Cub Swanson is proud of his accomplishments but doesn’t know if his career earns him a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Swanson (28-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) has been a perennial featherweight contender throughout his WEC and UFC career, holding notable wins over ex-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira and former interim champ Dustin Poirier.
Swanson, a 21-fight octagon veteran, was just inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame for one of the greatest fights, getting honored for outlasting Doo Ho Choi in a barnburner in 2016. But do his individual accolades warrant a spot in the Hall of Fame as a fighter? Swanson isn’t sure for one reason.
“I really am proud of it, and the whole belt thing is something that – it’s like when people go, ‘Oh, you’re gonna go into the Hall of Fame again for your career,’ and I’m always like, ‘I don’t know,'” Swanson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I really can’t call that. It’s kind of hard to say that that’s gonna happen because it’s usually guys that are longtime champions or double champions.
“And like I said, I never fought for a title, but I didn’t really feel like that was my fault. I felt like there’s other reasons for that. I was right there for a long time and my goal has always been putting on exciting fights, and I really hope there’s some kind of a WEC wing in the Hall of Fame at some point. That would be cool.”
Swanson showed he’s still in top form after taking out Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 199. The 38-year-old may or may not end up in the Hall of Fame, but one thing’s for sure: He’s never failed to entertain, and his 10 Fight of the Night bonuses as a WEC and UFC fighter prove it.
Before he calls it a career, Swanson has fights with Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo on his wish list.
“I think the Urijah fight would be good for the fans, so I think they’d appreciate that,” Swanson said. “Maybe a Jose Aldo fight, but I just want to have a few more exciting fights until my body feels, all right, it’s done. Then honestly, my wish list is to be a jiu-jitsu and soccer dad and take my kids around and give them more of my time. I give them a lot of my time now, but I know I could give them even more. A few more exciting fights and then giving a lot of attention to my kids. That’s my wish list.”
