With Siver dispatched, UFC 162's Cub Swanson wants title shot – or Lamas rematch

Cub Swanson just keeps on doing work, and not he wouldn’t mind a little reward.

He’s got a couple in mind, in case the UFC is listening. Why not give him the next title shot? And in lieu of that, how ’bout a crack at avenging his only UFC loss?

Swanson (20-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) on Saturday knocked out Dennis Siver (21-9 MMA, 10-6 UFC) to open up the main card of UFC 162, which took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Swanson ran his win streak to five – with four knockouts and three post-fight bonus awards.

A title fight, and also Ricardo Lamas,” Swanson on Monday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) about what he would like to do next. “I think I deserve another chance at (Lamas).”

Swanson fought Lamas in his UFC debut at UFC on FOX 1 in November 2011. After a good first round, he was submitted by Lamas in the second. The fight came after a yearlong layoff.

But after that, Swanson started taking opponents out. He knocked out George Roop at UFC on FOX 2, then stopped Ross Pearson in June 2012. He followed that with a “Knockout of the Night” win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 152.

In 2013, he outpointed Dustin Poirier in London leading up to his stoppage of Siver.

Yet when Anthony Pettis fell off his featherweight title fight against champion Jose Aldo, “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung, was pulled from a UFC 162 fight with Lamas for the title shot.

Many fans and analysts argued that Lamas deserved the shot over Jung. But Swanson thought perhaps he had the better credentials – despite the loss to Lamas. He still feels that way now.

“My first six fights in the UFC are some of the hardest fights you can ask for,” Swanson said. “I’d like people to keep that in mind when they think about the top. I don’t think ‘The Korean Zombie’ has faced the opponents I have.”

Before he took the Siver fight, Swanson was hoping for even a step up the ladder from that. A fight with Frankie Edgar was talked about, but didn’t come to fruition.

It’s a fight he’d still be interested now – but only if it’s the best possible option out there.

“He kinda called me out, and I asked the UFC about it and it wasn’t really a fight they cared to make,” Swanson said. “Siver was the one they wanted me to fight, so that’s who I fought. I want to take the best fight I can get, so if that’s the best one, I’ll take it. And if they give me something better, a bigger opportunity, I’ll take that.”

Regardless of who he might wind up with next, Swanson now is at a place where he can sit back and be comfortable with how far he’s come, relative especially to just four years ago – when he was knocked out by Aldo in just eight seconds in the WEC. Aldo went on to win the WEC’s featherweight title and hasn’t looked back.

Swanson, though, had a bit of an up-and-down stretch until after the Lamas loss. But things have been looking up for a while, and he hopes they’ll continue to do so.

“It’s been a long, hard road, but I’m enjoying it now,” he said. “Now I can say it’s all worth it. I’m not the little knucklehead anymore. I’m starting to become a role model, and I’m accepting that. I think I’m doing a good job at that. I guess I have a good story to tell, and I’ve been very stubborn and stuck it out – and here I am, and I’m doing well for myself.”

For complete coverage of UFC 162, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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