After chasing a featherweight title shot, flirting with the idea of a fight with former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and being called out by former lightweight Michael Johnson, fan favorite featherweight contender Cub Swanson finally has a fight booked. The all-action Jackson’s MMA staple will battle rising contender Brian Ortega in the main event of the UFC’s December 9th debut in Fresno, California.
Swanson announced this fight, which an early frontrunner for Fresno’s Fight of the Night honors, on his social media channels.
The fight was originally reported by Farah Hannoun on Twitter.
Cub Swanson (25-7) will enter this compelling showdown on a fantastic four-fight streak, have recently thwarted Hacran Dias, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Doo Ho Choi and Artem Lobov. Swanson’s win over Choi was perhaps the best fight of the year 2016, while his decision win over Lobov was an absolute thriller too. Swanson’s last losses came against reigning featherweight champ Max Holloway and current number-one-contender Frankie Edgar.
Ortega, meanwhile, is rocketing along with a flawless 12-0 professional record. Though his UFC debut was rendered a no-contest when he tested positive for the banned substance drostanolone, he has since rebounded with a TKO win over Thiago Tavares, a submission defeat of Diego Brandao, a knockout of Clay Guida, and most recently, a submission win over Renato Moicano.