Cub Swanson
Active 2011–present · rated in 5 editions · peak overall 82.0
Scouting report
Cub Swanson's 2016 fight against Doo Ho Choi was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing. Born and raised in Palm Springs, California, Swanson built a career on unorthodox striking angles and power punches, reflected in an 84 Kickboxing rating and 82 Overall score.
Peak ratings
By edition
Swanson put together a five-fight winning streak from 2012 to 2013, stopping George Roop and Ross Pearson in round two, knocking out Charles Oliveira in round one, beating Dustin Poirier on a decision and knocking out Dennis Siver in round three. His head movement, unorthodox angles, and power are captured in an 86 Boxing and 86 Cardio rating across these bouts.
In 2014, Swanson defeated Jeremy Stephens in a five-round main event in San Antonio before suffering submission losses to Frankie Edgar in Austin and Max Holloway in Newark. His kickboxing combinations, footwork, and output against top-five opponents support his 86 Boxing and 84 Kickboxing ratings during this window.
Swanson put together a four-fight winning streak between 2016 and 2017, defeating Hacran Dias, Tatsuya Kawajiri, and Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206 in Toronto, and Artem Lobov over five rounds in Nashville, before dropping a guillotine submission to Brian Ortega. His chin and boxing flurries are reflected in an 86 Boxing and 86 Durability rating over these fights.
Cub Swanson, the striker who won fans in the pocket
Cub Swanson came out of Albuquerque and the Jackson-Wink camp and spent well over a decade among the best strikers at 145. Early in his career Jose Aldo knocked him out in eight seconds, and he rebuilt into a fighter who could beat almost anyone on the right night. His fights tend to be entertaining, which is a good reason to take him even when you are unsure of his ceiling.
Swanson attribute by attribute
Boxing. His best tool. Clean, accurate combinations to the head and body, with a good left hook and comfort when trading.
Kickboxing. A real strength. He throws kicks with variety and mixes them into his boxing rather than using them as a break in the action.
Wrestling. The weakest link. He can defend, but a determined wrestler can push him around for parts of a round.
BJJ. Reasonable. He has caught submissions and can scramble out of trouble.
Strength. Middle of the pack for featherweight, with power that comes from timing.
Durability. He has taken a lot of punishment across a long career and kept coming back.
Cardio. He fights at a sustained pace and holds it through three rounds.
Fight IQ. Experienced and situational. He reads range well and picks his shots.
What you are drafting him for: Boxing
Boxing is the reason to take Swanson. He has good speed, a quick hook and enough patience to counter. Put him in a roster short on strikers and he will win exchanges that many wrestlers avoid.
The hole in his game: Wrestling
His wrestling is the lowest part of his profile. A strong takedown artist can drag him to the mat and neutralise his hands. Balance him with a wrestler elsewhere on the board.
Keep exploring
Closest featherweight profiles to Cub Swanson, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Shane Burgosbest boxing 88 · weakest bjj 76
- Dustin Poirierbest cardio 86 · weakest wrestling 75
- Yair Rodriguezbest kickboxing 93 · weakest wrestling 72
- Arnold Allenbest boxing 88 · weakest strength 80
- Featherweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Cub Swanson's strongest attribute, Boxing.
Draft Cub Swanson into your build
Cub Swanson enters the pool on any spin landing on featherweight between 2010 and 2022. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Cub Swanson is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Cub Swanson's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.