Kemo
11-16-2017, 06:09 PM
MKB6U_aRIKQ
Cub Swanson believed that the next shot at Max Holloway’s 145-pound title was a two horse race between himself and Frankie Edgar
When Edgar pulled out of his scheduled bout against Holloway next month with an injury, the logical next step would be for Swanson to step in. Or so he believed.
That was not to be the case as former featherweight champion and the man Holloway took the title from, Jose Aldo, was given the nod. Swanson, clearly feeling dejected as a result of what he sees as another lost opportunity, told Ariel Helwani just how hard it was to deal with the feeling that he had been somewhat passed over:
“It was between me and Frankie (for the original title shot), and then Frankie got it, and it was a tough pill to swallow, and I got over it,” Swanson said Monday on The MMA Hour. “And I thought for sure, if anybody wouldn’t pull out of a fight, it would be him, because I think he’s the kind of guy who would fight through a torn knee or anything. But I guess he has a fracture in his face or something like that, and that’s something that you can’t fight through, so I was shocked when I found out that he was pulling out, and then I was like, ‘Wow, this going to happen.’
“I had such an amazing camp. I helped T.J. (Dillashaw) train for his fight. Over here at Jackson’s now, I’m ahead of schedule. This is just too perfect. And I was trying to get ahold of the UFC, let them know, and they told me that they were trying to figure it all out, it’s kinda madness. And then they told me that they were going to give it to Aldo.”
Swanson claims that UFC President Dana White had indicated that the company had plans for him, yet he is finding it hard to believe that those plans match his own ambitions:
“It’s very hard to see,” Swanson said. “Dana (White) told me that they want to make me happy, they want to keep me around. He was genuine about it when he said. I just kinda find it hard to think that’s going to happen, considering circumstances. I mean, they could’ve made me happy really quickly and they went a different route.”
“I’m going to get paid the most if I fight for a title or hold a title. That’s when all of the big opportunities come,” Swanson said. “But I haven’t had that opportunity, so I wanted to fight out my contract only to see what other companies were going to offer me and be able to show the UFC, like, ‘Look, I’m worth this. Come on, step it up.’ Because I want to fight in the UFC. I love it. But I also want to be taken care of and be paid what I’m worth, and feel that I’m appreciated. I like that. I’m old school.
“And looking back at all of the people who have gotten title fights — Chad Mendes got multiple, Frankie Edgar has gotten multiple, Aldo’s gotten multiple, ‘Korean Zombie’ got one out of nowhere, (Ricardo) Lamas has got one. All of the people at the top have all gotten them. And when Max took forever to get one, I was very vocal about him deserving a title fight. So I just don’t see why, in 10 years with the company, I couldn’t have gotten one. I feel like maybe they just don’t think that highly of me.”
Cub Swanson believed that the next shot at Max Holloway’s 145-pound title was a two horse race between himself and Frankie Edgar
When Edgar pulled out of his scheduled bout against Holloway next month with an injury, the logical next step would be for Swanson to step in. Or so he believed.
That was not to be the case as former featherweight champion and the man Holloway took the title from, Jose Aldo, was given the nod. Swanson, clearly feeling dejected as a result of what he sees as another lost opportunity, told Ariel Helwani just how hard it was to deal with the feeling that he had been somewhat passed over:
“It was between me and Frankie (for the original title shot), and then Frankie got it, and it was a tough pill to swallow, and I got over it,” Swanson said Monday on The MMA Hour. “And I thought for sure, if anybody wouldn’t pull out of a fight, it would be him, because I think he’s the kind of guy who would fight through a torn knee or anything. But I guess he has a fracture in his face or something like that, and that’s something that you can’t fight through, so I was shocked when I found out that he was pulling out, and then I was like, ‘Wow, this going to happen.’
“I had such an amazing camp. I helped T.J. (Dillashaw) train for his fight. Over here at Jackson’s now, I’m ahead of schedule. This is just too perfect. And I was trying to get ahold of the UFC, let them know, and they told me that they were trying to figure it all out, it’s kinda madness. And then they told me that they were going to give it to Aldo.”
Swanson claims that UFC President Dana White had indicated that the company had plans for him, yet he is finding it hard to believe that those plans match his own ambitions:
“It’s very hard to see,” Swanson said. “Dana (White) told me that they want to make me happy, they want to keep me around. He was genuine about it when he said. I just kinda find it hard to think that’s going to happen, considering circumstances. I mean, they could’ve made me happy really quickly and they went a different route.”
“I’m going to get paid the most if I fight for a title or hold a title. That’s when all of the big opportunities come,” Swanson said. “But I haven’t had that opportunity, so I wanted to fight out my contract only to see what other companies were going to offer me and be able to show the UFC, like, ‘Look, I’m worth this. Come on, step it up.’ Because I want to fight in the UFC. I love it. But I also want to be taken care of and be paid what I’m worth, and feel that I’m appreciated. I like that. I’m old school.
“And looking back at all of the people who have gotten title fights — Chad Mendes got multiple, Frankie Edgar has gotten multiple, Aldo’s gotten multiple, ‘Korean Zombie’ got one out of nowhere, (Ricardo) Lamas has got one. All of the people at the top have all gotten them. And when Max took forever to get one, I was very vocal about him deserving a title fight. So I just don’t see why, in 10 years with the company, I couldn’t have gotten one. I feel like maybe they just don’t think that highly of me.”