At UFC 303, Cub Swanson will be looking to continue his momentum when he clashes against Andre Fili in a featherweight showdown. Swanson is coming off a controversial unanimous decision victory over Hakeem Dawodu at UFC Vegas 78 in 2023 as 11 out of 13 media outlets had scored the fight as a win for Dawodu.

Swanson is a veteran of the sport and has competed in organizations like Total Combat in Mexico and KOTC (King of the Cage) but made his name in the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) before the promotion was merged with the UFC in 2011. Now, as he gears up for his first Octagon appearance in 2024, let’s dive deeper into Cub Swanson’s record and explore his win streaks, losses, and more.

Cub Swanson’s losses in the UFC

With the 2011 merger of the WEC and the UFC, all fighter contracts under the WEC banner were transferred over to the UFC. As such, Swanson made his UFC debut on the first ever UFC on Fox card! His first fight under the UFC’s flag was against Ricardo Lamas, which he lost via submission in the second round.

‘Killer’ then bounced back as he went on a 6-fight winning streak, which included bouts against notable names like Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Jeremy Stephens. However, Swanson then faced a pair of setbacks as he dropped two consecutive fights to Frankie Edgar and future featherweight champion Max Holloway.

Another 4-fight winning streak followed the loss against Holloway, as Swanson put on impressive performances against Dooho Choi and Artem Lobov. But then came another extended losing streak as Swanson struggled to find a win in his next 4 outings in the Octagon.

From December 2017 to May 2019, he was unable to secure a win as he lost to Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar (again), Renato Moicano, and Shane Burgos. Swanson managed to stop the losing streak when he put in a ‘Fight of the Night’ performance against Kron Gracie as he ended 2019 with a decision victory in the bag.

The momentum carried over as he fought Daniel Pineda and finished him in the second round of their fight at UFC 256 in 2020 before coming up short against Giga Chikadze in 2021. A win over Darren Elkins ended the year for Swanson, but his attempt to move down to bantamweight in 2022 saw him face another loss to Jonathan Martinez.

Now that we have looked at Cub Swanson’s UFC career, let’s see if the California native has ever lost an MMA fight outside the UFC.

Has the MMA veteran lost outside the UFC?

Cub Swanson’s journey in making it to the UFC started with a loss in his debut fight against Shannon Gugerty at Total Combat 4 in 2004. It’s interesting to note that at that time, MMA wasn’t sanctioned in California, so Swanson had to fight in the event in Mexico. Despite starting his professional career with a loss, Swanson then rallied to win 9 straight fights before he made his WEC debut in 2007.

At WEC 31, he faced his first loss in the promotion to Jens Pulver, but he bounced back to win the next 2 fights he participated in. But at WEC 41, Swanson ran into MMA legend, Jose Aldo, who finished him in just eight seconds of the first round with a highlight reel flying knee and follow-up punches. The 40-year-old’s last loss in the WEC came against Chad Mendes at WEC 50 in 2010, as Swanson was unable to deal with Mendes’ wrestling pressure and dropped a unanimous decision to his opponent, marking his last loss outside the UFC.

In conclusion, Cub Swanson’s MMA journey highlights his tenacity and determination. Despite numerous setbacks, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to bounce back and compete at a high level. His career is a testament to his enduring skill and resilience in the ever-competitive world of MMA, which has made him a fan favorite.

Do you think Swanson would be able to record another victory against Andre Fili at UFC 303? Drop your predictions in the comments below.