Cub Swanson Wife Kenda Perez and Her Lesser Known Modelling Connection to UFC

Cub Swanson is all set to feature in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 63 in Tampa against Billy Quarantillo in a battle of two unranked featherweights. The Palm Springs native was one of those fighters who started fighting in the UFC after they acquired World Extreme Cagefighting. A 20-year veteran in MMA, Swanson is still going strong at 41 years old.

With 29 victories under his belt, Swanson often dedicates his wins to his wife and kids. He has publicly declared that they are indeed the reason why he strives so hard to get a win in the MMA promotion. Today, let’s take a look at Swanson’s wife and kids.

About Cub Swanson’s wife Kenda Perez

Back in June 2018, Swanson tied the knot with the UFC correspondent, Kenda Rae Perez, and made it official. The mixed martial artist took to social media and flooded the platforms with pictures of his marriage. But who exactly is Kenda Rae Swanson? Well, she is the same age as her husband, 41 years old, and a native of Laguna Beach, California. 

Cub Swanson’s wife did her growing up in old-town Orange County as he attended Orangewood Adventist Academy. But now, she resides in Newport Beach and is also a martial artist, much like her husband. Yes, Kenda Perez has a black belt in Shito-Ryu karate, which she decided to learn when the sport of MMA started gaining traction.

However, when it comes to her occupation, Cub Swanson’s wife is a quite popular figure in sports media as well. And the sport we’re talking about is, of course. mixed martial arts. Let’s have a look at that front.

What does Kenda Rae Swanson do? Modeling and UFC career

Kenda Rae Perez is used to being on camera, just like Cub Swanson, but not inside the Octagon. She first garnered attention when she competed for the famous Maxim Magazine’s ‘Hometown Hotties’. A finish as a top-four finalist in that competition helped her to continue her work as a model with Maxim. Meanwhile, her interest in MMA led her to Dana White‘s promotion when the UFC had just produced a show called ‘The Best of Pride Fighting Championships’, which featured some of the best fights and fighters from Pride FC.

With her proficiency with a microphone, Perez got the job as soon as she auditioned for the position of the host for the show. Cub Swanson’s wife even founded her own MMA show, called ‘The Ultimate Show’ with the ‘Blecher Report’. A couple of years after Perez landed in the realm of mixed martial arts as a host, she spoke to the ‘Bleacher Report’, sharing a few lesser-known facts about her. 

She surprised the fans with her response, as she was asked if she would ever date an MMA fighter. Her reply was, “Since I work for the UFC, I like to keep to the old saying of ‘don’t mix business with pleasure’. I can’t predict the future, but as of yet, I have not.” But later in the years, she fell in love with Swanson, and the two got married. She took to Instagram to announce the happy moment and captioned that she finally married her best friend.

Here’s some of Kenda Perez’s most notable work:

Magazine appearances:

• Maxim Magazine – Dec 2007 // Oct 2012 // Dec 2012
• UFC Magazine – Aug/Sept 2010 // Oct 2011//Aug/Sept 2014 (Australia Edition)
• Muscle & Fitness – Jan 2011
• 944 magazine – June 2011 (O.C. Edition)
• Fight! Magazine – Aug 2011
• Maxim UK – Dec 2011 (Online Only)
• Fighters Only UK – Issue 84
• Inside Fitness – Aug/Sept 2012 (with Arianny Celeste and Brittney Palmer)

Features:

• CNNSI’s Hot Clicks “Lovely Lady of the Day” for August 4, 2010
• Bleacher Report’s “MMA Hottie of the Week” on February 22, 2011
• CNNSI’s Hot Clicks Photo Gallery of the Day for April 23, 2012
• Appears in UFC Undisputed 3 as a PRIDE ring girl.

Now, in case you are wondering if Mr. and Mrs. Swanson are parents, well, they do. Let’s find out a bit about the Swanson kids.

How many kids do Cub and Kenda Rae Swanson have?

The Californian mixed martial artist fathered a daughter in 2017. Following his victory over Dooho Choi, he ended up winning the Fight of the Year trophy at the World MMA Awards. Swanson got the news that he was going to be a dad right after his victory, and the couple announced the big news on IG in February 2017. Soon after the birth of his first child, Swanson shared her picture on Instagram. The caption read, “Royal Rae Swanson was born this morning at 4:03 AM / 8-21-17 / [Kenda Perez] with the amazing performance!”

After daughter Rae‘s birth, Kenda gave birth to twin boys one year later. But the date coincided with the date of the unfortunate passing of Mac Miller. The identical twins are named King and Saint. Without a doubt, Swanson doesn’t miss a moment to share his love for his family on social media.

Despite the happy vibes Cub Swanson and Kenda Rae Perez share as a family, there was an instance when the UFC fighter’s wife lashed out at a UFC fighter. And who do you think is that fighter? Well, it’s none other than the biggest MMA in the history of the sport.

Kenda Perez demanded the arrest of Conor McGregor

One of the most forgotten beef between two UFC stars was between Conor McGregor and Cub Swanson. Over 10 years ago, ‘The Notorious’ was at the peak of his popularity and was on the verge of getting his first title fight against Jose Aldo. When a discussion about the title fight started on social media, Swanson was quick to give his vote of no-confidence to McGregor’s title fight claims.

It apparently started a small exchange of words between the two UFC fighters, with Cub Swanson calling Conor McGregor a bad role model. A few years later, the former UFC double champion would be involved in the infamous dolly-throwing incident, which saw him face legal consequences. As soon news broke out about that incident, this time it was Cub Swanson’s wife who had some stern words for the ‘Fighting Irish’.

“Connor McGregor: arrest him, sue him, suspend him, ban him, fire him. Put him out of business. Let’s not support or aid to someone acting like a five-year-old with absolutely zero discipline and guidance,” tweeted Kenda Rae Perez.

Bygones are bygones, and what’s important for Cub Swanson is his next fight this weekend. Do you think he’ll be able to bounce back from his previous loss? Drop your comments below.