-5) last fought in July, finishing Dennis Siver. Of his five most recent wins, four have been finishes, including three within the opening two rounds of action. That’s something he plans to do again this weekend.
“I prepared for five rounds early in my camp, but I’ve forgotten about that now,” Swanson admitted. “I’m just preparing for two rounds because that’s all I need.
“It ends with his missing me because of my head movement and me taking it to him.”
Swanson has fought both current UFC champion Jose Aldo and contender Chad Mendes inside the WEC cage. He was finished by Aldo in 2009 via TKO and lost a decision to Mendes a year later.
However, he feels his track record and current run more than make him a worthy contender for the winner of that August contest.
“This would be six wins in a row for me,” he said. “I’m on point, looking sharp. I’m hungry and it’s my time.
“This is 11 years in the making and it’s about time I get the title shot.”
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Cub Swanson has become a bit of a forgotten man in the UFC’s featherweight division. But that all changes Saturday night when he steps into the main event role at UFC Fight Night 44 against Jeremy Stephens.
Swanson (20-5), regarded by many as the No. 1 contender to Jose Aldo’s title, hasn’t fought since last July when he finished Dennis Siver. He’s on a five-fight win streak that includes four finishes, but was passed over by Chad Mendes for the next crack at the belt.
“He is a worthy No. 1 contender right now and in my eyes, as already done enough to earn a title shot,” said Jon Anik, who will call the card alongside Brian Stann, during a recent interview with FightLine. “(UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby would agree, it just didn’t happen for one reason or another.
“The stakes are really high for both guys and I feel that will help both performances. Both guys are hitting their prime and are ready for a shot at the featherweight title. But only one will get it.”
Swanson met Aldo once before, losing a title-eliminator in the WEC via TKO in eight seconds. He’s won seven of nine since, including stoppages vs. Charles Oliveira, Ross Pearson and George Roop.
“Cub has been around the game for so long that I don’t expect the year layoff to have a factor for him,” Anik said. “He is getting so much better. He is a technical guy that can finish you in any number of ways.”
Anik continued, stating one of the reasons he has been on the sidelines since July comes from “not a lot of fights making sense for him to take because of his standing and ranking. This fight, though, makes sense.
“Stephens is a high-profile opponent who is undefeated in the division. He puts on ‘Fight of the Night’ performances, and this bout has a lot of upside for both of them despite Stephens not being highly-ranked.”
Stephens (23-9) is 3-0 since the move from lightweight to featherweight, defeating Darren Elkins and Estevan Payan via decision and Rony Jason with a 40-second head-kick knockout.
“Stephens’ power has come down with him, but I think this will be a fight in which he is at a speed disadvantage,” Anik said. “His maturity has improved and he benefits from supremely good coaching at Alliance MMA. He hasn’t had a difficult weight cut in three ties, but this is his litmus test because he is fighting an elite guy (at featherweight).”
Anik, though, feels like the headline bout and main event billing will provide Swanson with the perfect opportunity to make his mark and secure a future title shot against either Aldo or Mendes.
“I think this is Cub Swanson’s opportunity to grab the microphone and ask for a title shot (after winning),” Anik said. “I think he is so mentally tough and as long as he is healthy, can be the best ’45er in the world on any given day.”
FightLine will be providing complete coverage of Swanson-Stephens, along with the rest of the card Saturday night.
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Chael Sonnen and Kenny Florian take us in-depth to debate tonight’s UFC Fight Night 44 main event between featherweights Cub Swanson and Jeremy Stephens.
FightLine will be providing complete coverage of the entire event, including live play-by-play and post-fight news and information.
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Let’s head back to UFC on FX 4 from Atlantic City, as Cub Swanson takes out Ross Pearson in a featherweight contest.
While Pearson has since moved back to the lightweight division, Swanson has positioned himself as a potential contender to the belt. He’ll meet Jeremy Stephens Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 44 from San Antonio.
FightLine will have complete coverage of the card, including play-by-play and post-fight news and information.
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