Cub Swanson is doubling down on his desire to drop down to 135 pounds.
Swanson (28-12 MMA, 18-11 UFC), who’s coming off a first-round TKO of Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 199 in December, expressed interest in facing fellow WEC veteran Urijah Faber at the post-fight press conference, a fight he thinks should have already happened years ago.
Both Faber (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and Swanson competed at 145 pounds during their WEC days. Faber held the promotion’s title and defended it four times. But the pair never ended up crossing paths and Swanson thinks now would be the perfect time.
“After fighting a stretch of up-and-comers, I was excited to fight Elkins because it was somebody that’s been around for a while, someone there’s tons of tape on, somebody close to my age,” Swanson told MMA Junkie Radio. “There were a lot of things where I was like, ‘Ah, we’re two veterans, we’re going to go and throw down.’ I think fighting Urijah is the same thing on another level. People love him and people have loved me for years, so I think it always makes for a great fight. We should have fought many, many times and just never did, so why not now?
“We should do it for an honorary WEC belt. They did the ‘BMF’ belt, so why not? Throwback.”
Swanson, who’s currently healing from a broken hand, has competed at both lightweight and featherweight throughout his career. But the 38-year-old is confident he could make bantamweight if he tightened down on his diet.
“As far as dropping to 135, this was the easiest cut for me at 145 that I’ve had maybe since my first couple of WEC fights. But I could have made 140 on the scale pretty easily,” Swanson said. “I think 135 would have been tough, but I think with some strict dieting, it wouldn’t be a problem for me.
“My plan is to get back into the gym once my hand heals, and I’ve got Juan Archuleta, Dan Argueta and T.J. (Dillashaw). I’ve got a bunch of 135’er teammates that are all getting ready for their fights, trying to get back in there. So I want to keep my weight down and help them, and I want to see how my body performs while I’m keeping my weight a little lower than normal and see if it’s doable for me.”
Cub Swanson wants Urijah Faber fight for ‘honorary WEC belt’ at bantamweight
