LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] isn’t too sure he should’ve had his hand raised Saturday.
The UFC featherweight thought he lost a decision to Hakeem Dawodu in the co-main event at UFC on ESPN 51, but to his surprise, he was awarded a 29-28 victory across all three judges’ scorecards.
“I’m always hard on myself,” Swanson said when asked about the decision of the fight at the UFC on ESPN 51 post-fight press conference. “I didn’t think I won the first round. Everyone in my corner said I did, and that it was an easy one to call. I thought that he picked up some steam in the second, but I know I hurt him at the end of the second.
“So in my mind, I was down two rounds, and I was like, ‘I need to push the pace.’ He was powerful, and it was taking a toll on me, but my conditioning was good, so I was just trying to stay in his face. But I was mostly just mad about myself for not being a bit more active. It was a chess match in there. It was a difficult one, but I have to watch it again. It sounds like everyone (on my team) thought I at least won two rounds, so it’s cool.”
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With the victory, Swanson (29-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) was able to bounce back from a TKO loss to Jonathan Martinez in a failed bantamweight debut this past October.
The 39-year-old has been fighting professionally since 2004 and knows retirement is looming. As far as what’s next, Swanson has no preference. He’s just focused on doing what he loves – fighting.
“I’m close to the end,” Swanson said. “I’m just having fun at this point. That was my goal: to have some fun tonight. I’ve been fortunate to make some good money and make some investments, and I’m just trying to make sure my family is taken care of.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.