The world around Cub Swanson may be changing, but that hasn't rattled his focus in the slightest.

The longest-standing featherweight on the UFC roster has come into his own in every aspect of his life, even when that very thing takes on even greater importance.

With the recent addition of his daughter, Royal Swanson, to the world, "Killer Cub" is now ready to turn his focus back to his professional duties inside the cage. His position as one of the top-ranked 145-pound fighters on the planet doesn't make that an easy pull, but Swanson is ready for whatever the situation presents.

While a title shot is what he wants most, Swanson understands the current landscape may dictate another victory before the shot at gold is achieved. And with that in mind, Jose Aldo seems like the right dance partner in the moment.

It is a matchup the former featherweight king Aldo has also been calling for, but Swanson wanted to make it clear any fight between the two would come on his terms.

"Aldo is asking for the fight in November, but I have no intention of fighting then," Swanson told FloCombat. "He's asked for me specifically in addition to any fight he can get, but wants to be on that November card. Any fight I'm going to take I'm going to make sure I get 14 weeks in, which would be the end-of-the-year card. I have a lot going on in my life and need to be able to make sure the adjustments can be made. I'm not rushing into anything at this point.

"I have Aldo calling me out now, but I've been asking for that fight for years. He could have made that fight happen at any time. Now he expects me to jump when he says so? No. Aldo doesn't have the belt anymore, so it's not quite as lucrative a fight anymore. Just to put it into perspective, fighting him now, I'd make a quarter of what I would have made fighting him had he defeated (Max) Holloway."


Photo Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The history between Swanson and Aldo isn't an unfamiliar one, but it has carried on far past their initial meeting inside the WEC cage in 2009. At that time, Aldo was the rising heir apparent to the crown, while Swanson was still a fighter full of potential looking to find that breaking point that made him either embrace his talent or wash away.

In the strange manner the fight game seems to bring, both eventually found their marks and now appear to be on a collision course for the same goal. And while Swanson acknowledges this to be the case, he's the one holding the weight in the conversation and knows this to be true.

"This was a fight [Aldo] acted like I didn't deserve, but now I'm supposed to be next, so he wants to jump in and try to take me out," Swanson said. "I'm the one in the good spot, so now he needs me. I have no problem fighting him. I'm just waiting on the UFC to tell me what their plan is. I need to know who is fighting who and what those fights mean. People always say this and that about taking fights, but there's a lot that goes into this process at the top of the division.

"I'll be talking to the UFC this week or the next, and I'm going to find out who is available to fight in the time frame I'm aiming for. Because at the end of the day this is my career, and I'm the one stepping into that cage. I always want to give my best and my best comes with the right amount of training and preparation."

Swanson has come to learn when he's at his very best, and those lessons have come on a journey filled with back steps and pitfalls. The 33-year-old has pursued with passion and found victory at many turns, but he's also experienced heartbreak in many forms along the way.

Yet, perspective is in the eye of the beholder, and Swanson's road ahead is illuminated because of the things he's created and surrounded himself with in his life. After celebrating the birth of his daughter just a few weeks ago and thinking about his own father who brought him into this world and then passed on three months later due to cancer, Swanson has plenty to be grateful for in the here and now.

With all he has going on, he couldn't imagine things fading at this point, and that fighting spirit inside will continue to fuel him toward the best things life has to offer. Swanson has always been a proud man and competitor, but there's simply more to protect in the circle that matters most.

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"I'm a person who works toward goals and has plans to bring those goals to life," Swanson said. "I'm proud of myself for establishing myself and allowing myself to mature before I started a family. I've traveled the world and experienced so many things before I had children, and I'm very proud I was able to do that. My girlfriend is the same way. I'm in a place now where I can give that attention and have a lot of life lessons to give her along the way. I think I'm most proud of the fact I waited until I was mature and financially stable.

"It's kind of weird because it's not like she was born and I had this epiphany. I've always been focused on establishing myself, and at this point, I'm just focused on securing my future. I'm in my prime right now and have never been better. I'm looking to land the biggest fights I can and get paid the most money I can for those fights.

"I'll continue to make smart moves outside of fighting, and I get to hang out with my family," he added. "That seems like a good plan to me."

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