It appears Cub Swanson is making a move to bantamweight in his next UFC appearance: Sources confirmed to MMA Fighting that Cub Swanson will face off against Jonathan Martinez at an unnamed UFC event, currently slated for October 15th.
Cub Swanson moves to bantamweight to face Jonathan Martinez at Oct. 15 UFC event (@MikeHeck_JR) https://t.co/Rj2q1VNsIK pic.twitter.com/lza5A3B7ry
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 26, 2022
Swanson is coming off an emphatic first-round victory against fellow vet Darren Elkins, finding much success in four of his last five bouts. The only loss in this quintet of fights came at the hands of Giga Chikadze, who is now established as a top five talent in the division and is firmly in the mix at the top end of the division. Despite being a career featherweight under the WEC and UFC, Swanson has experience at bantamweight, competing in the weight class at King of the Cage way back in 2005.
His counterpart, Jonathan Martinez, comes into this bout with the momentum of three solid decision victories, most recently over Vince Morales. A win, especially one that sees Martinez secure victory inside the distance, is sure to provide his winning streak with some recognisable name value, bringing him closer to a matchup with the potential to break into the rankings.
Swanson has always possessed a groundswell of fan support, along with recent success in his now-former weight class and significant experience in elite competition. A revitalised veteran against a young prospect with momentum is sure to provide an intriguing matchup.
Recent promotional veterans have not seen great success dropping down a weight class: A perpetual title contender like Swanson is as confident a pick as any to break this trend.
