Cub Swanson’s opinion on his fight with Hakeem Dawodu changed after rewatching it.
Swanson (29-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) defeated Dawodu by decision in what was a close fight less than two weeks ago at UFC on ESPN 51. It was a decision that stirred controversy, even getting Swanson to question the result himself.
But after getting a chance to watch it back, he agrees with the judges.
“I watched the fight, and I thought it was very close, but I definitely feel like I won the first and third round,” Swanson told MMA Junkie Radio. “Second round I’d give to him just because of basically controlling me, but he really didn’t do any damage from there.
“I was actually letting him control me because I didn’t think that anything he was doing was hurting me, and I felt like he was spending more energy than I was. So I was kind of letting him do that. But in the moment, I thought that I lost the first just because I was disappointed in what I had done, in myself. Then I thought I lost the second. So, in my mind, going into the third I was like, ‘I need to finish him.'”
Swanson, 39, knows he’s in the tail end of his career. Had he lost to Dawodu (14-3-1 MMA, 6-4 UFC), Swanson revealed that he likely would have called it a career.
“I think it’s probably safe to say that if I would have lost, I probably would have been done,” Swanson said.
While Swanson would like at least one more big fight in front of a crowd, he has to assess how his body feels first.
“I got some injuries that I need to address that I’m going to real soon here,” Swanson said. “Honestly, I’ve had this cyst on my spine that’s been causing me quite a bit of pain that I’ve been dealing with, and so I think I need to get that removed.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.
